March 15, 2023 — The following was released by New England Fishery Management Council:
NOAA Fisheries is now soliciting proposals for funding through the 2023-2024 Monkfish Research Set-Aside (RSA) Program. The application deadline is Monday, April 10, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. As explained in the funding opportunity notice, monkfish RSA projects “must enhance the knowledge of the monkfish fishery resource or contribute to the body of information on which monkfish management decisions are made.”
The New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Councils, which jointly manage monkfish, established the RSA program through Amendment 2 to the Monkfish Fishery Management Plan. The Councils set research priorities for this program, while the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO) of NOAA Fisheries administers the RSA competition, oversees the awarded projects, and monitors set-aside harvest activities. The Councils’ 2023-2024 research priorities are listed in the table at right. Visit GARFO’s webpage for application info.