FLAG Factsheet
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.
Fisheries are concentrated in Le Grau du Roi harbour, the main trawler fishing port in the Mediterranean with 2 900 tonnes of fish sold each year and 60% of its production exported. The area is also a touristic hotspot and its population can be multiplied by ten during peak summer season.
One of the main challenges of the area and its fisheries community is the loss of the Grau du Roi’s fishing competitiveness and identity. Support is needed for the fishing community – both to promote the sector and its products, safeguard fisheries resources and diversify the sector’s economic activities. Ensuring employment in fisheries is competitive with other sectors and attractive to the younger generations is also a key challenge. In addition, the creation of stronger and mutually beneficial links between the fisheries and tourism sectors is considered important in order to address the growing competition with the tourism sector.
One Natura 2000 site and four protected wetland areas (ponds, swamps and sand dunes).
The FLAG’s main aims are as follows:
National, regional and provincial
LEADER LAG: €2.4 million for entrepreneurship, tourism, employability, living environment and heritage.
ERDF: €1.1 million for biodiversity and energy efficiency
Potential beneficiaries can submit projects at any time of the year. The FLAG has defined two deadlines a year (June and November), each with a specific strategic focus.
The FLAG is interested in cooperation around setting up fish markets and seaside and fisheries tourism as well as mitigation/prevention actions against harbour pollution.
Vidourle Camargue FLAG’s structure is shared with Vidourle Camargue Leader LAG and three Integrated Territorial Investment programs (2 urban ITIs and 1 “territorial” ITI). The three funding programmes cover the same area. FLAG and LAG strategies are coordinated as far as possible.