In line with the EU Common Fisheries Policy and the revised EU Fisheries Control Regulation, the European Ocean Pact, the Vision for Fisheries and Aquaculture with a 2040 perspective, the strategic guidelines for sustainable and competitive aquaculture, the EU algae initiative, Farm to Fork Strategy, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the Food 2030 policy framework, project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• economic prosperity is fostered in coastal, rural and urban communities through improved business models, value chain integration and market access for small scale producers that can contribute offering attractive jobs;
• consumers benefit from the availability of locally produced, nutritious, and safe aquatic food following high environmental and social standards;
• more resilient and empowered communities at local and regional levels by fostering innovation in aquatic food value chain and addressing challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource management;
• a more competitive and sustainable aquatic food sector by advancing ecosystem-based management practices, digitalization and technological innovation based on the latest scientific research.

Small-scale aquatic food production includes small-scale fisheries, recreational fisheries and aquaculture farms that are classified as SMEs. In 2021, small-scale fisheries contributed to 49% of employment in EU fisheries. Together with other maritime activities, small-scale fisheries play a vital role in local economies, particularly in the Mediterranean, where over half of the sector is concentrated. Recreational fisheries are non-commercial fishing activities exploiting marine biological resources for recreation, tourism or sport. While the marketing or sale of catches from recreational fisheries is prohibited, if properly monitored and managed they can contribute to conservation efforts and support community development. According to the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, the aquaculture sector in the EU consists primarily of small and family-owned enterprises- especially in the case of mollusk farms. However, small-scale actors often face difficulties in developing and adopting innovative technologies.

Selected proposals should advance knowledge and develop tools, including Nature-based Solutions, for managing and further developing small-scale aquatic food production. They should include, where relevant, both aspects of natural science and technical know-how to improve small-scale aquatic food production as well as issues related to social sciences and humanities (SSH) disciplines, to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related innovation activities. In the frame of SSH, cultural elements such as local traditions related to aquatic food production and consumption could be included. The scope of the topic includes fisheries and aquaculture activities taking place in fresh, brackish and marine waters, such as small-scale fisheries, small-scale mollusk, seaweed and fish farms, recreational fisheries, urban aquaculture and aquaponics.

Selected proposals should develop innovative methodologies to assess environmental and socio-economic contributions of relevant small-scale actors to the prosperity of local communities within the broader aquatic food system, taking into account a gender sensitive approach and the specific needs of groups in vulnerable situations. This could, for example, include diverse data sources (e.g. citizen science, social media) and advance data processing, validation, and interoperability solutions using for example AI, machine learning, and big data analytics to provide actionable insights.

The effects of climate change on small-scale aquatic food production should be addressed as well as the potential contribution of small-scale aquatic food production to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Additionally, the potential for environmental services provision and of improvements of ecological footprint should be explored. Aquatic animal welfare issues should be considered, where relevant.

Selected proposals should include from their design throughout their development and implementation relevant stakeholders and end-users and produce outputs that can be readily applicable by them. Special attention should be given to knowledge transfer, training, and capacity-building activities to ensure the practical implementation of research findings and innovations by small-scale actors and policymakers.