This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 6 2025.
Across Europe’s coasts communities are adapting to climate change, shifting fish stocks, and the socio-economic challenges of traditional livelihoods. From Denmark to Greece a new generation of projects is showing how community-driven innovation can link gastronomy and environmental stewardship with useful skills.
Launched in 2024, Forgotten Fish unites partners from Denmark, Greece, and Italy to revive the use of neglected species and traditional fishing practices. Through hands-on workshops and transnational exchanges—ranging from events on the historic Trabucco fishing platforms in southern Italy to local food events in Denmark—the project aims to rebuild traditional culinary knowledge while promoting biodiversity. Moreover, its online courses on fish biology and sustainable cooking encourage participation from the uninitiated. Lars Münter, a project partner from the Nordic Wellbeing Academy, says, while we still need to fight to reduce or reverse climate change, people depending on the ocean also need to adapt. By combining local storytelling, gastronomy, and digital tools, Forgotten Fish aims to turn community building into a practical strategy for climate adaptation and blue food innovation.
GastroFish combines education with gastronomy
GastroFish, also an Erasmus+ funded project, mobilises young people in coastal regions to deepen their political and social participation through digital learning and co-creation. Led by Turkish and Mediterranean partners, the project builds a multilingual e-learning platform that blends education in fisheries with expertise in gastronomy. Participants co-develop recipes such as anchovy-seaweed pizza, tub gurnard soup, and spirulina-infused fish burgers. Three online modules on fisheries basics, seafood species, and cooking skills enable peer-to-peer learning across Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Spain. With contributions from InnoPolis, the platform promotes cross-sector cooperation between youth, chefs, and educators leading to new skills and intercultural dialogue.
Together, Forgotten Fish and GastroFish highlight how co-creation can transform climate adaptation into a broader social movement that rests on four pillars: The first pillar is Rooted Innovation, meaning the revival of artisanal fishing traditions and regional cuisines which embeds sustainability in local identity and tradition. The second pillar is Intergenerational Learning. Youth engagement ensures knowledge transfer, skill building, and continuity of coastal heritage. Cross-Sector Collaboration represents the third pillar. Partnerships among chefs, fishers, educators, and cultural actors to foster new networks and shared goals. The fourth pillar is Digital Innovation—using MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course), podcasts, and online recipes to democratise access to knowledge, particularly for women, youth, and marginalised groups. These pillars enable small, citizen-led partnerships to generate cooperation across borders and ecosystems. The projects offer practical lessons for implementing the EU Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy, and the Restore our Ocean and Waters mission. By empowering citizens to co-create solutions, they help diversify diets with low-impact, nutritious species while strengthening artisanal fisheries. They also connect vocational education with climate-smart food systems.
The ISRICM-EU project (Innovative Solutions for Refugee Integration and Crisis Mitigation in EU Member States), coordinated by the Nordic Wellbeing Academy and InnoPolis, applies co-creative, community-based training to support refugees, particularly from Ukraine, through vocational training and local engagement. ISRICM-EU shows how approaches tested in coastal settings can foster intercultural understanding.
Lessons for Europe’s fishing and coastal communities
When communities design projects—reviving recipes, developing training, or managing resources—they take ownership giving them a stake in the project’s success. Another insight is that combining the use of digital tools with heritage skills can open new markets—apps and online platforms help fishers sell directly, with chefs sharing local stories. Generally, fishing can successfully be connected with tourism, education, and local gastronomy. Another key insight is that exchange across regions keeps innovation alive. What works in an Italian harbour might inspire a Finnish village to adapt ideas. With this, EU and national programmes for climate adaptation, innovation, or community development can take inspiration from local ideas. Together, these strategies illustrate the benefits of co-creation. Join us on Ærø, Denmark, 17-18 June 2026 to experience this coastal revitalisation firsthand.
Lars Münter
Founder and International Director
Nordic Wellbeing Academy
lars@wellbeingacademy.dk
