Funding Opportunities

Description

Whale entanglement in fishing gear is a growing conservation and fisheries management challenge along the U.S. West Coast, with a marked increase in confirmed cases since 2014. Contributing factors include recovering whale populations, climate-related shifts in whale migration and prey distribution, changes in fishing effort, and increased public awareness and reporting. Most entanglements in this region, where fixed-gear fisheries, such as trap/pot and gillnet fisheries, are active. While the specific gear involved is often unknown, the majority of confirmed cases have involved Dungeness crab gear.

An emerging approach to reducing entanglement risk while maintaining fishing access is the use of pop-up or on-demand fishing gear, which allows fishermen to retrieve traps without relying vertical buoy lines connected to a surface buoy. The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is working with commercial fishermen to test and refine on-demand gear fishing gear that has the potential to reduce the risk of whale entanglement along the U.S. West Coast fixed-gear fisheries. Data and insights generated through this work will support voluntary adoption by fishermen, provide gear manufacturers with performance feedback and suggestions for improvement, and inform regulatory efforts to reduce the impacts of fishery closures due to entanglement risk.

FishSource Profile: Dungeness crab, California

Description

In 2022, the Canadian Wildlife Federation established the CanFISH Gear Lending Program, which removes barriers to the adoption of on-demand fishing gear including financial constraints, accessibility issues, permitting to use the gear, and inexperience with the technologies, all which currently hinder harvesters from maintaining their catches and livelihoods when closures are implemented to protect North Atlantic right whales. Since the outset of the program, the distribution of North Atlantic right whales and therefore fisheries closures have changed from year to year. While significant outreach surrounding the lending program took place in the early years of its operation, funding has limited CWF from doing any significant, dedicated outreach since 2024. As closures continue to impact new areas and fish harvesters each year, there is a continued need to conduct outreach in fishing communities throughout the Atlantic provinces to ensure there is strong awareness of the program and how it can help harvesters impacted by closures by giving them the ability to continue fishing with whale-safe gear.

Targeted advertising, trade shows and dock demonstrations will assist in building increased awareness, promoting the use of the program and therefore sustainable fisheries. Funding support would assist with the costs of this outreach, including travel, advertising, and harvester workshops.

FishSource Profile: Queen crab, NW Atlantic, Canada S Gulf of St. Lawrence

Description

The Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF) is conducting gear localization trials to determine the most effective methods for accurately identifying the location of on-demand fishing gear on the seafloor, an essential requirement for reducing gear conflicts and losses as whale-safe, on-demand fisheries expand into high-density fisheries such as lobster and snow crab. Current GPS surface marking methods are adequate for low-density fishing activity but may not provide the precision needed as adoption increases. CWF is conducting gear localization trials to compare GPS surface marking to other methods of gear localization, such as those using acoustic technologies to mark gear on the seafloor, to compare accuracies and determine which method might be required for different fisheries. Because these technologies are still evolving, ongoing equipment upgrades and vessel modifications are necessary.

Support for this incentive would fund gear upgrades required to continue gear localization trials. This will include outfitting vessels with the technology (e.g. thru-hull installations), and the purchase of SmartBuoys to allow comparison data to be integrated. This work is essential to finding a method suitable for Canada’s highest-density fisheries, such as snow crab and lobster, to encourage broader adoption and the development of sustainable fisheries.

FishSource Profile: Queen crab, NW Atlantic, Canada S Gulf of St. Lawrence

Description

Since it’s inception, Canadian Wildlife Federation’s (CWF) CanFISH Gear Lending Program has trained more than 30 harvesters in the use of on-demand gear technologies in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with ten using the gear during endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW) closures to land almost 400,000lbs of snow crab. As whale migrations and distributions continue to shift, there is now interest from lobster harvesters who fish under more extreme conditions (e.g. Bay of Fundy) in learning how to use the gear and being prepared for closures in their region. CWF’s detailed gear trials have demonstrated that lift-bag systems perform optimally under challenging conditions such as extreme tides and significant depths, and therefore there is the need to increase inventory of these systems to accommodate harvesters in these areas. At present, CWF has capability to assist 5 harvesters at any given time with lift-bag systems to fish sustainably in NARW closures. The goal is to double this number in the near-term, and double that number again within the next 3 years.

