This article was featured in Eurofish Magazine 2 2026.
Nearly half of all small-scale fishers across the Mediterranean and Black Sea are over 40, with just 17 percent being aged under 25, and the sector is struggling to reverse the trend of an aging demographic. At a forum in Athens organised by the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) and FAO, young fishers from across the region described a profession increasingly difficult to enter and harder even to succeed in. Complex licensing, high start-up costs, shrinking margins and uneven digital training are among the barriers.
Women, who make up nearly 30 percent of the fisheries workforce, remain underrepresented in decision-making despite their essential role across the value chain. Unregulated fishing, including recreational activity, was also flagged as distorting markets and undercutting those who play by the rules. Participants called for clearer and more consistently enforced frameworks covering licensing, catch reporting and traceability across all fishing activities.
Small-scale fishing-vessels account for 58 percent of onboard employment in the region, sustaining coastal economies and preserving traditional ecological knowledge. Participants warned that without targeted reform including fairer regulations, better access to finance and inclusive digital transitions, the sector risks losing not just workers but coastal communities, traditional know-how and local food systems.
