Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA make $95 Million Available for Fish Passage as Part of Investing in America Agenda
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By noaa.gov.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will facilitate fish conservation efforts.
Today, NOAA Fisheries announced two funding opportunities totaling $95 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to support new fish passage projects, with one focused on tribes. Projects will help protect and restore migrating fish and their habitats, and support communities and economies that depend on these resources.
“Thanks to President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this investment will further NOAA’s efforts to work with partners to strengthen safe passage for migratory fish, ensure healthy and sustainable fisheries, support local economies, and help boost communities’ resilience to climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
Every year, millions of fish attempt to migrate to their spawning and rearing habitats to reproduce. They are often blocked from completing their journey by human-made barriers, such as dams and culverts. When fish cannot reach their habitat, they cannot reproduce and maintain or grow their populations. Fish passage projects reopen these pathways and are important for the protection and restoration of migrating fish and their habitats.
The two funding opportunities announced today are:
- The $75 million Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity, which will fund projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish across the coasts and Great Lakes.
- The $20 million Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal Notice of Funding Opportunity, which will support tribes and tribal organizations in implementing fish passage work and building tribal capacity to sustain these efforts.
“These investments reflect a continuation of decades of work by NOAA Fisheries to recover threatened and endangered migratory fish and support the sustainability of commercial, tribal and recreational fisheries,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries.
read more at noaa.gov.
