In the News
Here’s the latest Saltwater Inc. news and events of note…
Saltwater & Partners Win Multiple Grants
The National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), NOAA, and the Walton Family Foundation awarded Saltwater Inc. a direct grant for “Enhancing Observer Efficiency in Alaska Processing Plants through Electronic Monitoring.” Saltwater is also collaborating with four other grant winners, including Coonamessett Farm Foundation (Scallops), Pfleger Institute for Environmental Research (Swordfish), North Pacific Fisheries Association (Protocols), and Aluetians East Borough (Pollock). See a full list of recipients and project descriptions here: NFWF 2023 Grant Slate.
Date
March 2024Division
EMLocation
Alaska +
Underwater Camera Proves Worthy
Saltwater worked with scientists from the Center for Fisheries Electronic Monitoring at Mote (CFEMM) to test incorporating underwater cameras with Saltwater’s standard EM system to help improve the identification of shark species in the Gulf of Mexico commercial reef fish fishery. This was the first known deployment of an underwater camera to support bycatch monitoring and results revealed that it was a successful at capturing clear underwater video footage that allowed reviewers to improve shark ID. The results were published March 8, 2024, in a peer-reviewed article on PLOS ONE. Read Article
Date
March 2024Division
EMLocation
Gulf of Mexico
Protecting the Gulf of Mexico Commercial Reef Fish Fishery
The Center for Fisheries Electronic Monitoring at Mote Marine Laboratory (CFEMM) is doing great things for the Gulf of Mexico reef fish fisheries – and Saltwater is proud to be part of the story. As a recent EM4Fish article explains, the CFEMM is conducting innovative cooperative research projects that focus on developing novel tools and approaches to data collection, bycatch reduction, data and mapping automation, and artificial intelligence for several years. Saltwater is proud to provide EM equipment and expertise to the effort. Read Article.
Date
December 2023Division
Electronic MonitoringLocation
Gulf of Mexico
Saltwater Wins Grant To Establish Seaweed Processing & Distribution Hub.
Saltwater Inc., in partnership with ReGeneration North, has been recommended for a 2022 NOAA Fisheries Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant. Our project aims to address a key bottleneck inhibiting growth in Alaska’s seaweed industry – access to local processing. The primary objective of the project is to design and test a Proof of Concept (POC) seaweed processing and distribution “hub” in Homer, Alaska, that would serve multiple small farms in the Kachemak Bay region. The project aims to promote new business practices that will allow for increased seaweed production, (e.g. centralized processing and distribution), develop new local and regional markets for minimally processed seaweed, and support local production of new value-added seaweed products.
Date
May 2022Division
New InitiativesLocation
Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Menhaden Fishery Project Highlighted in National Fisherman Article
“Working with the Gulf of Mexico menhaden fleet, NOAA researchers are working on a methodology for learning about potential sea turtle interactions with purse seines, using a combination of at-sea observers, drones and electronic monitoring cameras on menhaden boats…” Saltwater provided both the EM systems and human observers for the Proof of Concept phase, both of which will be deployed again on more boats for broader testing in the coming year. Read the National Fisherman Article, with links to project reports.
Date
January, 2022Division
ProTechLocation
Gulf of Mexico
Saltwater Offers Fresh Eyes Aboard Swordfish Vessels
The Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER) has worked for multiple years to develop low-impact fishing methods for small boats fishing for swordfish on the West Coast. Recently they gave Saltwater the opportunity to design and test a “small boat” EM system as part of a project to compare EM and observer data for the fishery. Learn More
Date
Nov 2021Division
Electronic MonitoringLocation
West Coast
Testing EM in the Menhaden Fishery
Saltwater was recently awarded a ProTech contract by the NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation to deploy an EM system along with Protected Species Observers on a Gulf of Mexico menhaden purse seiner. This will be part of a Proof of Concept that will test various approaches to monitoring sea turtle interactions in this fishery. Depending on the results, additional vessels may be equipped with EM systems and deployed with observers under a pilot project in the coming year. This is one of 18 projects included under the Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group Restoration Plan.
Date
Fall 2021Division
ProTechLocation
Gulf of Mexico
Saltwater Wins Ocean Stewardship Fund Grant
Saltwater was among 20 organizations recently selected to receive a grant from the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Ocean Stewardship Fund – a fund dedicated to enabling and supporting sustainable fishing around the world. This year, the Fund prioritized research into observer safety given the critical role that fishery observers play in providing data used to verify that fisheries are operating responsibly. The grant will support Saltwater working in collaboration with Chordata, LLC, to create a ‘one-touch’ observer communications platform. The tool will enable fishery observers to safely communicate with their home office, or alert emergency services to unsafe working conditions. See full press release.
Date
April 2021Division
Observer ServicesLocation
Global
EM4Fish featured Saltwater Inc. in this month’s Industry Focus and our work developing cost-effective EM systems and services for fisheries around the world. EM4Fish is a global community of people and companies working to advance fisheries management through electronic monitoring and reporting initiatives, improved data analysis, and technological advances. Read the article full here: Industry focus: Saltwater Inc.