All borrowers of CEI loan funds must participate in a marine science or public health research or management project. This agreement is called a FISHTAG. After one year of successful participation in this program, borrowers may be eligible for lower interest rates if their participation has been successful.

The goals of the FISHTAG program are to:

• Support economic diversification for fisheries
• Generate biological data for marine resource management
• Garner fishermen's participation in marine research
• Encourage the opportunity for marine scientists to learn from fishermen

What is it? The FISHTAG is part of your loan agreement with CEI. When you agree to a loan with CEI, you also agree to collect biological data and share the information you collect with a management agency or research effort. Shore side businesses agree to carry out an environmental assessment and implement at least one project to reduce waste or energy consumption. CEI will help to link you with a research effort or environmental assessment resource to develop a project together, if you wish.

For Project Examples click here

Expectations

Of YOU: Within the first six months you will:

• Choose or develop a research project you would like to work on
• Participate in the research or data collection effort
• Keep CEI informed about your project progress before, during and after completion
• Track your time performing research

Of CEI:

• Assistance, if needed, to find relevant research
• Follow-up on project progress

Past Partners: Maine Department of Marine Resources, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences.

The impact of this program is reflected in the following data:

Economic

• $2.9 million in loans (since 1999)
• $4.1 million leveraged
• $367,242 in additional research project revenue

Equity

• 97 jobs retained or created
• 75 fishing men and women engaged in research
• 21 scientists engaged in research with fishing boats

Environment

• 32 FISHTAG projects have been completed and 8 are in progress
• 84% of the participants plan to maintain involvement with marine research projects
• 12 projects have resulted in information being directly incorporated into fisheries management; 4 have created baseline data for future management; and 2 industry best management practice projects have been conducted.