FARNET
Fisheries Areas Network
FLAG Factsheet
Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea. The Menorca FLAG consists of eight municipalities which are Mahón, Ciutadella, Alayor, Es Mercadal, Ferreries, Es Castell, San Luis and Es Migjorn Gran. Tourism stands out as the main sector in the area accounting for 80% of the islands economic activity. Other industries include jewellery and traditional footwear.
The professional fishing industry includes six trawlers and around forty-five vessels which predominantly used longline methods. Common catches include hake, mackerel, sardines and squid. There is also a community dedicated to aquaculture and shellfishing producing mussels and clams.
Challenges to the FLAG area include the dilution of the island’s maritime cultural heritage due to increases in tourism. Other challenges include a lack of training opportunities and diversification within the island’s fisheries communities. Central to the FLAG’s strategy is the sustainable growth of tourism in the region.
470km2 (65%) of the FLAG’s territory is protected including the S’Albufera des Grau Nature Park.
The FLAG’s strategy is focused on the following key objectives:
Enhancing and protecting the island’s maritime and cultural heritage.
Regional
Projects ideas for the FLAG include the following:
Projects focused on enhancing and promoting the area’s cultural heritage and traditions.
Calls for projects are made twice a year and are published on the FLAG website:
The Menorca FLAG is linked to the area’s LEADER LAG, they share a common territory and their general assembly is made up of both FLAG and LAG members. Despite sharing a legal structure, both the FLAG and LEADER LAG have separate local development strategy.
FLAG members include the town halls of the local municipalities (Mahón, Ciutadella, Alayor, Es Mercadal, Ferreries, Es Castell, San Luis, and Es Migjorn Gran), the fishing organisations (‘cofradías’) of Mahón, Ciutadella and Fornell; various cultural and tourism-related associations; the Balearic Association for Aquaculture and shellfishing; the Spanish Oceanographic Institute and several associations for the conservation of the marine cultural heritage.
