FARNET
Fisheries Areas Network
FLAG Factsheet
The FLAG is situated in the central part of Latvia close to the capital city – Riga. It covers around 75 km of the coastline along the Gulf of Riga. The area has notable inland water sources like the Engure, Kaņieris, Sloka and Valgums lakes. The coastal area has a well-developed fish processing (14 enterprises that employ around 800 people) and tourism sectors (66 enterprises that count for over 200 jobs). Agriculture is also playing a key role in the local economy. The unemployment rate of the area is at 4,4% which is below that of the neighboring regions.
The main challenge in the FLAG area is the population decrease which is accompanied by a reduction of the provision of public services. The lack of well-equipped recreational areas along the coast of the Gulf of Riga also reduces the attractiveness of the area for tourists and residents alike. As the FLAG area is partly covered by Ķemeri National Park and several other protected areas, protecting biodiversity and cultural heritage are other important challenges in the area.
The main protected areas are the Ķemeri National Park (NATURA 2000) and the Engure Lake.
The FLAG strategy focuses on the following main objectives:
Strengthening the role of fisheries communities in local development is an horizontal objective included in the above ones.
National
EAFRD – €696 200 including national co-financing of 68%.
The first call for projects was launched in 2016 (closed on 2 May 2016).
The calls for projects are launched separately for each strand of the strategy once a year and twice a year specifically for business development projects.
The FLAG is interested in cooperation projects focused on the following themes:
No budget has been defined for cooperation.
The FLAG board (decision-making body) consists of nine members, but all 33 members of the FLAG are actively involved.
The FLAG board consists of three representatives of the public sector (municipalities) and six representatives of the private/NGO sector.
The private sector is represented by three fishermen, one rural business and one NGO representative. The NGO representative is also in charge of the youth and women interest’s association.
