ESTONIA
Virumaa FLAG brings benefits for members and non-members alike
Adding value to fishermen’s catches Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) are a manifestation of community-led local development, an approach where local partnerships design and implement an integrated development strategy that is founded on the community’s economic, environmental, and social strengths. These partnerships aim to create employment and new economic opportunities in areas affected by a decline in fisheries activities and are supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund as well as other European funds.
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he Virumaa Fisheries Local Action Group, officially known as Virumaa Rannakalurite Uhing MTU, is one of eight FLAGS established in Estonia. The area of the FLAG is along the northern and north-eastern coasts from where small-scale local fishermen launch their vessels to catch flounder, perch, and
Baltic salmon. In addition, Baltic herring is targeted by off-shore fishermen in the eastern part of the FLAG area. The FLAG has some 80 members including local authorities, fishermen and others involved in the fisheries sector. For the coastal fishermen the FLAG is a way to gain support for efforts to diversify their sources of income,
increase the value of local fisheries products, as well as creating or restoring fishing grounds, and social welfare activities.
Most coastal fishers work only part-time The fisheries sector in Estonia amounts to just 0.5 of GDP, but
it is an important economic and social activity along the coasts and close to inland waters. The area under the Virumaa FLAG has about 240 coastal fishermen (2017) – since 2009, when there were 217, the trend has been slightly increasing. This reflects the development in the number of coastal fishermen in the country as a whole, which
Reili Soppe, manager of the Virumaa FLAG, is part of a fishing family herself.
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13/06/19 9:16 AM