Scottish Fishermen's Federation

Looking ahead to 2025, the Scottish fishing industry faces another year of impacts from political and policy turbulence. As Elspeth Macdonald, Chief Executive of SFF, highlights, it's crucial to ensure the energy transition becomes a much fairer transition for fishing — governments and developers need to step forward with meaningful plans and solutions to address the problems caused for fishing.. On the international front, as we approach the end of the fisheries adjustment period with the EU in 2026, safeguarding the gains achieved in the Brexit deal and securing further improvements for Scottish fishermen will be vital. It’s also vital that fishing, which paid a heavy price in the Brexit deal, isn’t used again as a bargaining chip for other things. #ScottishFishing #JustTransition #FishingIndustry #SFF

🎉 Happy New Year from SFF! Here's to another year of sustainable fishing practices, supporting Scotland's vibrant fishing industries, and preserving our marine ecosystems for future generations. As we move into 2025, we remain committed to maintaining the traditions that keep our seas healthy and our communities thriving. Wishing all fishermen, families, and partners a prosperous and successful year ahead! 🌊🐟 #HappyNewYear #SustainableFishing #ScottishFishing #MarineConservation #FishingCommunities

🚨 Scottish fishing industry at risk in 2025 Our CEO Elspeth Macdonald has issued a stark warning to governments: The rapid expansion of floating offshore wind farms combined with unreasonable EU demands for fishing access could devastate Scottish fishing communities. "Our long-standing industry must not be a casualty of this new one," says Macdonald. "While we support clean energy transition, there's currently no compensation planned for fishing grounds we'll lose." "We're calling on UK and Scottish governments to protect our fishing fleet's future and ensure fair EU negotiations post-2026. Our industry already paid a heavy price for Brexit - we can't be used as a bargaining chip again." Read more: https://loom.ly/GcUoXEI #ScottishFishing #Sustainability #JustTransition

Merry Christmas from everyone at Scottish Fishermen's Federation!🎄 Throughout the festive season, our hardworking fishermen continue to bring in the catch, even in the coldest of waters. A big thank you to all those keeping the traditions alive and ensuring fresh seafood is brought to our tables. We would like to wish everyone a joyful holiday season, and tight lines in the new year! 🐟🎁 #MerryChristmas #ScottishFishing #FreshSeafood

Reflecting on 2024, it was a year of challenges and successes for the Scottish fishing industry. While businesses stayed busy catching fish and shellfish to put on plates worldwide, the political landscape demanded significant action. From a general election and a change in First Minister to global shifts impacting our sector, there was much to address. A standout achievement was the success of our Pride in the Seas campaign, which shone a spotlight on the incredible people driving our industry forward. Here's to building on these efforts in 2025! 🎣 #ScottishFishing #PrideInTheSeas #FishingIndustry #SFF

Brothers, Paul and Adam Robertson work alongside their father, Mark, on the shellfish vessel Zenith in Fraserburgh. For Mark, fishing is a lifelong vocation spanning four decades. Hailing from the fishing village of Gardenstown, he represents the third generation of his family to make their living from the sea. He first stepped onto a boat aged just 16 after his father suggested earning summer work while awaiting a merchant navy apprenticeship. With a family fishing tradition spanning over a century, Paul stands as the fourth generation to make his living from the sea. Paul practically grew up aboard boats, gaining his first experiences at age 11 with his dad. By 21, he was running fishing trips solo. Recently, Paul commissioned a state-of-the-art trawler designed for efficiency and sustainability, marking one of his proudest accomplishments. He emphasises the importance of collaboration between fishermen and government to ensure a bright future for the industry. Though initially dreaming of becoming a carpenter, Adam was inspired by Paul's early success at sea and joined the family business after finishing school. Now, Adam also represents the fourth generation of his family to commercially fish. He values the unpredictable and adrenaline-fueled nature of commercial fishing. Despite challenges like tightening quotas, Adam remains optimistic and proud to sustain a centuries-old family tradition. He looks forward to what the future holds for the industry. Thank you for all the support that we have received for our #PrideInTheSeasCampaign stay tuned for an exciting update in 2025!🎣

As 2024 draws to a close we reflect on another busy and successful year. We would like to wish all our member associations, clients and of course our entire team a very 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿.

Christmas wishes As we approach the end of another year and attentions turn to the festivities shared with family and friends i thought sharing the photo of the aptly named boat STAR of BETHLEHEM is quite fitting. Fishermen spend the year missing out on the usual family events like birthdays/anniversaries/weddings and funerals to provide us all with the quality seafood associated with Scotland and the rest of the UK, therefore at Christmas it is always a well earned break with family & friends. We all within the industry recognise the need for an alternative energy source but can’t stand idly by if it removes the opportunity to provide a food source of which has no alternative plus the fact of which has global recognition for its quality, and a way of life ingrained into our coastal communities. As we all look to our Christmas Day menu and see the time honoured tradition of a Prawn Cocktail then spare a moment of thought for the men & woman who undertake the risk of the sea to provide us all with such a product and recognise the need to safeguard this industry for generations to come. Merry Christmas 🎄 Scottish Fishermen's Federation SFF Services Limited Marine Environmental Solutions

So delighted to be a UK Women in Fisheries Sea Sister! Chairing the network, and helping it develop and expand has been such a privilege. I'm so grateful that we are able to bring together women from all over the UK, from every aspect of the sector- including commercial fishers and their partners, vessel owners and managers , researchers, fisheries representatives, processors, wholesalers, and more!! I'm absolutely blown away by everyone's passion for what they do 🤩

Trevor Spouse and Elena Balestri come from different career paths, but support the same industry mission. Hailing from a long line of fishermen in Eyemouth, Trevor runs the family trawler Progress 'S' alongside his son Kai. As a third-generation fisherman, Trevor is deeply committed to preserving Scotland's fishing heritage. Despite challenges like crew shortages and complex regulations, Trevor is determined to keep Scottish fishing alive. He believes sustainability lies at the heart of small-scale fishing and has diversified into fish retailing to keep his family's legacy afloat. With a background in marine ecology and biology, Elena serves as a critical link between academic science, governance, and on-the-ground fishing reality. She translates complex scientific concepts into pragmatic guidance for policymakers and fishers alike. Despite the politically charged and challenging industry landscape, Elena is committed to empowering fishermen and fostering constructive cooperation between stakeholders. Her perseverance stems from a deep conviction in finding solutions for a sustainable future. #PrideInTheSeas #ScottishFishing #Sustainability #FishingHeritage #ProudToBeFishing