Fisheries management exchange programme open for applications

An international exchange programme that aims to advance the global sharing of knowledge around the management of fisheries and the ocean has opened for applications.

The initiative, by The Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust and Fisheries Innovation and Sustainability (FIS), is open to exchanges from and to anywhere in the world. They can take place in the form of one-off visits, bilateral exchanges, international workshops or studentships.

Applications are now open to individuals and organisations that work in, or support, the fishing and seafood industry, with funding of up to £8,000 available per project. It is not a requirement to offer matched-funding support, but that ‘would be looked upon favourably’.

Projects will also be prioritised if they advance of share knowledge on:

Fishing gear innovation that provides environmental benefits
Fishing vessel decarbonisation
Technology developments that enhance supply chain management, transparency and/ or traceability
Understanding of applied fisheries research and co-management systems
Marine habitat enhancement initiatives.

Fisheries programme manager Alison Freeman launched The Fishmongers’ Company’s global exchange programme in 2022, and has since supported a diverse range of more than 15 exchanges, including co-funding a PhD studentship in Tristan Da Cunha, industry-led exchanges to learn about species-specific management, technology and gear innovation, and funding civil servants to learn about co-management systems.

Through the exchanges, the programme has discovered ‘how powerful it can be to bring like-minded individuals together to share their knowledge and experiences’, with the engagements helping to ‘nurture strategic partnerships and fuel new projects which will go on to further our understanding of how to better manage our fisheries and marine ecosystem to accommodate marine life and people’.

Interested applicants are requested to complete a short application form describing their project and organisation.

Application forms can be requested from Alison Freeman at: Alison.Freeman@ fishmongers.org.uk

This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.

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