Business support

Situated on the Black Sea, the FLAG area is characterised by a series of reliefs and cliffs. Inland the region includes a network of lakes and the territory is crossed by a significant number of rivers, including the Casimcea with a length of 50km and a river basin of 740km2. In the FLAG area also includes the long Poarta Alba - Midia Năvodari channel which connects the Midia Maritime Luminita Por

A social joint venture between the Red Cross and a local fish auction helps the unemployed into work while securing a place to process undervalued local seafood.

Through a series of inter-connected activities and innovative methods of quality management, a FLAG builds the capacity of local businesses, including fish farmers, restaurants, educational and recreational service providers, and encourages them to cooperate.

Sectors in the blue economy are facing challenges (e.g. lack of skills locally, shortage of funding...) that prevent the growth of those emerging work areas with high potential. The "Blue Economy Incubator" project aims to promote innovative solutions addressing selected maritime and marine challenges and opportunities.

Local fishermen in Lapland, northern Finland, create a mincing facility to process unwanted by-catch into new marketable products such as fish fingers.

On Ærø Island, a disused boat engine factory has been turned into a community hub supporting local maritime entrepreneurship. The project aims to boost the island’s economy and social cohesion.

The Mostiștea river is a tributary of the river Danube in Romania. The river source is near the village Dascălu, northeast of Bucharest and it flows into the Danube near Mânăstirea. The local economy of the area is predominantly agricultural. Fisheries and aquaculture activities are small-scale and often combined with agri-tourism and recreational activities.

The FLAG territory is in the northwest of Constanta County. In the centre of the territory is the city of Harsova which is surrounded by the four communes of Ghindaresti, Horia, Topalu and Crucea. The area situated between the Danube and the Black Sea is characterised by rolling hills and is steeped in history.

The FLAG area is situated along the river Olt. In the territory are ten urban and rural communes which all have small-scale fisheries and aquaculture industries. Other activities such as agriculture, chemical production, forestry, food and tourism dominate the local economy. Local handicrafts are recognised and sold nationwide.

New start-up, Fil & Fab, is tackling the issue of marine litter by developing the first French recycling network for old fishing nets.