Image: World Food Forum
The World Food Forum (WFF) Youth Assembly is calling on young people involved in fisheries and aquaculture to take part in its first virtual youth consultation of the year on 20 May 2025, ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice.
Organized together with the FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, the consultation is set to focus on barriers, opportunities, and strategies for enhancing youth engagement in the governance of aquatic food systems.
According to the organizers, the event marks a key step in a year-long process leading to the 37th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI37) in 2026, and will inform a youth-led outcome statement to be presented during an FAO side event at UNOC titled “From legacy to leadership: Youth-led solutions for ocean sustainability.”
"Fisheries and aquaculture are essential to sustainable agrifood systems, yet, like other agricultural sectors, they face an aging workforce," the WFF notes. "Because of this the views and opinions of young fishers, fish farmers and fish workers are often missing in the global and regional processes that shape the sector's future."
"To strengthen youth involvement, the WFF Youth Assembly has made it a priority to raise awareness and enhance youth participation in decision-making processes related to the sector. As part of this effort, a global Youth Constituency is being formed to elevate youth-led solutions and foster collective action across aquatic food systems," the organisation states.
The event is open to young fishers, fish farmers, fish workers, students, early-career professionals, and youth organizations. Participants are encouraged to review key background materials, including the FAO Blue Transformation Roadmap and the zero draft of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference Declaration, in order to prepare for the discussion.
This initiative is part of the WFF Youth Assembly’s broader mission to raise youth participation in global decision-making and to build a unified Youth Constituency for sustainable and inclusive aquatic food systems.
The event, which will be held in two sessions to enable participation from different time zones, is open for registration on the WFF website.
