Processing

The FLAG area comprises a large part of the rural and sparsely populated Mecklenburg Lake District, which is characterised by vast interlinked inland waterways, many of which are protected areas. The fishing activities in the Mecklenburg Lakes follow a longstanding tradition and play an important economic and historical role in the area.

The Eastern Oberlausitz FLAG is situated in the eastern part of Saxony. This primarily rural region is located between the border with Poland and the conurbation of Dresden (approx.100 km away). The landscape is characterised by many diverse natural areas with rare animal and botanical species.

The Delitzscher region is situated in the north of Saxony, in western “Nordsachsen” to the north of the city of Leipzig. 72% of the area is used for agricultural purposes and 1,933 ha is covered in water

The region is in the northern part of Saxony, close to the border of the federal states of Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt; it has a typical agricultural landscape with several protected areas.

The fisheries area “Nordfriesland Nord” is located on the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, just under 20 km from the Danish border. It is a rural region with a strong tourism sector. In the immediate vicinity of the FLAG lie the North Frisian Islands of Sylt, Föhr and Amrum and the numerous Hallig islands (tidal islands). The North Sea in this area is part of the German Wadden Sea National Park of Schleswig-Holstein which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kainuu-Koillismaa is an area of dispersed settlement in North-East Finland with hundreds of lakes. The fishing traditions are strong and vital both among professional and non-professional fishermen. The lakes are mostly underfished and aquaculture has great potential.

The FLAG area covers the coast of the Gulf of Finland from Hanko to Virolahti and is well known locally for its beautiful archipelago. The regions fishing tradition, fishing methods, and operational culture have been and remain relatively uniform. There are approximately 110 full-time and 200 part-time professional fishers respectively and the area has five operational fish farms.

The Archipelago Sea has the world's largest inland sea archipelago; the landscape is dominated by over 22,000 islands and the coastline is 12,000 km long. The FLAG has an area of 14,000 km2 and the sea accounts for more than half of this. The region includes both densely populated cities and sparsely populated rural and island areas. Of the 370,000 inhabitants, 30,000 live on the islands. Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the Archipelago Sea every year.

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.

The FLAG area is located on the Northern and North-Eastern coast of Estonia. Small-scale coastal fishing of mostly flounder, perch and salmon is the main activity of local fishermen. This fish is mainly marketed directly to end consumers.