The Sustainable Fisheries Fund:

Broadening the Base for Marine Conservation

Working with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund (RLF) developed the Sustainable Fisheries Fund (SFF), a program that provides financial support to fishing interests, government agencies, and non-governmental conservation organizations that are committed to providing consumers with seafood from ecologically sustainable fisheries. To harness the power of the marketplace to foster sustainable fisheries, we designed the SFF program to draw upon the potential of the eco-certification program and standards of the MSC.

The MSC was established in 1999 as a response to the widespread decline of marine fisheries. The core of its program is the assessment of fisheries against standards developed by conservationists, government fisheries managers, and fishing industry representatives in 1996-1997. A fishery that complies with MSC standards regarding impact on fish populations, impact on ecosystems, and the effectiveness of its management system is eligible to place MSC’s eco-label on its products.

The SFF grantmaking program promotes sustainable fisheries by reducing the financial hurdles confronting fishing interests that wish to adopt sustainable practices and potentially benefit from certification under MSC standards. Since 2000, 22 fisheries have been certified—nine with the financial support of SFF. Another 20 are undergoing assessment—eight with the financial support of SFF. Already, nearly one-third of the catch of prime whitefish served in restaurants and sold in markets has met MSC standards. Increasingly, retailers and consumers are seeking seafood from sustainable sources. SFF’s support for fisheries to enter the assessment program helps move those fisheries toward sustainability whether or not they ultimately qualify for the MSC label.

SFF makes grants in four categories:

Pre-Assessments. This process evaluates whether a fishery is likely to meet MSC standards and should proceed to a more intensive and expensive full assessment. SFF has found that a pre-assessment is a useful tool for helping a fishery identify shortcomings in its operations and management. Past pre-assessments have spurred fishing interests and management agencies to adopt beneficial changes in fishing practices, research, and management.

Full Assessments. In order to receive MSC certification, a fishery must undergo a thorough review of its operations and management, and its impact on fish populations and marine ecosystems. The assessment process, which is conducted by a third-party consultant, involves government agencies, fishing interests, conservation stakeholders, scientists, and others in a thorough review of a fishery. SFF grantmaking has focused upon fisheries for which the costs of the assessment process were a barrier and those that could play an important role in building support for sustainable fisheries in the marketplace.

Stakeholder Participation. The credibility of a fishery assessment depends partly upon broad participation of conservationists, scientists, fishing interests, and others in the evaluation of the fishery. Conservation organizations often provide critical information and perspectives that complement those of fishermen and government agencies. These perspectives also help ensure that long-term interests are not sacrificed to short-term interests.

Strategic Planning and Capacity Building. The world’s fresh and salt waters host a diversity of fisheries that range from small artisanal fisheries that supply local markets to industrial-scale fisheries that supply major markets in the United States, Japan, and Western Europe. SFF has supported the development of analytical tools that help identify fisheries most likely to benefit from further evaluation and support. SFF has also supported a multi-year effort to develop methods of assessing fisheries that may be sustainable but have not been the subject of intensive study and data gathering. Both areas of investment are producing tools that empower fishing interests and fisheries managers to move toward sustainability.

The growing worldwide interest in shifting fisheries from the traditional boom-and-bust cycle to sustainable approaches that protect ecosystems and fishing communities is generating greater demand for SFF funding. SFF’s focus will remain on smaller-scale fisheries that provide most of the seafood consumed around the world and can have profound effects on ocean ecosystems. To find out more about receiving funding from SFF, please refer to For Grantees.

Photograph courtesy of Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina