Deadline: January 15, 2026
Applications are open for the EJN Story Grants on Fisheries Transparency 2026. EJN is offering five story grants with support from the Oak Foundation to help build the capacity of journalists to report on and improve their coverage of fisheries transparency issues. In addition to funding, selected journalists will receive support from experienced mentors throughout the story production process.
They welcome story ideas that focus on the following themes, including, but not limited to:
- Fisheries management: The impact of companies not reporting catch volumes and lack of government transparency on fishing laws and agreements, subsidies, stock assessments and financial contributions.
- Fishing vessel activities at sea: The challenges of monitoring and regulating vessel activities, including trawling, underreporting catches, transshipment, unauthorized fishing in restricted areas, lack of information on vessel ownership and the complex management of multinational fishing fleets.
- Supply chains: The challenges of verifying seafood sustainability claims, monitoring the certification landscape and tracking where seafood comes from and how it gets to a consumer’s plate.
- Technology solutions for increased transparency: The innovations being made in fields such as generative AI, satellite tracking, DNA testing and more to enable better vessel tracking and species and origin verification.
- Policy solutions for increased transparency: Global, regional and national frameworks, such as the Charter and others, and whether they are effective in pushing governments to increase transparency in the fisheries sector.
Grant
- They expect to award 5 grants with a budget of $1,500 USD each.
Eligibility
- Applicants can be from any coastal country. For the purposes of this grant call, they will only be focusing on marine fisheries, not freshwater.
- They are particularly interested in cross-border and transboundary stories, and groups of journalists are encouraged to apply. However, the application must be made in the name of one lead applicant. Lead applicants are responsible for communicating with EJN and receiving funds on the group’s behalf, if awarded.
- For the purposes of this grant opportunity, they will only be accepting applications in English. Unfortunately, they do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must either have a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff.
- Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other expert media practitioners with professional reporting experience. They welcome applications from early-career journalists and experienced reporters with a track record of covering ocean issues. They encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations—international, national, local and community-based.
- Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their proposals. EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, submitting AI-generated content as their own.
Judging Criteria
Applicants should consider the following points when devising their story proposals.
- Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of the call? Why does this story matter and to whom? Is the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
- Angle: If the story has been covered, does your proposal bring new insights to the topic or offer a fresh angle?
- Reach: Does the proposed media outlet have a wide reach? Journalists publishing their work at outlets that typically restrict content behind paywalls are encouraged to secure commitments to publish from additional outlets or request an exception to ensure their EJN-supported story remains accessible to audiences.
- Impact: Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, draw attention, trigger debate and spur action?
- Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches, multimedia and data visualization will be considered a plus.
- Plan for timely publication: Reporters, whether freelance or employed at a media outlet, will need to include a letter of support from an editor in their application, committing to publish the stories by October 31, 2026.
Application
For more information, visit EJN Story Grants.
