FLAG Factsheet
The fisheries area “Nordfriesland Nord” is located on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, just under 20 km from the Danish border. It is a rural region with a strong tourism sector. In the immediate vicinity of the FLAG lie the North Frisian Islands of Sylt, Föhr and Amrum and the numerous Hallig islands (tidal islands). The North Sea in this area is part of the German Wadden Sea National Park of Schleswig-Holstein which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The fisheries area includes the municipalities of Dagebüll and Ockholm with their respective ports Dagebüll and Schlüttsiel. The port activities of both municipalities date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. The municipalities are very small and the FLAG covers only 55 km².
Today the mussel and crabs fishing plays only a lesser role and all mussel catches are transported to the Netherlands and marketed there. There is no fishing anymore. The port of Dagebüll is used almost exclusively by shellfish producers for logistical purposes.
Thoughts of sustainability and a balanced approach to the numerous tourists in the protected Wadden Sea are challenges of the future. In this context, regional direct marketing of fishery products is also becoming more important.
The FLAG is is part of the the German Wadden Sea National Park of Schleswig-Holstein.
The FLAG strategy combines several goals, focusing on three core themes. FLAG-funded projects must be allocated to one of these core themes.
Fishing in the area should be maintained or re-established. Particular attention is paid to the area of the mussel fishing.
The knowledge of fishing history is to be recorded and passed on to preserve historical heritage. This will include the production of information material on the history of fishing and coastal culture, as well as the establishment of tourist and cultural products and activities in this area.
The direct marketing of fishery products in the area is to be expanded through measures such as on-site processing, networking and information, cooperation between fishermen and the gastronomy sector, or consumer behaviour through targeted information. The focus will be on the tourism area.
The co-financing of the projects is carried out by the municipalities of Dagebüll and Ockholm. The state of Schleswig-Holstein assumes the running costs of the branch office (regional management).
There are no fixed dates for submitting project applications. The decision-making body, the Fish Working Group, meets twice a year or when necessary.
The FLAG has knowledge and expertise to share on adaptation to nature conservation regulations for fishing (Nationalpark Wattenmeer).
The FLAG is interested in increasing the direct marketing of crabs and a targeted awareness of the needs and products of fisheries. To this end, it hopes to launch a joint strategy for the marketing of fishery products among the other Schleswig-Holstein FLAGs, in particular those on the west coast (North Sea), for instance on joint studies.
There is no separate budget for this cooperation.
The FLAG “Nordfriesland Nord” is part of the “LAG AktivRegion” Nordfriesland Nord, a term commonly used in Schleswig-Holstein for regions supported by LEADER. The region thus receives funding from both EAFRD and EMFF. The FLAG area covers a very small part (6%) of the 900 km² of the LAG territory.
The decision-making body of FLAG is run as a working group within the LAG; the chair is also a member of the Extended Board of the LAG.
A single team of two people shares the LAG-FLAG work.
The development of the strategy for the fisheries sector was accompanied by the development of the “Integrated Development Strategy” (IES) for the LAG. The FLAG strategy, however, is a separate document covering only the areas of importance for fisheries in the region.
Members of the decision-making body come from different backgrounds:
The “Land Office for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Areas” – Fisheries Department – acts as a consultant.