Youth Assembly
Thematic
consultations
and sessions
Fisheries and aquaculture
Fisheries and aquaculture are a vital source of food and high-quality nutrition. They offer a powerful solution to address food insecurity, malnutrition and mitigate the impacts of climate change, while supporting livelihoods and preserving cultural heritage.
As the sector evolves, unlocking the potential of youth is essential to drive innovation and ensure long-term sustainability. To support this, the Youth Assembly facilitates consultations that enable young people to exchange experiences and develop solutions for sustainable aquatic food systems.
The Global Youth Constituency on Fisheries and Aquaculture was established to ensure young people in the sector are heard, valued and supported in realizing their full potential. Launched during the 36th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI36) in July 2024, the Constituency connects youth and youth-led organizations to collaborate and advocate for more inclusive, equitable and sustainable aquatic food systems. Its mission is to empower youth through capacity development, policy engagement, and knowledge-sharing, while facilitating global and regional dialogues that elevate youth voices in international processes. The Constituency benefits from the technical expertise of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division.
Framework of the Global Youth Constituency on Fisheries and Aquaculture
- Vision: A world where youth are recognized as key actors in influencing and shaping sustainable aquatic food systems (fisheries and aquaculture), with their voices meaningfully integrated into policies, programmes and decision-making at all levels.
- Mission: To empower youth as leaders in sustainable aquatic food systems by providing a platform for inclusive dialogue, capacity development, policy influence and collaborative action.
- Objectives:
- Promote youth participation in policy and decision-making processes related to fisheries and aquaculture.
- Develop the capacity of young people to understand, engage with and influence fisheries and aquaculture governance.
- Support the involvement of youth in FAO's technical work on fisheries and aquaculture.
- Facilitate partnerships between youth, governments, civil society, producers, academia and the private sector.
- Create a space for inclusive, intergenerational and gender-sensitive dialogues on key sectoral issues.
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2024 Milestones and engagements
July: Official launch of the Youth Constituency
- The event marked the inaugural Thematic Youth Assembly consultation on fisheries and aquaculture, held during COFI36. It served as the first consultation of its kind and successfully mobilized youth participation in line with COFI’s objectives.
- Key topics: food security, economic development and gender inclusion, as well as challenges like illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, climate change and marine plastic pollution.
October: Second Consultation
- The session was organized as part of the Thematic Youth Assembly consultation on fisheries and aquaculture, held during the World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event.
- Key actions:
- Refining outreach strategies for youth engagement in the sector; and
- Developing a workplan for the Youth Constituency.
- Key topics: innovation, access to resources and youth-led governance initiatives.
2025 Milestones and engagements
May: Global youth consultation on ocean sustainability
- This virtual consultation on 20 May brought together over 400 participants from around the world and aimed to gather ideas, concerns and solutions from young people in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It also served as a precursor to the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). A Youth Statement was developed as an output of this activity.
- Key topics: research, science, management and capacity development in the sector.
June: Youth Event at UNOC3 – From Legacy to Leadership: Youth-led Solutions for Ocean Sustainability
- Held on 9 June as part of UNOC3, the event featured an intergenerational dialogue between young researchers, scientists, workers and producers in fisheries and aquaculture, alongside senior experts. The session also marked the launch of an open call for expressions of interest to join the Youth Constituency.
- Key topics: data, science, research, capacity building and effective management, with a strong emphasis on the role of youth in driving innovation and leadership—particularly in regions where fisheries and aquaculture are essential to food security, livelihoods and poverty alleviation.
August: Establishment of the Steering Committee of the Youth constituency
- The group will play a key role in guiding and supporting the activities of the Youth Constituency, under the facilitation of the WFF Youth Assembly Secretariat. It will also lead the development of an official Youth Manifesto—capturing the Constituency’s values, vision, priorities and key calls to action for decision-makers. The first draft of the Manifesto will be shaped through inputs from all Constituency members, ensuring an inclusive and representative outcome.
October: Thematic youth assembly session on fisheries and Aquaculture
- This session will be held during the WFF flagship event as part of the Thematic Youth Assembly consultation on fisheries and aquaculture, marking the launch of the Youth Manifesto and the presentation of the Constituency’s 2026 workplan. It will also serve as a key platform for identifying youth priorities in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, which will inform youth inputs to COFI37.
2026 Tentative engagements
In the lead-up to the main session at COFI37, where the Youth Constituency will present its progress since COFI36 and outline future priorities, a series of consultations and partnership-building activities will be organized with members and allied constituencies.
2024 Milestones and engagements
July: Official launch of the Youth Constituency
- The event marked the inaugural Thematic Youth Assembly consultation on fisheries and aquaculture, held during COFI36. It served as the first consultation of its kind and successfully mobilized youth participation in line with COFI’s objectives.
- Key topics: food security, economic development and gender inclusion, as well as challenges like illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, climate change and marine plastic pollution.
October: Second Consultation
- The session was organized as part of the Thematic Youth Assembly consultation on fisheries and aquaculture, held during the World Food Forum (WFF) flagship event.
- Key actions:
- Refining outreach strategies for youth engagement in the sector; and
- Developing a workplan for the Youth Constituency.
- Key topics: innovation, access to resources and youth-led governance initiatives.
2025 Milestones and engagements
May: Global youth consultation on ocean sustainability
- This virtual consultation on 20 May brought together over 400 participants from around the world and aimed to gather ideas, concerns and solutions from young people in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. It also served as a precursor to the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3). A Youth Statement was developed as an output of this activity.
- Key topics: research, science, management and capacity development in the sector.
June: Youth Event at UNOC3 – From Legacy to Leadership: Youth-led Solutions for Ocean Sustainability
- Held on 9 June as part of UNOC3, the event featured an intergenerational dialogue between young researchers, scientists, workers and producers in fisheries and aquaculture, alongside senior experts. The session also marked the launch of an open call for expressions of interest to join the Youth Constituency.
- Key topics: data, science, research, capacity building and effective management, with a strong emphasis on the role of youth in driving innovation and leadership—particularly in regions where fisheries and aquaculture are essential to food security, livelihoods and poverty alleviation.
August: Establishment of the Coordination group of the Youth constituency
- The group will play a key role in guiding and supporting the activities of the Youth Constituency, under the facilitation of the WFF Youth Assembly Secretariat. It will also lead the development of an official Youth Manifesto—capturing the Constituency’s values, vision, priorities and key calls to action for decision-makers. The first draft of the Manifesto will be shaped through inputs from all Constituency members, ensuring an inclusive and representative outcome.
October: Thematic youth assembly session on fisheries and Aquaculture
- This session will be held during the WFF flagship event as part of the Thematic Youth Assembly consultation on fisheries and aquaculture, marking the launch of the Youth Manifesto and the presentation of the Constituency’s 2026 workplan. It will also serve as a key platform for identifying youth priorities in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, which will inform youth inputs to COFI37.
Draft Timeline - Fisheries and Aquaculture
2025
May 2025
- Global youth consultation on ocean sustainability
June 2025
- Youth event at UNOC3 – "From legacy to leadership: Youth-led solutions for ocean sustainability”
August 2025
- Virtual workshop to launch the Youth Constituency Steering Committee
October 2025
- Thematic Youth Assembly Session on Fisheries and Aquaculture
December 2025
- Capacity development activity for General Members
2026
First quarter 2026
- Consultations and initiatives in the lead up to COFI37
Third quarter 2026
- Participation in COFI37 and presentation of progress since COFI36
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