POLAND
FLAG Bytow Lakeland projects should strengthen the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the area
Developing projects that conform to new requirements Bytow Lakeland, a FLAG in the Pomerskie region has several projects running. One of these uses a practical approach to inculcate a greater awareness of nature among school children.
A
xis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund introduced the idea of support for local fisheries communities to combat some of the challenges they are facing and build a sustainable future. The funds are managed by Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), partnerships between local fishermen and others involved in the fisheries sector and other stakeholders, such as representatives from local authorities and civil society organisations. Together they design a strategy intended to generate greater social, economic and environmental welfare, create jobs, and make the fishing and related sectors more competitive. Across the EU over 10,000 projects were launched with Axis 4 support between 2007 and 2013.
Lakeland, which covers 11 municipalities in the Pomorskie province, one of the three coastal provinces in Poland. The municipalities are contiguous, with a landscape that includes forests, meadows and farmland, but also an extensive network of water bodies – ponds, reservoirs, lakes, streams and rivers. These host a number of species of fish and support commercial freshwater fisheries, recreational angling, and provide the water for aquaculture farms producing trout. Since it was established in 2009 Bytow Lakeland has launched several projects under four broad categories, strengthening competitiveness, diversification, value addition, and environmental protection. In addition to the municipalities the
FLAG’s members include other public bodies such as schools and community centres; private industry; and NGOs and associations.
Bytow Lakeland improves infrastructure for the benefit of locals and tourists The objectives of Bytow Lakeland include the creation of awareness about nature and its importance among school students. To achieve this, Władysław Pe˛dziwiatr, the president of Bytow Lakeland, has initiated a cooperation with a Danish organisation that has experience in teaching young people about nature and natural phenomena using handson methods. Following this,
Mr Pe˛dziwiatr would like to build a laboratory where children can come and discover, research, and analyse nature. This knowledge will lead to an appreciation of nature and the importance of conserving it, he says, and children can take this information back home and educate their parents and siblings as well. Bytow Lakeland is currently working on a project for the purchase of educational equipment including a multimedia board and games to help understand and reinforce knowledge about aquaculture and ecology, among school-going pupils. The natural beauty of the area and the variety of activities on offer attract tourists in large numbers in summer including families with young children, who
Poland invests heavily in FLAGs Despite a relatively modest fishing sector Poland had by far the biggest Axis 4 budget in the EU at EUR235m and way ahead of the second largest budget (Romania, EUR75m). The Polish fishing industry is an important source of employment in coastal communities and local inland areas, where freshwater fish production provides an income to commercial fishers, fish farmers, and to some extent also to anglers. Among the FLAGs that were formed under Axis 4 was Bytow 52
Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2016
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Among trout farmers in the Bytow Lakeland FLAG the installation of drum filters was a popular way to obtain support from the EFF. www.eurofishmagazine.com