CWF is seeking support for costs of increasing the on-demand gear inventory of CanFISH to allow greater assistance to harvesters fishing in challenging environments where whales are at risk of entanglement. Support would also provide the ability for existing gear in their inventory to be upgraded as needed to handle these challenging conditions. Finally, CWF will conduct workshops for harvesters in these regions to demonstrate the gear, provide training as requested, and conduct general outreach to ensure harvesters are aware of the CanFISH resource.

FishSource Profile: Queen crab, NW Atlantic, Canada S Gulf of St. Lawrence

Description

This project aims to improve and commercialize solar-powered lights designed to reduce bycatch (unintended capture) of sea turtles, sharks, and other marine species in gillnet and pound net fisheries. Traditional light-based bycatch reduction methods (LEDs and chemical lightsticks) are effective but costly and environmentally problematic due to battery use and waste. The Senko Lab has developed a solar-powered alternative that already reduces sea turtle bycatch while maintaining target fish catch, and is now working  to prepare the technology for commercial release by 2028.

Objective 1 focuses on improving energy efficiency by optimizing the flash rate (duty cycle) of the lights. Field trials in Baja California Sur, Mexico will compare 5% and 10% duty cycles to determine if lower energy use can maintain or improve bycatch reduction while extending battery life. Experimental gillnets (two illuminated, one control) will be deployed nightly, and researchers will measure bycatch, target catch, and operational efficiency.

Objective 2 aims to reduce costs by optimizing the spacing of lights on nets. Increasing spacing reduces the number of lights needed, lowering costs without sacrificing effectiveness. Trials in North Carolina and Baja California Sur will test reduced light densities and compare outcomes to control nets.

Description

Global shark populations have declined by about 50% over the past 50 years, largely due to fishing, including accidental capture in tuna fisheries. While small sharks can be handled relatively safely, large adult sharks—critical for reproduction—are difficult and dangerous to release, often leading fishers to leave them on deck until they are near death. Older release methods (like tail ropes) were banned due to injury risks.

To address this, AZTI developed two safer release devices (a padded “shark velcro” and “shark harness”) that allow quick, less harmful lifting and release. Early tests showed promising survival results, but sample sizes were too small for firm conclusions. This new pilot project will expand testing through fisher training, onboard trials, and satellite tagging to assess post-release survival.

If proven effective, these devices could improve shark survival, enhance fisher safety, support sustainable fishing practices, and help fisheries meet conservation standards.

Description

Oceanic shark populations have declined sharply over the past 50 years, largely due to fishing. In tropical tuna purse seine fisheries, vulnerable  and critically endangered sharks are commonly caught as bycatch around fish aggregating devices (FADs). Handling these sharks on deck is dangerous for fishers and harmful to the animals, often leading to injuries and poor survival outcomes.

To address this, AZTI developed slide systems that allow sharks to be released directly back into the water with minimal handling, improving safety and survival. Trials with customized slides, along with the introduction of shark-bite-resistant gloves, aim to further reduce risks. The project includes gear development, training, data collection, and collaboration with fleets to promote adoption.

Expected outcomes include safer working conditions, improved shark survival, wider adoption of release tools across fleets, and potential integration into fisheries regulations—ultimately supporting shark population recovery and more sustainable fisheries.

Description

Mobulid rays (manta and devil rays) are highly vulnerable and now endangered due largely to fishing impacts, especially from tuna purse seine fleets where they are accidentally caught. Current release methods are slow, stressful, and often harmful, leading to high mortality—even when rays are alive upon capture. Research shows that releasing them within three minutes can boost survival rates to up to 90%.

A new solution, the “sorting grid,” developed by AZTI, allows tuna to fall through while retaining large rays, which can then be quickly lifted and released with minimal handling. This method is safer for crews and significantly reduces stress and release time for the animals.

The grids have already been successfully adopted by Spanish and U.S. fleets. This project aims to expand their use to other fleets through gear development, training workshops, at-sea trials, and data collection. Results will be shared to encourage wider adoption and integration into fisheries regulations. Overall, the initiative seeks to improve survival rates of mobulid rays, support their population recovery, and enhance the sustainability of fisheries.

