Friday August 28, 2026
National Fisherman —
NOAA Fisheries is making approximately $4.6 million available for projects aimed at reducing bycatch through improved fishing practices and innovative gear technology.
The agency announced its 2026 funding opportunity through the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program, inviting non-federal researchers to submit proposals for collaborative projects that address bycatch challenges facing U.S. fisheries.
A major emphasis of this year’s funding opportunity is industry involvement. NOAA Fisheries said it is looking for proposals that include proactive and meaningful engagement with the fishing industry in identifying, designing, or implementing projects.
Bycatch includes fish and other marine species that fishermen do not want, cannot sell, or are not permitted to retain. Depending on the fishery, it can include non-target fish as well as marine mammals and sea turtles. Reducing those interactions can help address biological concerns while also limiting economic impacts on commercial fishing operations.
The Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program has supported research conducted alongside fishermen to develop and test gear and fishing practices under real-world conditions.
Previous work on the West Coast, for example, found that a dual-sorting flexible grid system known as Flexigrid reduced undersized sablefish bycatch by more than 45 percent while maintaining catches of adult sablefish and other target species.