Future Forum Coastal Fisheries 2045

Background and Objective

Climate Change, fishing bans, BREXIT, expanding bureaucracy, an outdated fleet, Covid-19 pandemic related sales problems and spatial competition with other marine users: Nowadays, coastal fisheries in the North and Baltic Sea face many challenges, which jeopardize the economical existence of commercial fisheries. At the same time, many people associate costal fisheries with positive attributes. Coastal fisheries are often mentally connected with pictures of a sustainable, artisanal activity, and with the supply of fresh and regionally caught seafood. But in order to achieve the German turnaround in energy policy or to protect biodiversity, areas in the North Sea and Baltic Sea are needed where wind farms are built or nature conservation is a top priority. Further, the Covid-19 pandemic has made the local coasts even more attractive as a vacation destination, and recreational fishing holidays are enjoying great popularity as well. How does it all fit together?

Target Group

Politics, Experts, Fisheries, Public

Approach

A group of opinion leaders and decision makers from municipal politics, nature conservation, tourism, seafood trade, marine spatial planning, science, commercial and recreational fisheries were selected to discuss visions for the German coast. We are convinced that the experts with their views and experiences developed exciting future visions with us for the German North Sea and Baltic Sea, for the coast, its residents, nature conservation, the economy and fisheries. The future forum “coastal fisheries 2045” was an initiative of the Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries and the Thünen-Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries. According to social science best practice our discussions were recorded and analysed using qualitative research approaches. In co-creation, we have developed a vision, which offers a long-term future perspective for fisheries and other marine stakeholders. A vision, that are worth working for.

Data and Methods

Group Discussion

Our Research Questions

Which coast do we as society want at North and Baltic Sea?

Results

In light of the structural change, the Thünen-Institute and opinion leaders from the maritime sectors co-created a long-term perspective for the German cutter and coastal fisheries in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. This target image is explicitly defined as a desirable future. It sets in after a phase of ecological recovery and a temporary reduction in fishing effort. The target image depicts a multi-use scenario. Key elements are:

• The North Sea and Baltic Sea are in a good ecological status with stablestocks.
• Modern vessels fish more efficiently, safely, polyvalent and emission-free.
• There are fewer ports, but with good infrastructure.
• Fisheries are regulated more through licenses and fishing areas.
• Fisheries organizations become more flexible and diverse with new business areas.
• Enhanced regional value chains make fisheries more independent of the international market.
• Specialized fishers become all-around sea rangers.

The elements of the target image from the Future Workshop were compared to the state of science and critically evaluated by Thünen experts for their feasibility. Results from the project "Future Workshop Coastal Fisheries 2045" were incorporated into the Leitbildkommission Ostseefischerei (2022-23) and the Zukunftskommission Fischerei (2024-2025), both established by the federal government.

In the research project Coastal Futures, the target image is further reflected in dialogue forums with the fishing industry, compared to the challenges from the perspective of fishers and concepts for the future of fisheries from other initiatives.