Description

Commercial benthic and demersal trawling has long been criticized for high bycatch rates and environmental damage. Trawl bycatch includes non-target species and target species that are not profitable or must legally be discarded. It can also include protected species such as marine mammals, seabirds, sturgeon, and turtles. Animals discarded after being caught in a trawl net frequently die before they can be returned to the water. These discards can negatively impact fish populations and can reduce fishery access through early closure.

The FloMo Modular Harvesting System was developed to address sustainability issues and environmental damage caused by traditional commercial trawling. It features a novel trawl net that enhances catch selectivity, fish survivability, and quality. FloMo nets use a specialized fabric cylinder that inflates hydrodynamically from water movement, creating a low-turbulence zone that decreases fish-on-fish and fish-on-net damage. The cylinder is designed with apertures of various sizes and shapes, which help reduce water velocity inside the net while primarily enabling the escape of undersized fish and non-target species. The shape, size, and pattern of the escapement apertures are tailored to target specific species and sizes. The end of the FloMo net also features a unique design that allows catch to be brought onboard in a water-filled bag, significantly reducing crush damage and preserving quality. During testing and operational use in New Zealand's commercial fisheries, there has been no evidence of increased fuel consumption when using the FloMo system compared to conventional mesh nets. In some trials, vessels could significantly reduce their trawl speeds without negatively affecting catch rates, thereby saving fuel.

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation(CFRF) located in Rhode Island, US, has identified three fisheries that target species, Summer flounder (Fluke), Silver Hake (Whiting) and Longfin squid, if tested with FloMo, could provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the innovative net design and offer the broadest range of opportunities to expand or project trial results to other similar high-value or high-volume fisheries in the US New England region and beyond.

Description

In 2025, four whale entanglements have been reported in Oregon Dungeness Crab gear, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in a Fleet Advisory published on December 5, 2025. These entanglements have been confirmed by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and at least two appear to involve derelict gear—equipment that was likely lost prior to the entanglement and remained in the water after the close of the season. ODFW and fishermen are actively exploring solutions that reduce entanglement risk without requiring major changes to fishing practices.

Gear tracking technologies have demonstrated strong potential to prevent or significantly reduce gear loss by allowing fishermen to continuously monitor the location and movement of deployed gear. Blue Ocean Gear’s Smart Buoys are equipped with GPS and multiple sensors, providing real-time data accessible through existing onboard GPS chart plotters, mobile devices, or web browsers. This visibility enables precise retrieval of gear and ensures that all equipment is recovered at season’s end. Smart Buoys also issue targeted alerts when gear appears to have been dragged or broken free, identifying when and where retrieval is possible. Comprehensive tracking and recovery records at the end of each season help eliminate the presence of unattended vertical lines that can pose entanglement hazards to migrating whales.

Smart Buoys have been successfully deployed in several crab fisheries over the past five years. Building on that success, the University of Oregon in partnership with Blue Ocean Gear, is seeking funding to equip two commercial crab vessels with 10 Smart Buoys each for the 2025–2026 Dungeness Crab season. The project aims to assess the technology’s effectiveness in detecting and preventing derelict gear and potential whale entanglements in Oregon waters.

FishSource Profile: Dungeness crab, Oregon

Description

In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the third largest snow crab fishery in the world faces a growing challenge: the co-occurrence of North Atlantic right whales (NARW) in dense fishing areas has increased the risk of whale entanglements, threatening both an endangered species and the livelihood of multi-generational fishing families. Harvesters in the region, long recognized for leading innovations in sustainable fisheries, are working with Blue Ocean Gear to test and refine Smart Buoys that could significantly reduce these risks.

