NFWF Announces $3.4 Million Grant For Data Modernization

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), along with NOAA Fisheries, has announced a $3.4 million grant that will aid in the modernization of data collection from fisheries across the United States. Some matching grant funds that were also available will make the total impact for this effort land at $7.6 million.

“The grants announced today will support the continued development of advancements in the use of artificial intelligence and other technologies to modernize how vital fisheries data are collected, shared and analyzed,” said NFWF CEO Jeff Trandahl in a press release. “These conservation investments will benefit vital marine wildlife populations while also supporting more effective and efficient fishery management that will benefit the people and communities that rely upon them for their way of life.”  

One of the many challenges posed to fisheries managers is up-to-date, verified data that they can then use to craft management plans, slot limits, stocking, and even closures or early openings of certain fisheries. These grants will aid in continuing to modernize the data fisheries biologists have at their disposal as they continue to manage an ever-changing resource.

For example, one of the projects supported by this grant will bring electronic monitoring to the scallop fishery in the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition, the press release from NFWF states that “Projects will support sustainable management efforts in federal and state fisheries in Alaska, Alabama, California, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington, along with the territory of Puerto Rico.”

How Does This Impact My Fishing?

These are the kinds of headlines that don’t grab the attention of most anglers, but it’s important to realize how much our fisheries – whether you’re a trout angler in the Rockies, or a tarpon addict in the Keys – depend on reliable data that’s easily shared between management agencies. In many cases, state and federal officials are working together, often with nonprofit groups, to jointly manage the fisheries we love. The better and more reliable data they have access to, the better decisions they’ll be able to make about future fishery management.