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Over £5.25 million has been dedicated to 144 fisheries and projects around the world through the Ocean Stewardship Fund.

This includes 113 grants awarded through our annual grant scheme. 

In 2024, nearly £1 million was awarded to projects including research that will safeguard fish stocks and minimise fisheries’ impacts on wildlife.

Around 40% of the grants are supporting fisheries operating in developing economies, such as Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa, including nine fisheries transitioning to sustainable practices through our In-Transition to MSC pilot (now the MSC Improvement Program).

2024 projects

North Peru eel trap fishery: Improvements in practice and governance
Transition Assistance Fund

North Peru eel trap fishery: Improvements in practice and governance

New Zealand orange roughy: Age models and Harvest Control Rules
Transition Assistance Fund

New Zealand orange roughy: Age models and Harvest Control Rules

Nicaraguan spiny lobster: Improving fishery knowledge
Transition Assistance Fund

Nicaraguan spiny lobster: Improving fishery knowledge

Gulf of California hake: Improving sustainability and management
Transition Assistance Fund

Gulf of California hake: Improving sustainability and management

Kerala deep-sea shrimp: Continued sustainability research
Transition Assistance Fund

Kerala deep-sea shrimp: Continued sustainability research

Mexican barred sand bass: Supporting fishing cooperatives
Transition Assistance Fund

Mexican barred sand bass: Supporting fishing cooperatives

Indonesian blue swimmer crab: Further strategies for sustainability
Transition Assistance Fund

Indonesian blue swimmer crab: Further strategies for sustainability

Mexico, Yucatán octopus: Monitoring crab baits and environmental effects
Transition Assistance Fund

Mexico, Yucatán octopus: Monitoring crab baits and environmental effects

Transition Assistance Fund

Mexico Pacific sardine: Training observers to minimise fishery impacts

Mexico Pacific sardine: Training observers to minimise fishery impacts
South Africa hake: Investigating interactions with mammals
Student Research Grant

South Africa hake: Investigating interactions with mammals

Mexican barred sand bass: Improving scientific knowledge
Student Research Grant

Mexican barred sand bass: Improving scientific knowledge

Suriname trawl fishery: Smartphone app to identify protected species
Student Research Grant

Suriname trawl fishery: Smartphone app to identify protected species

Mexico Pacific sardine: Improving brown pelican population estimates
Student Research Grant

Mexico Pacific sardine: Improving brown pelican population estimates

Rewarding long-term sustainability commitments

Rewarding long-term sustainability commitments

Our Recertification Assistance Fund rewards fisheries that have shown a substantial commitment to the MSC program and sustainability.
See grant recipients

2023 projects

Knowledge sharing to reduce dolphin interactions in Australian and UK sardine fisheries

Knowledge sharing to reduce dolphin interactions in Australian and UK sardine fisheries

Tagging silky sharks to identify post-release survival rates

Tagging silky sharks to identify post-release survival rates

Improving data on seabird interactions in the Alaskan salmon fishery

Improving data on seabird interactions in the Alaskan salmon fishery

Reducing turtle bycatch in the Réunion coastal longline swordfish fishery

Reducing turtle bycatch in the Réunion coastal longline swordfish fishery

​​Seabird bycatch reduction in the Greenland lumpfish fishery​

​​Seabird bycatch reduction in the Greenland lumpfish fishery​

Reducing sawfish interactions in Australia’s Northern Prawn Fishery

Reducing sawfish interactions in Australia’s Northern Prawn Fishery

Statistics to predict silky shark hotspots and mitigate bycatch

Statistics to predict silky shark hotspots and mitigate bycatch

Improving management of squid in North Sumatra

Improving management of squid in North Sumatra

Managing skate bycatch in the Australian Toothfish fishery

Managing skate bycatch in the Australian Toothfish fishery

Genetic testing to identify octopus species in Madagascan fishery

Genetic testing to identify octopus species in Madagascan fishery

Identifying environmental factors impacting Cape hake

Identifying environmental factors impacting Cape hake

Identifying distinct squid populations in Indonesia

Identifying distinct squid populations in Indonesia

Protecting vulnerable species and habitats in the South African longline hake fishery

Protecting vulnerable species and habitats in the South African longline hake fishery

