THE LARGE WHALE GEAR COMPETITION

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is now accepting applications, in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), the Northeast Consortium, and the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation, for THE LARGE WHALE GEAR COMPETITION, a new project under NFWF's National Whale Conservation Fund.
The purpose of this team competition is to develop innovative fishing gear or gear modifications that decrease the incidence of entanglement of large whales, including the endangered North Atlantic right whale. Selected teams will receive grants up to US$10,000 to build gear prototypes, as well as travel stipends, to test their gear at sea with commercial New England fishermen. An additional grant of up to US$50,000 will be awarded to the team that has designed and tested a prototype that shows the most promise in becoming a new, commercially-viable whale-friendly fishing gear or gear modification.
The National Whale Conservation Fund was established to support research, management, conservation and education/outreach activities related to the conservation and recovery of whales.
ELIGIBILITY - Interested applicants must form a team and secure an advisor from a college/university or from a related fishing industry, private company, fishing association or other entity qualified to advise on potential solutions to gear-whale interactions.
1. Competing teams must have at least three members (including the advisor), of which one must be designated as the team spokesperson.
2. Advisors can provide teams with guidance and technical expertise, but cannot be actively involved in construction and operation to produce the prototype.
3. Applicants can design and build the devices as an entire class project or school group activity, if submitted from an educational establishment; however, it is not required.
4. Multiple teams from the same institution are permitted.
5. Application and presentation materials must be submitted in English.
HOW TO APPLY * The online application guidelines and form are available at the National Whale Conservation Fund web site (www.nfwf.org/programs/WhaleFund.htm). A mandatory letter of intent, citing a desire to participate, is due via email or mail to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (attn: Leslie Ricketts, Program Director * Marine Conservation Funds) by December 1, 2004. Full proposals, accepted by invitation only, will be due to NFWF by March 15, 2005.
MORE INFORMATION * The National Whale Conservation Fund's LARGE WHALE GEAR COMPETITION project is a collaborative effort among the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (www.nfwf.org), NOAA Fisheries (www.nmfs.noaa.gov), Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation (www.gomlf.org) and the Northeast Consortium (www.northeastconsortium.org).
I look forward to receiving your applications. Please share this announcement with any colleagues who might be interested in THE LARGE WHALE GEAR COMPETITION.
Thank you,
Leslie Ricketts

Leslie Ricketts
Program Director -- Marine Conservation Funds
National Fish & Wildlife Foundation
1120 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 900
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-857-0166, ext. 558
Fax: 202-857-0162
Email: leslie.ricketts@nfwf.org
www.nfwf.org