KB WOT Fisheries 2017: maintaining excellence and innovation in fisheries research

The KB WOT Fisheries programme is developed to maintain and advance the expertise needed to carry out the statutory obligations in fisheries monitoring and advice of The Netherlands. The contents of the KB WOT Fisheries programme for 2017 reflects the scientific and management needs of the WOT fisheries programme. The strength of KB WOT Fisheries lies in the top-down development of the programme while allowing bottom-up input, with calls for proposals, to secure innovation. To avoid missing research priorities relevant to WOT and EZ needs, the programme is built from a closed call for proposals to WOT Fisheries project leaders. To keep the innovation WOT project leaders are requested to seek input from other Wageningen Marine Research scientists. The KB WOT Fisheries programme will fund 13 projects in 2017 which will focus on remote sensing of fish and shell fish in the ecosystem, new methods and tools for surveys, discard and catch sampling and investigating the effects of fisheries. International exchange of new expertise and developments, as well as continuous quality assurance, forms a major part of the programme.