Supporting further improvements in the Mexico red rock lobster fishery

Supporting further improvements in the Mexico red rock lobster fishery

Aiding recovery of Mexican red sea urchins

Aiding recovery of Mexican red sea urchins

Supporting sustainability improvements in the Sonora shrimp fishery

Supporting sustainability improvements in the Sonora shrimp fishery

2022

Mitigating seabird interactions in an Argentine hoki fishery

Mitigating seabird interactions in an Argentine hoki fishery

Analysing trawling impacts on vulnerable deep sea habitats in Greenland

Analysing trawling impacts on vulnerable deep sea habitats in Greenland

Reducing fishing risks to endangered Australian shorebirds

Reducing fishing risks to endangered Australian shorebirds

Improving data on endangered species in Northeast Arctic fisheries

Improving data on endangered species in Northeast Arctic fisheries

Monitoring deep-water habitats in Australian crystal crab fishery

Monitoring deep-water habitats in Australian crystal crab fishery

Technology saving stingrays in the Mediterranean Bluefin tuna artisanal fishery

Technology saving stingrays in the Mediterranean Bluefin tuna artisanal fishery

Rebuilding snapper and grouper stocks in Indonesia

Rebuilding snapper and grouper stocks in Indonesia

Managing mudcrab stocks in a Coastal Conservation area in Indonesia

Managing mudcrab stocks in a Coastal Conservation area in Indonesia

Improving and promoting best practice in the Yucatan Octopus fishery

Improving and promoting best practice in the Yucatan Octopus fishery

Empowering Indonesian shrimp fishers to improve their practices

Empowering Indonesian shrimp fishers to improve their practices

Improving understanding of different stocks in the Mexico Pacific artisanal shrimp fishery

Improving understanding of different stocks in the Mexico Pacific artisanal shrimp fishery

Strengthening traceability in the Kotabaru shrimp fishery

Strengthening traceability in the Kotabaru shrimp fishery

Boosting gonad health in Mexico red sea urchins

Boosting gonad health in Mexico red sea urchins

Mapping risks to endangered species in the North Sea Wash Brown Shrimp Fishery

Mapping risks to endangered species in the North Sea Wash Brown Shrimp Fishery

Safeguarding the future of India’s shrimp and squid fisheries

Safeguarding the future of India’s shrimp and squid fisheries

Growing the supply of sustainable Mexican red octopus to meet demand

Growing the supply of sustainable Mexican red octopus to meet demand

Innovative DNA methods to age blue swimming crabs in Indonesia

Innovative DNA methods to age blue swimming crabs in Indonesia

2021

Making Kerala’s deep-sea shrimp fishing sustainable

Making Kerala’s deep-sea shrimp fishing sustainable

Safeguarding Indonesian blue swimming crab fisheries

Safeguarding Indonesian blue swimming crab fisheries

Minimising fishing impacts on Indonesian squid

Minimising fishing impacts on Indonesian squid

Investigating artificial bait use in Australian tuna fisheries

Investigating artificial bait use in Australian tuna fisheries

Testing novel seabird bycatch mitigation in Iceland lumpfish fisheries

Testing novel seabird bycatch mitigation in Iceland lumpfish fisheries

Reducing bycatch of diving birds in Greenland lumpfish gillnets

Reducing bycatch of diving birds in Greenland lumpfish gillnets

Using genetic markers to identify snapper stocks

Using genetic markers to identify snapper stocks

Using DNA to identify bycatch species

Using DNA to identify bycatch species

Climate models to predict blue swimming crab survival

Climate models to predict blue swimming crab survival

Creating a fisheries communication platform to enhance observer safety

Creating a fisheries communication platform to enhance observer safety

Improving the safety of fishery observer programmes

Improving the safety of fishery observer programmes

2020

New ways to reduce seabird bycatch

New ways to reduce seabird bycatch

Mapping seabed floors to manage climate change

Mapping seabed floors to manage climate change

Smartphone app to identify protected species

Smartphone app to identify protected species

Protecting the Greenland shark

Protecting the Greenland shark

What release practices best promote skate survival?

What release practices best promote skate survival?

Helping fishers identify endangered species

Helping fishers identify endangered species

Growing sustainability in FAD tuna fishing

Growing sustainability in FAD tuna fishing

Helping a small lobster fishery towards sustainability

Helping a small lobster fishery towards sustainability

Mexican red sea urchin: maintaining healthy stocks

Mexican red sea urchin: maintaining healthy stocks

Strengthening sustainability of wild mussel harvesting

Strengthening sustainability of wild mussel harvesting

Securing a future for Indonesian tuna fishing communities

Securing a future for Indonesian tuna fishing communities

Making traditional fishing methods sustainable

Making traditional fishing methods sustainable

Sustaining South African albacore tuna stocks

Sustaining South African albacore tuna stocks

Project stories

South Africa: Hake fishery supports bird conservation

Read the story
Brown and white albatross flying over water, group of birds on surface of the water

Brazil: Traditional knowledge and modern devices reduce bycatch

Read the story
Two men sitting on tiled floor sewing exclusion device into fishing net

Indonesia: Tracking anchored FAD use in tuna fisheries

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Silhouette of man in hoodie on boat at sunset
Ocean Stewardship Fund

Ocean Stewardship Fund

Each year, over £1 million in grants are available for fisheries at all stages on their path to sustainability.

Find out more