Federal grants of $6.5 million has been given to the University of Rhode Island’s Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation to research challenges facing the local commercial fishing industry and to reduce the threat to North Atlantic right whales from fishing equipment.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., announced the funding, which involves two awards from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He said that the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation deserves great credit for bringing together a broad range of stakeholders to develop practical solutions facing the fishing industry.
In a statement Reed mentioned that this federal funding will support Rhode Island’s fishing industry, a vital component of the local economy, by ensuring that fishermen have the research and tools to weather the current economic storm and flourish over the long term. It is told that the first grant, for $3.5 million, will be used to sponsor collaborative research among academics, industry representatives, and regulators to address challenges facing Southern New England fisheries. It will also be used to improve conservation efforts and support student apprenticeships.
It is said that the second grant, for $3 million, will be used “to fund a whale rope exchange program for lobstermen who fish in Rhode Island waters and offshore areas to help them adopt innovative gear types that comply with federal regulations.
