Profile

In 2023 a proprietary job profile and education program in small scale coastal fishery (aka artisanal) artisanal fishery has been piloted by fishery cooperative Wismar Bay e.G. located at the Baltic Sea in Northeast Germany (federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) in close cooperation with scientists. The initial concept was published in late 2023. Besides the ecological and economical challenges of coastal fisheries today, the core task of this entirely new approach is to preserve marine habitats and motivating a new generation of fishermen to carry on with the Baltic Sea fisheries´ tradition. It´s high time to preserve and develop our heritage such as skills at sea, on land and in our communities transmitting the knowledge of generations in terms of ecosystem relevance, craftsmanship, resilience and cultural identity. Facing multiple challenges of climate change and transformation, a new eco system-based mindset in fishery is mandatory. Sadd to say: families in fishery are belonging to a vulnerable group nowadays. Ten experienced professionals graduated in an entirely new training program funded by the federal- state by June 26th 2024. The fisherman themselves founded Sea Ranger e.V. as a professional representation covering all aspects of marine services related to marine habitats, artisanal fisheries, society and coastal communities. At the same time, four cooperatives representing all professional fishermen at the Northeast Coast, applied for UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage status in 2025 for Regional Traditional Small scale coastal fishery on the Baltic coast and in the Bodden (german: regional Laggoon-) waters of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.