Blue Ocean Gear’s Smart Buoys are equipped with GPS, accelerometer, and depth sensors designed in consultation with marine mammal scientists to detect entanglement events in real time. Combining these sensor data points through a cloud-based algorithm, Smart Buoys can identify anomalous gear movements that indicate a potential whale interaction or gear tampering, then automatically transmit alerts and location information to harvesters. This project will fund development and testing of automated entanglement and poaching detection algorithms, deploy additional Smart Buoys to active snow crab vessels, and simulate real-world entanglement events on the water. The goal is to integrate science-based detection into daily fishing operations, reduce gear loss, and enhance the protection of the critically endangered NARW—demonstrating how technology and fisheries can work together to safeguard ocean ecosystems while sustaining coastal communities.

FishSource Profile: Queen crab, NW Atlantic, CA Gulf of St. Lawrence

Description

In Alaskan waters, the loss of crab pots can effect the marine ecosystem and the communities who rely on these fisheries. Studies show 31,000 pots per year are lost in the Bering Sea. These pots last up to 15 years in the environment.

Anecdotal reports from the Bering Sea Crabbers indicate that pot gear loss rates in Alaskan waters are in part due to gear conflict, which occurs when trawler vessel gear inadvertently interacts with crab pots fisheries. This causes potential damage to both the pots and the trawler vessel, often resulting in the parting of lines between the pots and surface buoys, meaning the pots are lost to the ocean floor where they continue to ghost fish.

Crab fishers in the Bering Sea have been eager to resolve this problem, but have not found a solution.  A means of resolving this issue is to utilize Smart Buoys to mark pot gear both on the owner’s chart plotter, but also on any trawl vessel within a certain range of that gear. This project will fund 120 Smart Buoy to crab harvesters in the snow crab and baridai crab fisheries in the Bering Sea to mark their pots. Blue Ocean Gear will be responsible for setting each crab harvester up with buoys and training. Blue Ocean Gear will work with the Bering Sea Crabbers to communicate with the trawl vessels.   Not only can this effort reduce the cost to harvesters who lose many pots each season to gear conflict, but it can also help protect the ocean ecosystem with high levels of biodiversity from the preventable causes of ghost fishing. In addition, it allows for seamless cooperation between fisheries, enabling them to operate in the same regions in a synchronous manner.

Description

Iluminar el Mar uses small, affordable green LED lights attached to fishing nets to reduce the accidental capture of threatened and endangered species such as sea turtles, sharks, rays, dolphins, and whales. This issue, known as fisheries bycatch, is one of the leading threats to marine biodiversity. The lights work by making nets more visible to these species, which have different sensory abilities compared to target bony fish, allowing fishers to maintain their catch without harming vulnerable marine life.

Trials from Phase I in coastal Ecuador showed impressive results, reducing bycatch by 58 percent for sea turtles, 45 percent for sharks, 50 percent for rays, and 73 percent for dolphins and whales. Protecting these keystone species helps maintain healthy oceans—turtles regulate jellyfish populations, while sharks keep the food chain in balance, supporting fish stocks and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

The approach goes beyond technology, working closely with local fishers through workshops and collaboration, building shared knowledge about the importance of these species and co-designing solutions that fit local realities. Also creating market incentives for fish caught using this method, helping fishers earn more while protecting marine ecosystems.

In Phase II, the Project will publish Phase I results, fine-tune the light configurations with fisher feedback, develop a national implementation plan, and roll out the technology on 100 artisanal gillnet vessels across three ports. This will prevent the accidental capture of an estimated 973 sea turtles, 420 mobula rays, 450 dolphins and whales, and 3,613 sharks in just one fishing season. Over five years, the impact grew to 4,866 turtles, 2,100 rays, 2,248 dolphins and whales, and 18,063 sharks.

By reducing bycatch, Iluminar el Mar directly addresses a critical conservation challenge with a simple yet effective solution. The project combines tested innovation with deep local engagement and has the potential to be replicated in small-scale fisheries around the world. It offers a powerful path forward for healthier oceans and stronger coastal communities.

