Previously the Vice President of the SFF and the Chairman of the Fishing Vessel Agents & Owners Association (Scotland) Ltd, Mr Dougal comes from a well-known Eyemouth fishing family and has worked in a wide variety of senior positions in the vessel management and fish selling sectors.
He succeeds Alan Coghill who has been President since 2010.
Mr Dougal said: “I’m delighted to have been elected as President of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and would like to thank my predecessor Alan Coghill for his hard work in representing our fishermen during some incredibly challenging periods.
“Of course, many challenges still remain – most notably the forthcoming discards ban which could prove devastating for our industry if it is implemented without careful thought and flexibility.
"I am determined to work hard on behalf of our members to help ensure a prosperous future for our industry.”
Replacing Mr Dougal as Vice President is Alex Wiseman, the Chairman of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association (SPFA).
Mr Wiseman is a working pelagic skipper who has been Chairman of the SPFA for the last six years.
Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive of the SFF, said: “We welcome Ross and Alex to their new roles and I know that they will prove to be strong leaders of the Federation in what promises to be a very challenging period ahead.”
