FARNET
Fisheries Areas Network
FLAG Factsheet
The Alba FLAG is situated in the region of Istria in the western part of Croatia and in the northeastern part of the Adriatic Sea. The area has a longstanding tradition of fisheries and aquaculture, industries which contribute significantly to the local economy. Other economic activities in the FLAG’s territory include tourism, construction and agriculture. The FLAG has many natural resources including the Adriatic Sea and coastline, which comprises many clean beaches, and the Raša and Plomin valleys.
The area has three registered fishing ports, Plomin and Rabac for ships bigger than 15m and Trget for ships less than 15m). There are eight registered trawler vessels in the area and 67 authorised commercial fishers. The eastern part of Istria is suitable for the development of mariculture, especially the Raša valley, where there are 11 permits for mussel and oyster farming. There is also one processing company which processes anchovy and pilchard supplied by local fishing vessels.
Challenges for the FLAG include adding value to locally caught fish, diversification into non-fishing activities such as tourism, the modernization of marketplaces and infrastructures and reducing and preventing sea and beach pollution. Engaging young people in fishing is an ongoing challenge, as is maintaining the fishing heritage and culture of the area.
17% of the FLAGs territory is a Natura 2000 area. Sites of Community Importance for European union (SCI) includes 8% of the total area of FLAG „Alba” and they are: Učka Nature Park, Boljun’s Field, cola-mine of Raša (IUR), Ubaš peninsula, Raša valley, Pazin area, Istria- Čepić field, Čepić tunel, Plomin- Mošćenička Draga, River Raša flow, Uvala Remac, offshore near Rabac, Škvaranska Bay- Bay Sv.Martin. Special protection areas (SPA) includes an area of 51km2 (9% area of FLAG “Alba”) and it is known as Učka i Ćićarija.
The Flag strategy will finance projects that are important for fishing sector and mariculture. Operations financed will contribute to:
National
FLAG projects and examples include:
There will be periodic calls for projects and the full timetable will be available on the FLAG Alba website.
The FLAG has experience in implementing environmental projects, preparing and implementing projects funded from different EU sources. The FLAG is interested in cooperation in any geographic area, inter-territorial and transnational. It would like to visit other FLAGs that have projects or are working on projects in the fields of pesca-tourism, gastronomy, promotion and awareness raising, aquaculture, cultural heritage, infrastructure, youth, short circuits, processing and business support.
FLAG Alba coordinates formal and informal with LAG “Istočna Istra”. They don’t have the same organization structure, but they are overlapping in the territory which includes the same city and local authorities. For that reason, some board members are the same in FLAG and LAG. In addition, the manager of FLAG and LAG is the same person. FLAG “Alba” and LAG “Istočna Istra” for the 2014-2020 programming period have a separate strategy and different procedures of implementation.
FLAG members are from the local authority (5), the economic sector (22) and civil sectors (7). Board of directories has 11 members, two from local authority, five from the economic sector and three from the civil sector.