FLAG Factsheet
The Golfo Ártabro Norte FLAG is situated in the northeast of Galicia. It includes ten municipalities located north of the (“Golfo”) Ártabro Bay, more specifically those around the rias of Betanzos, Ares and Ferrol.
At the heart of the territory, the cities of Ferrol and Narón, form one agglomeration and concentrate the main economic activities of the area. Ferrol harbour has a long naval tradition. The surrounding area and coastline is dotted with dispersed small villages that represent a high environmental and cultural value.
The territory has 10 landing points with basic facilities used daily by around 250 small-scale traditional fishing boats. Most products go straight to nearby big auctions located out of the region such as La Coruña and Cedeira. In addition, shell fish gatherers are working in the tidal area of the beaches. Once collected, different purifying service providers in the area buy the products and sell them on. A large amount of the local seafood is directly exported outside the region without any locally added value. In addition, other economic activities such as shipyards affect natural resources (water quality, fish stocks) negatively which in turn leads to decreasing volumes of production. Fishermen and shell fish gatherers therefore need to find alternative sources of income either by diversifying their activities or by adding value to their products.
Both municipalities of Miño and Paderne are included in the natural reserva of “Biosfera Mariñas Coruñesas and Terras do Mandeo”.
The Sites of Community Importance (SCI) Betanzos – Mandeo, Costa Ártabra, Fragas do Eume and Río Xubia – Castro are part of the FLAG’s area.
The main objective is to capitalise on the marine, cultural and touristic assets of the area. Primarily, the FLAG looks for projects that introduce new methods and/or technics to add value to the fisheries products.
Next to that, by supporting cross-sectoral projects, businesses and organisations will get to know each other and start to cooperate. Therefore, priority will be given to different training and network programmes that support cross sectoral entrepreneurship and that, consequently, generate alternative activities for the fisheries sector such as tourism.
The overall aim of the strategy is to increase the quality of life of its coastal habitants.
Regional
Every year there will be a call for project proposals with a deadline on the 1st of March. If the budget of this call is not exhausted, a second call will be organised, with a deadline on the 1st of September (except in 2020, when there will be no second call, to ensure the programme is closed on time).
Calls are published here.
The FLAG is a partner in the cooperation project, "Mar Galaica 2016/2017" which involves six Galician FLAGs in jointly promoting maritime tourism in the region.
The FLAG territory overlaps with the two Leader LAGs. Paderne is part of the LAG Mariñas – Betanzos and the other nine municipalities belong to LAG Seitura 22.
The FLAG acts as an independent body but FLAG and LEADER LAGs share board members from the municipalities of Paderne, Ferrol, Ares and Miño. There is no common strategy since the LAGs have started-up later.
The FLAG has 34 members[1]:
Six fishermen's associations (cofradías);
Ten municipalities;
Eighteen associations (seven sociocultural, nine sports and two touristic business associations)
[1] This information is independent of the consultation of environmental actors during the elaboration of the local development strategy.