Background

The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation is a result of a unique initiative. It was started in 2004 by a group of fishermen who wanted to develop a means of support to address issues in the groundfish fishery, including ways to improve gear selectivity and reduce bycatch. Its mission has since been expanded to include all fisheries important to the commercial fishing industry in southern New England.

The CFRF is the only fishing industry-led research foundation in the New England region. The Foundation’s Board of Directors is comprised of commercial fishermen and individuals working in support businesses for the commercial fishing industry. The heart of the Foundation’s work is focused on establishing working relationships among managers, scientists, and members of the fishing industry through collaborative research projects.

The major objective of the Foundation’s work is to help those engaged in the fisheries management decision-making process to move past contentious debates and towards the process of using timely, relevant research to better inform management decisions. The ultimate goal is to aid in the development and adoption of practical solutions to common problems affecting important fisheries in southern New England.

History

In 2003, a group of fishermen, net builders, and gear researchers from Rhode Island initiated the establishment of the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation (CFRF). They aimed to create a foundation led by the fishing industry, which would support conservation gear engineering projects. The fishermen who were involved at the time focused on the groundfish fishery and wanted to set up a research foundation that would enable scientists and fishermen to work together to develop and test new net designs for selective fishing.

During the same period, the groundfish fishery in Rhode Island was eligible for financial assistance from a federal program that aimed to offset the industry's hardships. Some of the eligible industry members decided to use some of their allocations as seed money to establish the CFRF as a non-profit, private foundation.

The CFRF's mission was later expanded in 2005 to include other types of fisheries research relevant to all fishing sectors based in southern New England, such as shellfish, lobster, finfish, squid, and more. Currently, the CFRF's work adheres to the initial sentiment of its founders - fisheries management should be based on sound information, and fishermen, scientists, and managers should work together to combine their collective knowledge and skills to find solutions that ensure the sustainability of fishery resources, and the livelihoods and economic well-being of the harvesters and coastal communities that depend on those resources.