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Our Innovation Fund supports research that is a strategic priority for the MSC, and is part of our Ocean Stewardship Fund.
In 2021, the MSC awarded £100,000 of the Ocean Stewardship Fund to support global efforts to identify and improve best practice approaches for at-sea monitoring, ensuring fishery observers around the world can carry out their work safely.
Projects awarded include:
This year's theme contributes to global efforts to identify best practice approaches and improvements, ensuring fishery observers around the world can carry out their work safely.
The collection of high-quality data on fishing activities, which has been recorded at-sea, is a key part of effective fishery management.
Data on fishing activity is provided by fishers on vessels as well as independent sources, such as third-party human observers and electronic monitoring systems. Both sources of data are essential in enabling fishery managers to assess factors such as catch, fishing effort or activity, the health of the target species and the fishery's environmental impact.
Fishing vessels can be dangerous workplaces and observers may find themselves in unsafe conditions with limited options for rescue or medical support. They may also come into conflict with the crew and are at risk of bribery, intimidation and harassment.
The MSC wants to see better and safer working practices for at-sea observers, who play a vital role in legal and sustainable fisheries management.
£100,000 was available from the Innovation Fund this year, with individual grants of up to £60,000 being awarded.
Projects could have involved a wide range of activities including:
The fund is open to expressions of interest from external organisations, including academic institutions, independent researchers, NGOs or fisheries around the world. Submissions by organisations must be made by a named individual who will be responsible for that project.
Employees, trustees, agents, current contractors and relatives of employees or trustees of the MSC are ineligible.
Applicants must be able to accept our Innovation Fund Grant Agreement and Ocean Stewardship Fund Privacy Policy below.
The Innovation Fund is now closed, next year’s theme will be announced as applications open in October 2021.
Sign up to receive email updates for when the fund reopens.
The Ocean Stewardship Fund aims to increase the number of sustainable fisheries around the world.
The collection of high-quality data on fishing activities, which has been recorded at sea, is a key part of effective fishery management.
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