Finland

The 10 Finnish FLAGs focus on boosting and optimising activities throughout the entire value chain; promoting innovation across sectoral boundaries, creating new ways of thinking and doing business, while also ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources; and encouraging cooperation.

FLAG'en Ostrobothnia støttede et projekt, der gik ud på at få lokalbefolkningen og migranter til at udarbejde opskrifter på mad med fiskearter, der hidtil ikke har været anvendt i særligt omfang. Det medførte, at forbruget af de knap så værdsatte fisk steg, og at det kulturelle samarbejde og integrationen af migranterne blev forbedret.

A Finnish FLAG supported a research project to create a business model based on indoor aquaponic farming. This innovative concept reduces water use by 85% and produces both fish and vegetables with near zero-waste discharge.

The Lapland FLAG has financed a fisheries recruitment and training project to rejuvenate the ageing fisheries sector in the area around the Lokka and Porttipahta reservoirs. As a result, 14 young fishers of both genders started to operate.

The East Finland FLAG has supported the creation of a mobile app for Finnish inland fishers to register their catches. Developed by a University of Applied Sciences and introduced in May 2020, the tool will enhance catch-data collection and traceability along the fisheries value chain.

A large-scale cooperation project between Baltic FLAGs has increased knowledge on the impact the growing seal and cormorant populations are having on small-scale coastal fisheries in the region. Through this cooperation project, FLAGs have developed solutions for achieving the balanced management of marine resources.

With their “Thanks to the Fisherman” campaign, one of Finland’s biggest fish processors, aims to raise approximately €100 000 for the FLAGs to support their local fishermen

Bothnian Sea and Lake Pyhajarvi FLAG is looking for other European FLAGs interested in sharing experience in using other types of  gear, which can respond to the dual challenges that seals and diminishing ice cover represent.  Experiences in the use of lampara nets and/or purse seines in coastal, and more specifically, shallow waters, under 20 metres in depth (mostly 5-12 metres) are of particular interest.

Local fishermen in Lapland, northern Finland, create a mincing facility to process unwanted by-catch into new marketable products such as fish fingers.

A Finnish fisherman has taken up the Japanese method of ageing fish known as “umami”, attracting Michelin star chefs.