Fishing for Energy Fund

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in partnership with Covanta Energy Corporation and the NOAA Marine Debris Program, recently announced the availability of grant funding to provide capacity and incentives to address old, abandoned or derelict fishing gear.

The Fishing for Energy Small Grants Fund will entertain a wide variety of proposal topics for the prevention and removal of unwanted derelict fishing gear from the marine environment.

Priorities for funding for the 2012 call include:
• At sea derelict fishing gear removal;
• Gear density assessment; and/or,
• Economic and resource impact assessment.

The Fishing for Energy partners have roughly $500,000 in funds available for projects in 2012 and anticipate awarding approximately five projects. Proposals requesting less than $10,000 or over $250,000 will not be considered.

Most awarded projects will complete activities within 1-2 years. Projects submitted for funding must directly engage the fishing community in project activities. Priority will be given to: projects that work directly through an existing Fishing for Energy location.

Interested applicants should submit a pre-proposal using National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's online Easygrants system. Pre-proposals must be submitted and received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on May 1, 2012.

source: NOAA FishNews