September 19, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
In fiscal year 2023, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office awarded approximately $10.28 million to 32 projects via grants and cooperative agreements. The projects support our efforts to achieve healthy marine ecosystems. They focus on:
- Stability for fisheries resources
- Recovery of threatened and endangered species
- Enhanced opportunities for commercial, recreational, and cultural activities in the marine environment
Awardees include 25 U.S. and international agencies whose projects span American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Hawai‘i, and other U.S. Pacific Islands.
Examples of project activities include:
- Conducting community outreach to engage underserved communities
- Restoring loko iʻa (Hawaiian fishponds) and native wetlands
- Repairing and improving boat ramps for local fishermen
- Collecting and assessing fishery data to support sustainable fishery management
- Protecting and monitoring leatherback and hawksbill turtle nesting beaches
We will continue to work with communities to develop innovative projects that help us steward living marine life through science-based conservation and management.
View the 2023 Federal Programs Office Annual Report to learn about our funding programs and this year’s projects. We are excited to see what these awards will accomplish!