Commissioned by the European Climate, Infrastructure, and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), this strategic foresight study explores the future of fishers in the European Union (EU) up to 2050. The study was conducted by Tetra Tech International Development, in collaboration with Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Europe, Ipsos, F&S, Trinomics, and supported by additional expertise and a network of country experts covering 22 coastal Member States and outermost regions.
The study represents the Commission’s commitment, outlined in its 2023 Communication on the functioning of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), to address emerging challenges in the sector. It aligns with the Commission’s definition of foresight as “the discipline of exploring, anticipating, and shaping the future to inform today’s decision-making.” This participatory study places fishers at its core, integrating their perspectives into the development of future scenarios and fisher profiles to inform strategic policymaking for a sustainable, competitive and resilient EU fishing sector, as part of the wider blue economy. It does not present policy proposals, which was never the intention, rather it serves to stimulate further the important debate on securing and giving a perspective on the future of EU fishers.