FishSource Profile: Common dolphinfihs, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador

FishSource Profile: Bigeye tuna, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador

FishSource Profile: Yellowfin tuna, Eastern Pacific Ocean, Ecuador

Description

The small-mesh squid fishery, which sustains millions of dollars of shore-side infrastructure and hundreds of fishing operations, has long been criticized for impacting bycatch species, squid-egg mops, and sensitive seafloor habitats. Although not a significant portion of the catch, incidental catch of marine mammals and Endangered Species Act listed species is an annual occurrence in the squid fishery. Various dolphin and turtle species are subject to incidental catch in the squid fishery, the most common being the Common dolphin and Loggerhead turtle. Mechanical jigging of squid could provide the fishery a means to fully utilize quota while addressing concerns about bycatch. Squid jigging is a proven low-impact fishery regarding impacts on the physical environment and bycatch. This project aims to maximize the quantity of squid caught using squid jigging machines. The project will build on previous work conducted with the Town Dock and that of the squid jigging masters from Japan. The specific objectives are: 1. Outfit a participant vessel with 4 automatic squid jigging machines and lights. 2. Deploy the machines at the optimal location during the optimal time of year to maximize our catch. 3. Determine if these machines can be commercially viable.

FishSource Profile: Northern shortfin squid, NW Atlantic, US

Description

Chilean purse-seine fisheries are comprised of around 500 “artisanal” vessels (<18m in length).  Historically, high bycatch rates of Pink-footed shearwater were observed in the area (>1,500), an Endangered in Chile. A modified version of the purse seine (MPS) has been developed through a collaboration between the fishing industry, BirdLife, and net makers, and has shown significant reduction of Pink-footed shearwater and Black-browed albatross bycatch.

In the MPS, sections of the net with high seabird entanglement rates need to be modified.  This includes a novel buoy mounting method, adjusting the mesh size, and removing excessive netting material.  Following these modifications, trials not only showed a 98% reduction in diving seabird bycatch but had no impact on target fish catch and even helped saving costs in net materials. This innovation was recognized as one of the best environmental initiatives in Latin America in 2017 (Premios Latinoamérica Verde).

This project will benefit artisanal fishermen that sell to Blumar Seafood in central Chile. Out of the total 25 purse-seiners managed by Blumar Seafood, 5 vessels have already gone through gear modification thanks to a project lead by BirdLife International and supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF).  This project will upgrade 5 additional purse-seiners targeting sardine and anchovy to continue efforts toward a total transformation of the artisanal fleet in south-central Chile with Modified Purse Seines (MPS).

In addition to the development of the MPS, this funding will support training workshops for captain and crew members, to provide expertise on the structural modification of the fishing gear and on the minimum standards and maintenance of modifications to secure best bycatch mitigation practices in this fishery.

This project also includes a committed matching contribution of $95,563 USD combined from Birdlife International and Blumar Seafood.

Contact the Bycatch Hub Manager for more specifics on the project workplan and a line-item budget.

Description

In California, Experimental Fishing Permits (EFP’s) have been granted to several fishing for swordfish and bluefin tuna using sustainable deep-set buoy gear (DSBG). Since 2023, DSBG has been a low-bycatch alternative to traditional swordfish gear, such as pelagic longlines and drifting gillnets, which can negatively impact sea turtles, sharks and seabirds. DSBG reduces bycatch by setting beneath the thermocline, where non-targeted species are uncommon. However, it can be challenging for fishers to relocate their DSBG, and losing gear is a concern with inclement weather. Lost gear can become ghost gear, which could indiscriminately fish both target and non-target species. Blue Ocean Gear provides Smart Buoy technology for tracking and monitoring deployed gear.  In 2023, with funding from Santa Monica Seafood and support from SFP, 2 DSBG vessels were provided with Smart Buoys to track their gear.  All DSBG were successfully relocated, and Smart Buoys enabled more effective day-to-day operations for the fishers.

Based on this success, this project will be expanded to include outfitting two additional DSBG vessels with Smart Buoy technology.  The expansion will also include training for fishers and a satellite data plan for an additional vessel already equipped with Smart Buoys. The initial training and ongoing support will be conducted by Blue Ocean Gear, both in-person and virtually, as successfully done during the past project. The additional hardware will include 10 Smart Buoys and 1 Wireless Charger per vessel. The software plan includes the Iridium subscription per buoy, as well as access to buoy data via the mobile app, web app, and TimeZero plotter.

Click "I'm Interested" to contact the Bycatch Solutions Hub for more details.