Business support

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.

The Bothnian Sea coastline and Lake Pyhäjärvi have a lengthy tradition in the fisheries sector where the main catches include vendace and signal crayfish. About half of Finland´s Baltic herring catch is landed on the harbours along this particular part of the coast. Whitefish, salmon and other fresh water species are similarly important to the area. The processing industry is also highly active here. An additional positive development in recent years has been the growth in pesca-tourism.

The North Sardinia FLAG wishes to cooperate with FLAGs concerned with new start-up models led by young people, fishermen’s relatives or young people leaving secondary schools who want to create self-employment opportunities.

With local unemployment standing at over 34% and an isolated and struggling fishing sector, Cádiz Estrecho FLAG has invested in promoting its fishing heritage – and in particular its traditional “almadraba” tuna fishing activity, which dates back to Phoenicians times – as a unique selling point to attract quality tourism beyond the peak season.

This project by the Vianapesca Producer Organisation (PO) focused on adding value to local fisheries products through processing and a marketing campaign. Faced with the problem of low prices, the Vianapesca PO needed to find a way to enhance the value of low priced fish such as mackerel and sardine. It therefore approached the FLAG with the idea of designing a project on adding value.

FiskOnline has established a pathway for local fishermen to gain certification for the sustainability for their fishing activities.

In Chalastra, Greece, the local Thessaloniki FLAG helped two budding entrepreneurs establish a successful seafood conditioning and processing business, specialising in live blue crab.

Axis 4 financial support helped a fisherman on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa to diversify his activities outside of the fishing season into the production of fishing gear and multi-purpose nets. As well as creating a part-time job for this fisherman, it has also created four full-time jobs for local women.

This page leads to all the project examples published during the 2007-2013 programming period.