Short circuits

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.

By engaging local fishermen in the development and testing of environmentally-friendly fish traps, the Baltic Sea FLAG is paving the way for sustainable fisheries along its coast in a wider context of adding value to the local catch.

A new FLAG supports the fusion of gastronomy, “eating local” and fisheries heritage by supporting an atypical restaurant in the port of Gandía.

Cooperation in Portugal is considered a tool to allow the FLAGs to bring together the knowledge and capacity of different actors for a common objective. Both national and transnational cooperation are seen as a way of helping achieve the strategic objectives of the FLAGs.

The peninsula of Setúbal is located in the south of Lisbon and has many urban and suburban centres. Here, fishing is an important activity that has developed over centuries along the Atlantic coast and the estuaries of Sado and Tejo.

To the north of Lisbon, Mafra and Cascais are coastal municipalities with strong fisheries sectors due in part to the presence of two auctions and important municipal fish markets in Ericeira and Cascais.

The region Oeste consists of several fishing communities primarily dedicated to small scale fishing and gathering activities such as the gathering of shellfish, seaweed, mussels and barnacles, using mostly small boats. It includes two municipalities, Peniche and Nazaré, which act as twin centres of fishing activity and attract skilled labour, investment, business equipment and infrastructure.

The FLAG area includes the parishes of Marinha Grande and Vieira de Leiria in the municipality of Marinha Grande and the parish of Coimbrão in the municipality of Leiria. The fishing communities here include Vieira de Leiria, Pedrógão and São Pedro de Moel

The Elbe-Roeder-Dreieck FLAG is situated east of the river Elbe on the border between Brandenburg and Saxony. It is a rural region with a few focal points of large industry including steel and chemical plants. The landscape is characterised by high-value vineyards along the Elbe river and pond landscapes in the Roeder riverside floodplain. This area has been used for pond farming for about 300 years. The ponds were designed for purely economic reasons and served exclusively for carp pond farming.

The Terra d’Arneo territory spans the vicinity of the Apulian coast and operates a multi-fund Local Development Strategy (LDS). The area is characterised by small-scale traditional fishing enterprises. Seasonally the area has a strong tourism industry, while fishing activities are year-round.