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Maritime Forum

"Material" and "Immaterial" investment in fisheries areas

This page deals with how Fisheries Local Action Groups can create both the physical and the human conditions required for sustainable development in their areas. In other words, it looks at the links between fisheries and the three main pillars of sustainable development.

Many, if not all of the actions FLAGS can take in this field are valuable in their own right but they also permit local communities to organise their natural, cultural and social “assets” in a way that creates economic opportunities and jobs at a later stage. However, in the first instance, these kinds of investments are generally “premarket” or “non-productive” and are mostly financed by public funds.

FLAGs can support two broad types of activity in this field. Firstly, they can promote a series of material investments, like for example: “supporting small fisheries and tourism related infrastructure” (Article 44.1e) and protecting the environment of fisheries areas, revitalising coastal hamlets and protecting and enhancing architectural heritage (Article 44.1f). Common actions under this heading include: signposting, thematic itineraries and paths, museums and interpretation centres, rehabilitating historic buildings associated with fishing, cultural and social centres, preserving the areas natural heritage, environmental services and so on.

Secondly, FLAGs can promote a series of “immaterial” investments to train local people, carry out research and make their assets known to a wider public (through territorial marketing, generic publicity campaigns, research on environmental and cultural resources….). This can include “the maximum of 15% of the priority axis which can be dedicated to measures such as the improvement of professional skills, worker adaptability and access to employment provided they are an integral part of a sustainable development strategy” (Article 44.2.)

Given the need to coordinate both material and immaterial investments within each field, the information in this section will be grouped into three broad categories:

  • Environmental conditions
  • Cultural conditions
  • Social conditions.

These will also be the subject of technical dossiers and seminars by FARNET in future years.