Society and culture

The FLAG is located on the Baltic coast of Schleswig-Holstein. It covers the eastern part of the Wagrien peninsula and Fehmarn, the third biggest island in Germany. Fehmarn is linked to the mainland by the Fehmarnsund bridge and has the most used ferry connection for both the Germans and Danes to the nearby port of Rødby on the island of Falster in Denmark, lying on the Hamburg-Copenhagen axis.

The Gribskov FLAG area is situated in the north of the island of Sealand. It includes the city of Gilleleje, a lively commercial centre, which is home to the region’s largest fishing port and only fish auction. The city is also an important visitor destination, with tourism and fishing being the main economic sectors in the FLAG area. Except for herring, all the fish landed in the area is exported and not processed locally.

--ARCHIVED as of 31 January 2020-- North East Scotland FLAG (NESFLAG) covers the fisheries communities of the Banffshire, Aberdeenshire, Kincardineshire and Angus coastlines. Within this area are two major fishing ports (Peterhead and Fraserburgh) and a number of smaller centres with a significant fishing industry, as well as several small villages with fishing heritage.

The Jūrkante FLAG is situated in the northern part of Latvia and stretches for about 61 km along the Gulf of Riga coast, from Skulte to Ainaži. The FLAG covers two towns (Ainaži, Salacgrīva) and two municipalities made up of six parishes (Ainaži, Salacgrīva, Liepupe, Pāle, Skulte and Viļķene).

The FLAG area is located in the metropolitan area of Riga, the capital of Latvia. It includes two municipalities, Carnikava and Saulkrasti. The area has a 35 km coastline along the Gulf of Riga and is renowned for its rich biodiversity and the landscape of the “Piejūra” Nature Park. This combination of elements provides considerable potential for the development of tourism and other related businesses.

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).

The Northern Kurzeme FLAG is located in northwest Latvia. The area is bordered by a 144 km stretch of the Baltic coast, from the parish of Jurkalne to the Cape of Kolka, and 12 km of the coastline around the Gulf of Riga. It includes Ventspils, one of the nine development centres of national significance in Latvia. There are two important fishing ports – Roja and Ventspils.

The Liepaja FLAG area is located in the south-western part of Latvia, bordering with Lithuania. The FLAG area stretches for 111.28 km along the Baltic coast and includes the municipalities of Ventspils, Saldus and Kuldiga districts. Five percent of the area is covered by waterways, which include the rivers Bārta and Durbe, and the Liepāja, Pape, Tosmare and Durbe lakes. Forestry accounts for a further 41% of the FLAG area.

Fishing is an important and profitable activity in the FLAG area, especially along the main section of the Kymijoki River. Fish farming is also an important economic activity, with a strong tradition in the area. The existence of local centres of population, as well as the proximity of the Helsinki metropolitan region, guarantees a consistent demand for fish products.

Lapland is the northernmost part of the EU. During long winters (usually six months) the lakes are covered with a 60-80 cm thick layer of ice. The population density is very low, and the number of inhabitants is declining in most areas. The unemployment rates are high, between 13-18%. Tourism is flourishing, however, providing a growing market for local products.