Environment

The FLAG is situated next to the capital city of Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel in the north of Germany and borders the Baltic sea to the west of this city. As a brack water sea, the Baltic offers only a relatively small number of fish species.

The FLAG West area comprises the coastal zones of counties Galway and Clare and has a considerable seafood industry, with over 450 registered boats, and over 350 fishermen. Targeted species include lobster, crab, crayfish, shrimp, scallops and oysters.

Unusually for Ireland, the FLAG area has a relatively strong urban structure with 22 settlements falling into the aggregate urban area category of over 1,500 inhabitants (14 of which are at close proximity to the coast).

The area has an excellent climate, is rich in natural resources and landscapes, and has a rare flora and fauna. The fisheries sector in the area is considered particularly important because it creates jobs and offers healthy products to the people.

Kerry is one of the most sparsely populated counties in Ireland with the most rural and peripheral areas in the county experiencing declining populations over the last 20 years. This is especially true of the coastal regions.

The Danube Delta FLAG area comprises 25 administrative units and covers two contrasting geographical zones: the wetland of the Danube delta and the continental zone. The most valuable opportunities in the FLAG area include its significant tourist potential due to its traditional gastronomy and an impressive variety of beautiful natural and cultural landscapes.

The FLAG area consists of a combination of mountainous and coastal landscapes. It possesses Greece’s largest lagoon (the Messolonghi lagoon). Most of the fishing activity is small-scale and traditional and takes place in the Messolonghi lagoon.

The FLAG area lies in Eastern Macedonia, near the Turkish border. It can be characterised economically by the development of tourism, especially on the island of Samothraki.

The FLAG is situated in the South-Eastern part of Poland, on the border between the Podkarpackie and Lubelskie regions. There is a long tradition of fish farming in the area and it remains important to the local economy.

The area covers seven municipalities north of the city of Warsaw, and is unique in the Mazovia region in that 8% of its surface is covered by water. This is due in part to the meeting of three large rivers: the Vistula, the Narew and the Bug.