Research Set-Aside Program

This page provides general background information about the RSA Program.

Research Set-Aside (RSA) programs provide a mechanism to fund research and compensate vessel owners participating in research through the sale of fish harvested under a research quota or research days at sea (DAS). These programs, which are unique to the federal fisheries of the northeast, can be designed and implemented in a variety of ways.  

History and Status of the Mid-Atlantic RSA Program

The Council established the RSA program through Framework 1 to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan (FMP), Atlantic Mackerel, Squid and Butterfish FMP, Bluefish FMP, and Tilefish FMP. The RSA program enabled the Council to set-aside a portion of the total allowable landings (TAL) of selected species to support research and data collection activities.

The first RSA projects were funded in 2002 and continued until 2014. The RSA program funded over 41 different projects totaling over $16 million. In the Mid-Atlantic, funding for research projects was generated through the sale of a portion of each species’ quota, which can range from 0 to 3% of a fishery’s TAL for a given year. This percentage was set through the annual specifications process. Successful RSA applicants were given a grant in the form of fish – the majority of which were sold at auction to fund the proposed research.

In 2014, the Council voted to suspend RSA (funds set to $0) due to a variety of concerns with the program. One of the chief concerns about the RSA program was that its current design makes it vulnerable to abuse through under-reporting and non-reporting of catch. Two investigations in New York by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement revealed that significant quantities of summer flounder were being taken illegally under the cover of quota acquired through the RSA program. 

The Council also discussed whether the science produced through RSA-funded projects justifies the costs of the program. While some projects, such as the Southern New England/Mid-Atlantic Trawl survey conducted by the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP), have provided data that were successfully incorporated into the management process, a number of other projects have failed scientific review after completion, raising concerns about the process for vetting proposals and overseeing project implementation.

The document linked below contains a comprehensive timeline from the program’s inception to its suspension in 2014, as well as discussions of redevelopment from 2015 to present. The timeline includes hyperlinks to project reports, briefing materials, correspondence, and other relevant materials.

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