Background The goal of the project is to define the research required in the medium term (here taken as 10 years), to permit exploitation and farming of aquatic resources set against the context of key challenges and risks for meeting sustainability requirements. The main output of the exercise will be a publication outlining key challenges, strategic options and the research needs of capture fisheries and aquaculture in European waters and in waters in which European fleets operate under bilateral or multilateral agreements. The project is expected to contribute to the development and subsequent implementation of a European Maritime Policy and to further strengthen the European marine research area through anticipation of research needs in the field of fisheries and aquaculture. Research Methodology Basically, the methodology consists of three steps: (i) describe the system, (ii) detect the driving forces in the system and, (iii) by constructing hypotheses about the driving forces, sketch potential scenarios for the future. These different scenarios will provide the basis for the identification of issues, from an economical, ecological, societal and managerial (governance) perspective, which may need attention or be the key challenges in future. Based on the analysis, some of the key future needs for research in capture fisheries and aquaculture will be identified. Contributions FEUFAR will seek the opinions of appropriate stakeholders, and the analysis will consider the possible implications of gradual or catastrophic climate change, new technologies, changes in societal values and organizational structures, globalization of markets for fish and other marine products, food security and health, and changes in management practices or fishing techniques. Stakeholder participation and dissemination of results is fully integrated into the project. An expert committee consisting of representatives of the research and funding communities will assist in providing feedback into the analysis, and stakeholder groups will be invited to formal brainstorming activities during the course of the project. One forum will set up a stakeholder network of epresentatives of research, industry and management areas at a regional, European and international scale. A second will take the form of an expert workshop, including a broad selection of representatives of) research and advisory organizations across Europe. The wider audience (including Regional Advisory Council representatives, and hence representing production, processing, societal, and environmental interests) will be invited and/or consulted in order to present draft findings and to generate educated feedback.
