France

Winner of the "France is committed to the South" initiative (la France s’engage au Sud), CRAMS is conducting research with the support of the Senegalese authorities, carrying out experiments in open sea oyster farming and refining in Senegal's only marine protected area.

Having declined from 1000 oyster farms in 1970 to just 300 in 2015, the Bassin d´Arcachon FLAG area has seen the number of oyster farmers stabilize, thanks, in part, to work with 13 different schools to take pupils out on oyster boats to see what it means to be an oyster farmer.

In this 2017 edition: support to small scale coastal fisheries, the challenge of generational renewal, FLAGs, local innovation and risk taking, cooperation takes off in CLLD fisheries areas, reports from Spain, Sweden and Germany

With a population increase of over 20% between 1999 and today, the area’s strong demographic dynamics concern both the coast and the hinterland and impact its entire economy. The maritime identity of the area is strong and sustains many economic sectors: port activities, tourism, sailing, fishing, marine aquaculture, etc.

Further information to follow.

This Mediterranean, coastal area’s eco-system blends marine and brackish water environments, with a series of lakes connected to the sea such as the Thau lagoon. This has brought together many different economic actors relying on rural, maritime and terrestrial activities (large and small-scale fishing, shellfish farming, sailing, tourism, hydrotherapy, wine growing, etc.).

The FLAG area stretches from the eastern part of Marseille to Port Grimaud in Saint Tropez. The area covers both densely populated urban centres as well as a number of exceptional natural spaces, including two National Parks, which may explain the area’s strong tourist attraction (second tourist region of France).

The FLAG covers a large rural area characterized by the garrigue, a scrubland eco-region characteristic of the Mediterranean, and a coastal strip of 20 km known as the Camargue, shaped by the Rhone river delta.

Despite having very dense urban centre, the Esterel Côte d’Azur FLAG teritory also has many natural areas and a rich fisheries heritage. The coastline is dynamic and heavily influenced by tourism with sailing, yachting, diving, and fishing (both professional and sport) being prominent activities.

The coastal area of the Mediterranean Pyrenees is defined by the presence of and connections between the land and sea, resulting in a remarkable geological, environmental and economic landscape. The area boasts strong tourist attractiveness, cultural and gastronomical traditions, and unique environmental assets which are monitored closely by local and national scientific research institutions.