Applications Invited for the Ocean Stewardship Fund 2024-25

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About the Organization

The Marine Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation. We recognise and reward efforts to protect oceans and safeguard seafood supplies for the future.

We want future generations to be able to enjoy seafood and oceans full of life, forever.

Our vision is of the world’s oceans teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations.

Our mission is to use our ecolabel and fishery certification program to contribute to the health of the world’s oceans by recognising and rewarding sustainable fishing practices, influencing the choices people make when buying seafood and working with our partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.

About the Grant

The Ocean Stewardship Fund offers grants to fisheries that are MSC certified or in improvement projects.

We want to increase the number of sustainable fisheries worldwide by funding innovative research and supporting fisheries at all stages on their path to sustainability.

We commit 5% of annual royalties from MSC certified product sales to the fund and combine these with third-party donations.

To date, we have mobilised over USD $11 million. Of this, over $6.6 million has been allocated to over 140 fisheries and research projects to help fisheries adopt and implement practices that protect the ocean and minimise impacts on the marine environment.

Funding available

Transition Assistance Fund: The Transition Assistance Fund supports fisheries that are working towards MSC certification through the In-Transition to MSC Program.

Grant size: Up to £50,000

Science and Research Fund: The Science and Research Fund provides grants of up to £50,000 to support research projects that help MSC certified fisheries maintain best practice in sustainability.

Eligibility

The fund is open to submissions from academic institutions, independent researchers, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) or MSC certified fisheries.  All submissions must be applicable to an MSC certified fishery or fisheries.

Funding priorities

This year, the Science and Research Fund welcomes research proposals that:

Focus on key areas that have stronger requirements under the MSC Fisheries Standard v3.1:

• Stock-wide harvest strategies
• Reduction of impacts on endangered, threatened or protected (ETP) species
• Reduction of gear loss and ghost gear impacts
• Refining assessment of impacts on habitats and ecosystems
• Application of shark finning prevention policies
• Focus on improvements linked to any condition resulting from an assessment against the MSC Fisheries Standard v2.01 or v3.1.
• Will benefit multiple fisheries.

Recertification Assistance Fund: The Recertification Assistance Fund rewards fisheries that have shown a substantial commitment to the MSC program and sustainability.

Grant size: Up to £30,000 or 75% of the CAB's reassessment costs, whichever is lowest

Eligibility

Fisheries in the In-Transition to MSC program with verified action plans can apply for up to £50,000 to support the costs of implementing improvements as well as the costs associated with progress verification.

Student Research Grants: MSC Student Research Grants support postgraduate students around the world who are studying fisheries science.

Grant size: Between £5,000 and £10,000 This year we are increasing the maximum grant available to students

Eligibility

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to current postgraduate fisheries science students, studying for their Master's course or PhD anywhere in the world.

Integrated Master's students are eligible to apply during their final year only.

To be eligible, students must collaborate with a fishery that meets one of the following criteria:

• MSC certified
• In the In-Transition to MSC program
• A stage 4 pathway project fishery or a comprehensive fishery improvement project (FIP)

How to Apply

Applications close: 02 December 2024 23:59 hrs UTC

For more information please check the Link

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