Society and culture

To promote the local shellfish activity and its products, a FLAG redevelops an area overlooking the bay where its cockle pickers work and installs a shallow outdoor pool for kids, heated with excess hot water from the nearby leisure centre.

The FLAG territory is in the south-east planning region of Bulgaria. The region has a strong fisheries tradition, though fisheries jobs only account for approximately 1% of the area’s total employment. However, many local fishers also engage in other occupations and activities such as tourism and services.

The FLAG territory includes 45km of the Black Sea coast in Varna Province, equating to approximately 13% of the Bulgarian Black Sea coastline. The leading industries in the area are tourism and agriculture. Fisheries in the region are small-scale and important in the local population – roughly 5% of the economically active population are engaged in fisheries.

The FLAG territory has two geographically distinct areas, the coastal region to the east and the Dobrudzha plateau to the west. Fishing in the coastal areas, on the Black Sea, is traditional activity and important to the livelihood of many local communities. Fisheries are predominantly small-scale, accounting for approximately 90% of the sectors total employment.

FLAG cooperation in Finland’s EMFF programme is considered to be a way of bringing new ideas and innovations to the country in order to address some specific challenges. In particular, cooperation is sought to increase the profitability of small-scale coastal fisheries and make the sector attractive as a career for young people, as well as combatting the issues posed by seals and cormorants in fishing communities. However, cooperation is not limited and other ideas and networking can be developed among the FLAGs.

Cooperation in Estonia will focus on three main areas: joint marketing, knowledge transfer and promotion of fisheries and maritime activities.

A coastal fisherman in Western Estonia has redeveloped his fish shop, allowing fresh fish to be processed locally for the first time, while also creating jobs.

The fishing organisation of Bustio has become the first in Spain to become self-sufficient in renewable energy for its on land operations. By making an environmental commitment to reduce carbon emissions, it is saving around €10 000 a year on electricity.

Puise has become a thriving coastal fishing port in Läänemaa after a regeneration project supported by the local FLAG.

This study forms an understanding of the representation of women working in FLAG areas and assesses the level and types of support FLAGs provide to these women. The findings add to the wider understanding of the number and roles of women working in the fisheries and aquaculture industry and analyses how FLAG support to women varies and is implemented. FLAG support to women is defined as (1) a project with a female project promotor, when the project is privately invested and/or (2) other FLAG activities where the primary objective is the support of the women in the FLAG area.