The north atlantic right whale (NARW) is a critically endangered species, protected under the endangered species act (ESA) and the marine mammal protection act (MMPA)

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $190,000 to Liftlabs, Inc. on September 1, 2026, under the NOAA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 11.021) to reduce the cost of ropeless fishing gear from its current $4,500 system price to $800 per unit.

Liftlabs will redesign its lift-bag ropeless technology through minimal feature reduction, cost-optimized manufacturing techniques, and supply chain partnerships. The redesigned system targets a sub-$1,000 price point identified by collaborating fishermen as the threshold for adoption without subsidy. North Atlantic right whales face critical entanglement risk from vertical ropes in trap fisheries; with rope entanglement scars present on over 82 percent of the approximately 370 remaining individuals worldwide, ropeless gear adoption supports both species recovery and continuity of New England's lobster fishing operations during regulatory closure periods.

Work is performed in Lowell, Massachusetts, with performance ending February 26, 2027. This Phase I award funds proof-of-concept research, one of three assistance phases under the SBIR program designed to stimulate technological innovation and increase private sector commercialization of federally relevant research.

With rope entanglement scars present on over 82 percent of the remaining 370 members worldwide (pettis ET AL., 2021), entanglement from vertical ropes used in trap fisheries is a major threat to them and other large whale species. This gear entanglement risk has caused seasonal closures in major new england lobster fisheries, jeopardizing the economy of one of the atlantic coast's most valuable fisheries. Ropeless gear would allow fishermen to continue operations during closures, preserving livelihoods and the NARW population. However, current lift-bag ropeless technologies, priced at $4,500-$15,000 per system, are impractical for most fishermen without subsidy. Collaborating fishermen consistently emphasized the need for a solution priced under $1,000, a target liftlabs is uniquely positioned to achieve with our current system costing $4500. Our proposal intends to reduce the cost of our current ropeless system to $800, by redesigning IT for minimal features, cost optimized manufacturing techniques and supply chain partnerships. A low-cost system would allow fishermen to adopt ropeless fishing without subsidy and continue fishing in areas of increased regulatory pressure, while still supporting noaas goals of reducing gear entanglement risks.