On 19 June 2026, the Italian National Research Council hosted a workshop in Mazara del Vallo in Western Sicily, bringing together fishers, policymakers, and researchers to discuss "Strengthening the Resilience of Marine Ecosystems through Innovative Technologies and Ecosystem-Based Approaches to Fisheries in the Strait of Sicily." Dr. Grit Martinez from Ecologic Institute participated on behalf of SEA4FUTURE.

In the new Horizon Europe project SEA4FUTURE Ecologic Institute leads the social science and humanities research on integrating fishers’ knowledge and expertise into new monitoring processes of gears and defining new marine protected areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Officially launched on 1 January 2026, SEA4FUTURE has the ambition to catalyse a blue transformation of the Mediterranean seafood sector.

Horizon Europe project, SEA4FUTURE, is dedicated to catalysing a blue transformation of the Mediterranean seafood sector. The project addresses key challenges facing the Mediterranean regions, including environmental degradation, overexploited fish stocks and socio-economic vulnerability of coastal communities. Coordinated by the University of Alicante (Spain), the project brings together 22 partners from eight countries: Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France, Germany, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. Ecologic Institute leads social science research focusing on the integration of fishers’ knowledge and expertise in new sustainable fisheries monitoring processes and implementing a stakeholder engagement strategy to foster social acceptance and support for the sustainable seafood products and practices promoted by the project. Ecologic also coordinates the development of actionable policy recommendations and building capacity for decision-makers, supporting the adoption of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) within the EU and beyond.