Fishery Resource Grant awards

Fishery Resource Grant awards is sponsored by Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS). Competitive awards from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science that may be available to organizations and individuals substantially involving Virginia fishers.

Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program | Marine Advisory Program | Virginia Institute of Marine Science The Virginia Legislature ratified House Bill 1634 in 1999, creating the Fishery Resource Grant Trust Fund to "protect and enhance the state's coastal fishery resources through the awarding of grants."

The Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program (VFRGP) is a competitive grant program to fund commercial fishers who have ideas to conserve the resource and improve fishing efficiency. These ideas may include new gear development, new processes, or improvements to current practices. The FRG Program is meant to be small-scale and not to fund a start-up business, business expansion, or large pieces of equipment.

To see the most recent report, please review the 2025 Annual Legislative Report . To view past reports, please visit our final project reports page. If you plan to submit an application with your idea, the following resources serve as a guide.

Please make sure you are careful to address all questions and parts of the application. Application with Guidelines (PDF) Microsoft Word Application - for electronic submission 1. Look through the priority areas to determine where your idea fits.

2. Discuss your idea(s) and partner with interested groups and/or other experts in the field. 3.

Develop your idea into an application - help is is available! Please reach out to frgadmin@vims. edu or 804-684-7742 to discuss application details.

4. Submit application by the posted deadline. 5.

Applications are reviewed by a panel of experts from outside Virginia and the VFRGP Advisory Board made up of commercial fishers and agency representatives. 6. Applicants are contacted with review result.

7. Successful applications move forward with contract awards.

An Advisory Board, with input from members of the fishing industry, develops priorities for each year in the following areas (more details are found in the Full Application Package): Single column table for formatting purposes New Fisheries Equipment and Gear This priority area seek proposals that focus on the development of less environmentally destructive gear, bycatch reduction, more effective ways to handle catch and the development of information leading to fishery management plans for key species and groups.

Priorities for the current funding cycle include: Increase use of vessel tracking devices in data-limited fisheries (i.e. shrimp trawl, electrofishing, or conch); Develop video observation systems to quantify bycatch in fisheries with limited or no monitoring (i.e. purse seine, shrimp trawl, electrofishing, haul seines, pound nets, hook and line, crab pots, etc.); and Explore new harvest methods for experimental shrimp fishery Environmental Pilot Studies This priority area seeks proposals that focus on ways to restore damaged habitat, create new habitat, prevent habitat impairment or reduce impact from fishing or aquaculture activities.

This priority area seeks proposals that focus on ways to develop criteria and assessment for permits, increase return from investment in cultural activities or introduce new species to the existing aquaculture list to broaden the participation in commercial aquaculture.

Seafood Technology and Utilization This priority area seeks proposals that develop value-added products from existing production, the utilization of underused or new fishery resources, develop models for total quality system management programs or increase returns in the seafood industry by improving packaging and handling.

To be eligible for funding under the Fishery Resource Grant Program, each proposal must be lead by, or substantially involve, Virginians who are actively involved in a fishing industry (defined as persons involved in commercial activities relating to fishery resources, aquaculture/mariculture, or the processing or handling of fishery products).

Project ideas must come from Virginia’s commercial fishing industry and the commercial fisher must serve as the Principal Investigator (PI), but collaborative partnerships are encouraged to provide the most impactful and rigorous study results. FRG Partners are often state agencies (VMRC, VDACS, etc.), academic researchers (VIMS, VT Seafood AREC, etc.), other commercial fishers, and public programs.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR APPLICATION OR HAVE QUESTIONS? For assistance with the application process, idea development, or to request more information, please reach out to frgadmin@vims. edu or 804-684-7742.