Small-scale fisheries (SSF) are not just a ‘productive sector’ important for local coastal economies; they are complex socio-ecological systems linking marine biodiversity, from species to ecosystems, with traditional knowledge, cultural heritage, and food supply systems involving diverse actors and infrastructures. We present an integrated framework developed across two complementary projects, BE-NATURAL and CORE. Aimed at redefining and strengthening SSF from a socio-ecological and blue-economy perspective, these projects investigate the role of SSF as sentinels of socio-ecological change and drivers of sustainable transitions across seven Marine Protected Areas (sensu latu) and two urban harbour contexts in the north-western Mediterranean.

The framework combines three interlinked components: i) collaborative monitoring with fishers to characterise catches and fishing practices through ecological and socio-economic descriptors; ii) translation of the collaborative approach into initiatives fostering Ocean Literacy, Marine Citizenship, Generational Turnover of SSF operators and stakeholder engagement, targeting schools along educational pathways, citizens, consumers, clients, restaurant owners and chefs, and tourism operators; iii) implementation of pilot initiatives, ranging from direct sales and seafood valorisation through high-quality catering and processing to fishery-based tourism, hospitality, and fisher-led environmental monitoring, to test pathways to increase SSF resilience and competitiveness while potentially reducing pressure on marine ecosystems.

Expected outcomes of integrating the two projects include best practices and harmonised monitoring protocols for SSF management and public engagement, together with a shared, transferable toolkit to support the diversification of SSF activities towards tourism and high-quality yet equitably accessible catering. This approach highlights that conservation and sustainable use of marine resources require not only bio-ecological data, but also socio-cultural and governance transformations able to reconnect coastal communities with the sea, including at an emotional level, thereby improving the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of SSF and promoting Seafood Literacy.