The Saltonstall-Kennedy Program began in 1954 when the S-K Act was signed into law. The Saltonstall-Kennedy Act established a fund used by the Secretary of Commerce to provide grants and cooperative agreements for fisheries research and development projects addressing any aspect of U.S. fisheries including but not limited to harvesting, processing and marketing. This fund is delegated to NOAA Fisheries and Congress directs funding be used for activities related to marine fisheries research, promotion, development and marketing.
About the Program
The goal of the program is to address the needs of fishing communities in optimizing economic benefits by building and maintaining sustainable fisheries and practices, dealing with the impacts of conservation and management measures, and increasing other opportunities to keep working waterfronts viable. The program facilitates this goal through the annual Saltonstall-Kennedy Grant Competition. NOAA Fisheries awards grants in marine fishery projects through this grant competition ranging from a minimum of $25,000 to a maximum of $300,000.
American Fisheries Advisory Committee
The American Fisheries Advisory Committee was established by the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act in May 2022 to make recommendations for Saltonstall-Kennedy priorities and grant award funding. NOAA Fisheries is calling for applications for committee members through September 24, 2022.
Learn more about the call for applications
Grant Competition
NOAA Fisheries seeks applications that demonstrate direct benefits to the U.S. marine fishing and aquaculture industries. U.S. marine fisheries include any commercial fishery, recreational fishery, or aquaculture operation that is, or may be, engaged in by citizens or nationals of the United States or other eligible applicants. The competition is open to applicants from a variety of sectors, including individuals, industry, academia, and state and local governments. NOAA Fisheries seeks applications under the following two priorities:
- Priority 1: Promotion, development, and marketing
- Priority 2: Science or technology that promotes sustainable U.S. seafood production and harvesting
More information about the grant competition and the FY23 Notice of Funding Opportunity
S-K Projects Spotlight
S-K Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
- S-K Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) (PDF, 250 pages)
- S-K PEIS Record Of Decision (ROD) (PDF, 8 pages)
