Our Charity
Our charitable objectives help us to respect the past and protect the future.
Generations of fishers have made their living from our productive waters, providing a valuable supply of protein. We want to encourage good stewardship to guarantee that future generations also benefit from a healthy, renewable resource, and we also recognise the rich culture and heritage embedded in our coastal communities.
It is in our interests to ensure that today’s fishers are highly skilled and well-informed to go about their business in a safe and sustainable manner. We also need to ensure that scientific assessment of stocks is based on good data in order that fisheries managers are well informed and that we promote good practice that respects the wider marine environment.
These are some of the reasons why, in 2000, SFF established the Scottish Fishermen’s Trust, a registered charity. Since then, awards exceeding £1.3m have been made to projects within the objects of the Trust, funded primarily by donations from S.F.F. Services Limited.
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OUR OBJECTIVES
The Scottish Fishermen’s Trust has a number of key objectives
The advancement of education as regards the marine environment of the United Kingdom.
The advancement of education of those engaged or to be engaged in fishing activities in the seas around the United Kingdom.
The advancement of health and the saving of lives in relation to those engaged or to be engaged in fishing activities in the seas around the United Kingdom.
The advancement of science and the heritage and culture of the United Kingdom as regards the protection, preservation and stewardship of the marine environment, promotion of the conservation of marine living organisms and preservation of the marine ecology and biodiversity of the seas around the United Kingdom.
The advancement of environmental protection and improvement including the sustainability of marine living organisms as regards the seas around the United Kingdom.
The provision of welfare services and facilities for fishermen and fishing communities.
The Scottish Fishermen's Trust ~ Since 2000
Active fishers pursuing a long-term career in the industry can apply for a grant to support them through non-mandatory training courses such as Deck Officer (Fishing Vessel) Class 1 & 2 and Engineer Officer (Fishing Vessel) Class 1 & 2 Certificates of Competency. Training Support Grant enquiries should be directed to the Company Secretary
Support for all other projects and initiatives comes from the Trust’s General Fund. Enquirers should contact the Company Secretary to explain their project and the sum they wish to apply for. The Company Secretary can give general advice on eligibility and deadlines and also provide the appropriate application forms and guidance for completion.
In 2025, the Trust provided grant support for the Electric Voice Theatre’s, “Isabella’s Footsteps,” an innovative and inspiring project honouring the legacy of Isabella Gordon, O.B.E. (1901-1988), a pioneering marine biologist, world renowned crustacean expert, and significant figure at the Natural History Museum (NHM), London. The project engaged local schools in Keith in Northeast Scotland, where Isabella grew up, highlighting the powerful synthesis of arts and sciences; understanding of the science of the local marine environment in the Moray Firth and around the UK and the importance of conservation.
Further information on the videos produced and book published by the project can be found at:
Thank You Keith! | electric voice theatre
Apply for Funding
The deadlines for applications to be received for consideration at forthcoming meetings are:
16th July 2026
16th October 2026
For guidance and application forms for funding, please get in touch.
