The Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s Marine Advisory Program is accepting applications to compete for funding as part of the Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program. The General Assembly created the program to “protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s coastal fishery resource through the awarding of grants.”

Basic to the program is the belief that people in the commercial fishing industry often have valid ideas to enhance and protect fisheries, but may lack the financial resources to experiment with innovations. The Fishery Resource Grant Program invests in such ideas generated by the fishing public through fair and competitive methods.

The legislation established four priority areas for funding:

—New Fisheries Equipment and Gear: the development of more environmentally friendly gear, methods to reduce by-catch, and more effective ways to handle catch;

—Environmental Pilot Studies: ways to restore damaged habitat, create new habitat, prevent habitat impairment, or redu...