MTC will highlight the work of members, thanks to two new grants!

February 01, 2021

MTC is pleased to announce our organization’s success in securing two grants for unrelated projects that will highlight the work of members.

In November, 2020, MTC was notified that it would be one of the recipients of a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) as part of an overall commitment of $4.1 million in grants to modernize fisheries data management systems and support the implementation of fisheries electronic monitoring and reporting projects in 14 states and Puerto Rico.

The MTC application outlined our plan to develop and pilot new catch handling protocols for bottom trawl and midwater trawl vessels engaged in the West Coast (WC) groundfish Electronic Monitoring (EM) program at the same time that additional EM uses in stock assessment processes are explored. Learn more about electronic monitoring on our Issues page. Read about NFWF’s granting program here.

A granting agency closer to home also announced support for MTC in January, 2021. Lincoln County, Oregon awarded Midwater Trawlers Cooperative $15,000 through its Community & Economic Development Grant program.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced today that it is cancelling the Offshore Wind lease auction scheduled for October 15, 2024. Read BOEM’s explanation of the cancellation here.

Earlier in the day, Oregon Governor Tina Kotel had also indicated to BOEM that the process they were undertaking didn’t adhere to “the Oregon Way” and asked them to halt the auction. Read the Governor’s letter here.

Representatives of several organizations related to commercial fishing, seafood processing, and coastal communities said they wer relieved to get the news. You can read their statement here.

Midwater Trawlers Cooperative sends a hearty thanks to the Oregon Coastal Caucus, Governor Tina Kotek, OR Natural Resources and Climate Advisor Karin Power, Tribal governments, and all who took time to write letters, testify, and otherwise organize against this rush toward offshore wind.