The Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation (SFO) was officially recognised as a Fish Producer Organisation in 1973, shortly after the UK joined the European Economic Community (EEC). Producer Organisations (POs) were established throughout Europe as part of an initiative to organise the market for fisheries products within the EEC.

A decade or so later, with the development of fish quotas from the mid-eighties onwards, many UK POs also took on quota management responsibilities on behalf of their members, a role that has evolved significantly over time. Today, the SFO is the largest PO in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.

Despite POs being a European construct, much of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) regulation that relates to the functioning of POs was transposed into UK law following Brexit. POs continue to fulfil many of the same functions in relation to management of quota and marketing of fisheries products as they did prior to Brexit. Today, the SFO is the largest PO in the UK and one of the largest in Europe.