SEA4FUTURE is helping drive the transition towards more sustainable, resilient and ecosystem-based fisheries in the Mediterranean. By combining scientific research, innovative technologies and the knowledge of fishers and coastal communities, the project develops practical solutions that support both marine biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods.
SEA4FUTURE
Supporting more sustainable, resilient and ecosystem-based fisheries in the Mediterranean
- Project website: https://sea4future.eu/
- Programme: Horizon Europe
- Duration: January 2026 – December 2029 (48 months)
- EU funding: €7,999,200.26
The project
SEA4FUTURE is a four-year Horizon Europe project that brings together 22 partners from across Europe with expertise in marine science, fisheries, technology, policy and community engagement. The project develops practical, science-based solutions to support more sustainable, resilient and ecosystem-based fisheries across the Mediterranean, where marine ecosystems face growing pressures from overfishing, climate change, habitat degradation, pollution and increasing socio-economic challenges.
These pressures threaten marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. To address these challenges, SEA4FUTURE combines ecosystem monitoring, citizen science, advanced modelling and technological innovation with the knowledge and experience of fishers and coastal communities to develop solutions adapted to real-world conditions and support evidence-based decision-making.
Objectives
SEA4FUTURE focuses on three interconnected objectives:
- Understanding marine ecosystems by improving data collection, monitoring fisheries and environmental conditions, and strengthening knowledge of marine health and human impacts.
- Developing smarter fishing solutions by testing innovative technologies and practices that improve fishing selectivity, reduce bycatch and minimise environmental impacts.
- Turning knowledge into action by translating scientific evidence into practical tools, recommendations and decision-support systems for fishers, managers and policymakers.
Use cases
SEA4FUTURE develops and validates its solutions across seven regional use cases located in the Mediterranean Sea and the Northeast Atlantic. Together, these areas represent a wide range of marine ecosystems, fisheries, environmental challenges and management contexts.
Testing the project’s approaches in different regions allows partners to co-design and evaluate solutions under real-world conditions, ensuring they can be adapted to the specific characteristics and needs of different fisheries before being transferred more widely.
Our work
SUBMON contributes to SEA4FUTURE through its expertise in marine conservation and bycatch mitigation. Our main contribution is within Work Package 5 (WP5), which focuses on the development of collaborative best practices, indicators and decision-support tools to promote more sustainable fisheries.
Within this work package, we are developing best handling and release practices for vulnerable species incidentally captured by fisheries across the Mediterranean and Portugal, including sea turtles, seabirds and elasmobranchs. The aim is to reduce post-release mortality and improve the chances of survival of animals after they are returned to the sea.
These recommendations will be tailored to different fisheries and fishing gears, taking into account their operational characteristics and the specific challenges they face. To ensure that they are practical and applicable, they will be developed in collaboration with fisheries experts and adapted to the specific characteristics of different fisheries and regions.
To support their implementation, the recommendations will be translated into practical training materials and capacity-building activities, helping fishers and other fisheries professionals apply best handling and release practices more effectively.
In addition, SUBMON contributes to the project’s communication activities through Work Package 8 (WP8), helping to communicate the project’s objectives, activities and results to different audiences.
