Join the open consultation on the role of youth in fisheries and aquaculture

The World Food Forum’s (WFF) Global Youth Constituency on Fisheries and Aquaculture (GYCFA) is launching a youth-led consultative process to strengthen youth engagement in  the sector and support the Blue Transformation vision of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The initiative aims to mobilize young people across aquatic food systems through data collection, evidence generation and structured dialogues to contribute to a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient sector.

This consultative process is designed to generate policy-relevant information on the roles, contributions and participation of youth across fisheries and aquaculture value chains globally. It will assess youth perceptions, priorities and aspirations, while identifying key structural barriers, as well as enabling conditions that support meaningful engagement.

The online consultations will gather first-hand youth recommendations that will serve to identify pathways to strengthen youth contributions to FAO's Blue Transformation Roadmap 2022-2030. Emphasis will be placed on documenting and analyzing youth-led initiatives and innovations that are driving change across fisheries and aquaculture systems.

The consultative process adopts a multi-step, participatory and evidence-based approach:

• Global survey (April – May 2026): A questionnaire will be disseminated globally to young people aged 18 - 35 engaged in fisheries and aquaculture. The survey will collect quantitative and qualitative data on socio-economic profiles, emerging opportunities, access to resources and services, participation in governance and engagement in innovation and sustainability practices.
  
  

Fill out the survey
Deadline 16 May

• Virtual global consultation (26 May 2026): A participatory online consultation will be convened to validate preliminary findings, deepen analysis of key issues and co-develop initial recommendations with youth participants. 
• Policy dialogues (June 2026): A series of dialogues with stakeholders and partners will be organized to present youth insights, discuss policy implications and refine recommendations to ensure relevance, feasibility and alignment with national, regional and global priorities.

Please check the Constituency's website for more information.

The consultations will lead to a set of actionable, evidence-based recommendations aimed at strengthening youth engagement in fisheries and aquaculture. Through this initiative, the GYCFA seeks to reinforce the recognition of youth as key actors in advancing sustainable, inclusive and resilient aquatic food systems.

These recommendations will help shape the strategic priorities of the GYCFA and inform its contributions to intergovernmental processes, including the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) and the WFF flagship event, as well as broader policy discussions. Once finalized, they will be shared with relevant stakeholders through intergenerational dialogues and youth-led outreach efforts, fostering ownership and encouraging their uptake.

Young people engaged in fisheries and aquaculture are invited to actively contribute to this consultative process. Beyond the consultations, youth are encouraged to join the Global Youth Constituency for Fisheries and Aquaculture to participate in ongoing knowledge exchange, capacity development and advocacy efforts, and to engage in international processes related to fisheries, aquaculture and Blue Transformation.