Small-scale and coastal fisheries

Fishing on the Swedish side of the Öresund strait consists almost exclusively of local small-scale coastal fisheries providing unique opportunities for local fisheries development. The revenue from the Öresund area is among the highest in Sweden and the fish stocks amongst the strongest.

Gotland is a vibrant rural region with belief in the future and a strong brand recognised nationally as well as internationally for high quality and untouched nature. However, its natural and cultural resources can be used in a better way to further strengthen economic growth. Gotland is also Sweden's largest producer of crayfish.

One of the main needs identified by the Galati FLAG in their fisheries area was to strengthen the linkages between fishermen and the younger generation. Indeed, fishermen believed it important to ensure that traditional fishing know-how and their passion for the profession were passed on to the next generation.

The FLAG area consists of woodland and a large number of lakes and rivers as well as some off-shore islands. This is a coastal region that includes eight municipalities in total. Bräcke, Ånge, Timrå and Sollefteå are inland municipalities with lakes and rivers connected to the coastal waters. Sundsvall, Kramfors, Härnösand, and Örnsköldsvik municipalities have inland lakes and rivers as well as coastal maritime environments.

The FLAG area includes mountains, farmland, forest landscapes and an extensive archipelago. The Torne River, which runs through the FLAG’s territory, is Europe's largest unspoiled continuous waterway and is the main spawning site for wild salmon in the Bothnian Sea.

The FLAG area includes the coast, rivers, and lakes along the Gulf of Bothnia, roughly 200km north of Stockholm. The landscape is dominated by pine woodlands and many inhabitants live in smaller towns and in rural areas.

The area is defined by the Ria Formosa (which covers five municipalities), a natural river system, structuring the landscape and ecological systems, which gives the Sotavento its own characteristics. The Eastern Algarve is home to the largest wetland in southern Portugal, 11,000 hectares large stretching along approximately 60 km of coastline between Ancão (Loulé) and Manta Rota (Vila Real de Santo António). It forms a lagoon-estuarine system with a wide area of marshes, islands and channels protected by robust sand ridges, which form two peninsulas (Ancão and Cacela) and five barrier islands (Barreta, Culatra, Armona, Tavira and Cabanas).

Lake Võrtsjärv is the second largest lake in the Baltic countries and the largest lake in Estonia. The lake is covered with ice, on average, 130 days a year (from the end of November until mid-April). Total catches in the FLAG area have fallen in recent years which is a challenge. This is due, in large, to a decline in consumer demands for smaller bream

The Harju FLAG area covers 530km of coastline along the Gulf of Finland and features numerous peninsulas and bays. Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is situated centrally in the area and offers local producers access to a substantial market. Tallinn also draws a relatively young workforce to the area and offers wide-ranging tourism opportunities.

Rügen is an island in the Baltic Sea and the largest in Germany. It is known for its beaches and white chalk cliffs which span coastline of approximately 574 kilometres. The island is also well-known for the Jasmund National Park which his home to primeval beech forests and white-tailed eagles.