Resources Legacy Fund (RLF), a California-based non-profit organization, established the Sustainable Fisheries Fund (SFF) in 2002 to promote ecologically sustainable fishing practices worldwide. SFF began by supporting the efforts of small-scale fisheries to reduce their environmental impacts through the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification process. Later, SFF‘s efforts expanded to support additional sustainability pathways, including fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and Fair Trade certification.

In 2022, toward the goal of integrating social responsibility into fisheries sustainability, RLF has launched a new chapter in SFF grantmaking to support FIPs worldwide to implement the FisheryProgress Human Rights and Social Responsibility Policy (HRSRP).

SFF seeks the following types of project proposals for funding consideration:

• Design and launch of new FIPs, consistent with Conservation Alliance FIP guidelines and definitions, and with explicit commitment to implement required and/or voluntary components of the HRSRP.
• For existing FIPs listed in good standing on FisheryProgress, projects to complete required and/or voluntary components of the HRSRP along with other planned fishery improvement activities.

The following additional components of a project are eligible for grant support, if pursued alongside implementation of the HRSRP:

• MSC pre-assessments;
• MSC full assessments and re-assessments of strategic importance, on a limited basis;
• Fair Trade audits; and,
• Other fishery improvement activities consistent with overall SFF guidelines, including stakeholder participation and capacity building efforts that advance marine conservation and address social responsibility and human rights.

Who is Eligible to Apply for Funding?

Fishing, fish-worker, or seafood organizations; fishery management agencies; research organizations; non-profit organizations; and contracted private consultancies to support FIPs and advance sustainability certifications. Other applicants, including individual businesses, may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Application Process

• Prospective grantees should review the complete SFF Strategy and Grantmaking Guidelines document (English | 日本語 | 中文 | Español | Bahasa Indonesia | Français).
• To apply for a grant, applicants must complete SFF’s application worksheet in English, and submit to RLF in Microsoft Word format. The worksheet is available for download here. Returning applicants to SFF: Please note that this worksheet was updated in August, 2022. Please use this version to submit a new application.
• The worksheet and required documents demonstrating financial and organizational integrity must be sent by email to RLF Senior Program Coordinator Rebecca Valdez, rvaldez@resourceslegacyfund.org.
• SFF program overviews, comprising the information on this webpage, are also available in the following languages: 日本語 | 中文 | Español | Bahasa Indonesia | Français.

Timeline

SFF will receive grant applications and issue grants for select eligible projects twice per year in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

In 2023, SFF will receive applications during two windows:

• Window 1: February 15 – March 15, 2023
• Window 2: August 15 – September 15, 2023

All applications will be reviewed by RLF staff and may be subject to additional review by RLF’s external partners. Following initial review, RLF staff will contact competitive applicants directly and may request additional information or revisions to the proposed project before advancement to consideration for a grant award.

Media from informational webinars

March 29, 2022, English/Spanish

• Slide deck (PDF, bilingual)
• Video: presentation in English
• Video: presentación en español

March 31, 2022, English/Bahasa Indonesia

• Slide deck (PDF, bilingual)
• Video: presentation in English
• Video: presentasi dalam bahasa Indonesia

For additional information or any questions, contact Rebecca Valdez, Resources Legacy Fund (rvaldez@resourceslegacyfund.org) or Jesse Marsh, Scaling Blue (jmarsh@scalingblue.com).