A new federally backed initiative aimed at strengthening the U.S. seafood industry is bringing $15 million to New England, with commercial fishermen expected to play a central role in developing new technologies for the sector.
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) announced July 14 that the NSF Seafood Engine in New England has been selected for funding through the agency's Regional Innovation Engines program. Led by the Portsmouth, N.H.-based Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS), the initiative brings together seafood industry leaders, researchers, government agencies and technology partners across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island, including the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance.
According to the announcement, the project will receive $15 million over its first two years, with the potential to grow into a $160 million investment over the next decade as it builds a regional innovation hub focused on fisheries and aquaculture.
The Seafood Engine is designed to improve the competitiveness of the U.S. seafood industry by developing technologies that support harvesters, processors and other businesses throughout the supply chain. Planned initiatives include research projects pairing commercial fishermen with scientists and technology companies to develop new ocean-monitoring tools, expanding seafood apprenticeship programs tied to research and workforce development, and helping blue technology companies bring new products to market.
"The New England Seafood Engine, particularly the fishing R&D projects, will develop the blue technology needed to help fishermen adapt to a rapidly changing ocean," Melissa Sanderson, chief operating officer of the Cape Cod Commercial Fishermen's Alliance and a member of the Seafood Engine leadership team, said in the announcement. "Innovative tools will provide early warning for when the facts change on the water and provide fishermen with the environmental intelligence needed to stay profitable."
Project leaders say the initiative aligns with the Trump administration's Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness and aims to strengthen domestic seafood production while reducing the nation's seafood trade deficit through innovation across the industry's supply chain.
