2009 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program

The summary for the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

2009 Mid-Atlantic Research Set-Aside Program: NMFS announces that, for fishing year 2009 (January 1-December 31, 2009), the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) may set aside up to 3 percent of the total allowable landings (TAL) in certain Mid-Atlantic fisheries to be used for research endeavors under a research set-aside (RSA) program. The RSA program provides a mechanism to fund research and compensate vessel owners through the sale of fish harvested under the research quota. Vessels participating in an approved research project may be authorized by the Northeast Regional Administrator, NMFS, to harvest and land fish in excess of any imposed trip limit or during fishery closures. Landings from such trips are sold to generate funds that help defray the costs associated with the approved research projects. No Federal funds are provided for research under this notification. NMFS is soliciting proposals for research activities concerning the summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, Loligo squid, Illex squid, Atlantic mackerel, butterfish, Atlantic bluefish, and tilefish fisheries. NMFS and the Council will give priority to funding proposals addressing the research needs as follows: Loligo Squid and Butterfish Interactions: Mesh selectivity study of butterfish and secondarily for other species caught in Loligo nets during winter and summer/early fall; Test gear modifications in the Loligo squid fishery to reduce bycatch of butterfish and other species. Illex Squid: Determine size and age-at-maturity and growth parameters for Illex squid. Summer Flounder: Define distinctions between regulatory discards and bycatch attributed to gear, including mesh selectivity and/or overall gear design in the summer flounder fishery; Evaluate mortality of large fish released in the summer flounder offshore trawl fishery; Evaluate size and bag limits in the recreational fishery for summer flounder. Black Sea Bass: Estimate black sea bass mortality when left in pots (moderate priority); Develop indices for black sea bass recruitment (proof of concept); Verify age structure of black sea bass. Scup: Estimate the components of scup total annual mortality (natural, commercial landings, recreational landings, commercial discards, & recreational discards); Develop indices for scup recruitment (proof of concept). Bluefish: Develop bluefish index surveys (proof of concept).