Sustainable fisheries funding boost

The grants will go to ten organisations and universities in seven countries to help them develop innovative new tools.

“Tens of millions of jobs around the world depend on fisheries, and seafood is the primary protein source for 3 billion people,” said Wendy Schmidt, president and co-founder of the Schmidt Family Foundation.

“The innovators chosen to receive these grants are ensuring that fishers and fisheries—and by extension all of us who rely on them—are secure and sustainable worldwide.”

Schmidt Marine has committed US$2 million to the sustainable fisheries initiative, with partners Oceankind and Builders Initiative contributing the additional US$1.5 million, with individual grants ranging from US$150,000 to half a million.

The ten projects will focus on reducing bycatch, preventing illegal fishing, improving data collection, and increasing supply chain transparency.

Chosen from 200 applications from 20 countries, the successful recipients are Katchi Technologies, Trugg Mat Tracking, Abalobi, University of Haifa, Centro de Ciencas do Mar, Cornell University and Fisheye Acoustics, Ocean Aero and ThayerMahan, Arizona State University, Wildaid Marine and Fishtek Marine.