FARNET
Fisheries Areas Network
FLAG Factsheet
The FLAG area is part of Evia Island, Greece’s second largest island in terms of size and population after Crete, and located in the centre of Greece. The area is within a few hours drive of both the Athens metropolitan area and the Chalkis Urban concentration.
There are two main types of fisheries in the area: small-scale coastal fishing (with a total fleet of 396 fishing boats less than 12m in length with a total capacity of 1 900 tonnes covering mostly domestic demand) and fish farming which consists of 13 units covering a total area of 348 acres which have combined total annual output of 5 548.6tn. This sector caters mostly to foreign demand.
The main challenges for the area include sustainable development, increasing competitiveness and openness, job creation and improving the quality of life.
Five protected Natura 200 areas here cover 483.72 km/2 (or 28.12% of the EMFF area).
The main objectives of the FLAG strategy are:
Diversification of the income of fishermen through the development of complementary activities (e.g. angling tourism and fisheries restaurants)
Environmental services related to fishing and educational activities concerning fishing
Investments in the processing that lead to new or improved products, processes and organisation and management systems. In the process, it is hoped to contribute to energy saving or reducing environmental impacts whilst also improving safety, hygiene, health and working conditions.
The FLAG also aims to improve social wellbeing and cultural heritage.
National
The approved multi-funding CLLD programme has a total public budget of €8 700 000 (€6 150 000 from the EAFRD and €2 550 000 from the EMFF).
Project ideas include:
The FLAG currently participates in a cooperation project called “Maritime environment- Coastal Threats and Fishery” with 20 other FLAGs. The main cooperation project actions include: recording human activities in the marine environment and the influence they have on sustainability and proposing actions in order to prevent the main threats to the marine environments.
The FLAG’s main interests for cooperation are: marine environment sustainability and promoting innovation along the fisheries supply chain.
The FLAG also functions as a LEADER LAG and the two areas of intervention overlap. The LAG and the FLAG share the same legal structure as well as a broad strategy for the development of the surrounding area under their surveillance. The organisation is multi-funded, receiving funding both from the EMFF and the EAFRD
The membership of the association includes the municipalities of Chalkis, Kimi-Aliveri, Karystos, Dirfis-Messapia, Mantoudi-Limni-Agia Anna, Skyros and Istiaia-Aidipsos and the prefectural authority of Sterea Ellada as well as the union of agricultural cooperatives of Evia and the Evia labour union.
There are two fishermen’s associations on the development agencies decision-making board.
