A total of 20 out of the 27 Member States that receive EMFF funding have expressed an interest in implementing Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) in the 2014-2020 period. With the exception of Croatia, which is implementing CLLD for the first time, Member States are now entering the second programming period of CLLD in fisheries areas and most have a clearer vision of what they expect from FLAGs and how to help them achieve good results.

Since the 1^st of January 2016, demersal fishermen in certain parts of the EU are obliged to land all the fish they catch (link). To help those concerned by this “zero discards” policy, especially during the critical adaptation phase, many Member States are producing specific guidelines. See some examples below:

By Member state:

UK

• Marine Management Organisation - Guides on the discard ban, how the rules apply, selling undersize fish, reporting requirements and quota management (link)
• Seafish - The Landing Obligation (The Discards Ban) (link)
• Seafish - Potential Implications of the Landing Obligation on Onshore Seafood Supply Chains in the UK (link)

Portugal

• Direção Geral dos Recursos Naturais, Segurança e Serviços Marítimos - Aplicação da obrigação de descarga (link)

Spain

• Guia para la aplicación de la obligación de desembarque para buques españoles a partir del 1 de enero de 2016 para las especies demersales (versión 23/12/2015) (link)

By maritime basins:

Baltic

Research for EP PECH committee – “Options of handling choke species in the view of the EU landing obligation – the Baltic plaice example” (link)

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) Landing Obligations in EU Fisheries - part 3 (STECF-14-06) link

Meditteranean

Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF): Landing Obligation - Part 6 (Fisheries targeting demersal species in the Mediterranean Sea) (STECF-15-19) (link)

This brochure has been developed for the "Sailing towards 2020" event, it highlights facts, figures and success stories from the 2007/2013 Axis4 program of the European Fisheries Fund. Stakeholders (FLAGs, Managing Authorities, project promoters) may use it as a source of inspiration for future projects; but it will also interest wider audiences, such as researchers, NGOs and/or the media wanting to know more on local development of European fisheries areas.

Download this publication here        

Find out more with the 42 project posters showcased during the Sailing Towards 2020 conference.

The European Commission has recently launched the EMFF country files page which presents the adopted Operational Programmes (OPs) for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). In December 2014, the Latvian Operational Programme became the first to be approved by the European Commission. The package seeks to enhance the competiveness, sustainability and viability of the sector. The programme aims to more than treble aquaculture production, and to increase net profits for fishermen without compromising sustainability.

More information on the available operational programmes and country fact sheets here

The FAO held a workshop on the 7^th of October in Vigo on “Shaping an international network for women in the seafood industry”. The event comes at a time when a growing number of voices, at international, national and local level, are calling for better recognition and representation of women in decision-making processes, and FARNET was there.

During this meeting, FLAGs, women entrepreneurs and women’s organisations explored various ideas on the role of women in the seafood industry, showing successful examples of how to overcome barriers and foster greater entrepreneurship among women in the seafood sector. Although women account for 12% of the workforce in the European fisheries and aquaculture sector, they remain largely invisible, and their role is not always acknowledged. CLLD projects such as  “women entrepreneurs in Andalusia’s fisheries areas” or the tanning fish skin project of the Fisherwomen’s branch of the Ostrobothnian Fisheries Association provide tangible examples of how this situation could be improved. The French government has also stressed the relevance of the local development approach to the promotion of gender equality by launching a publication which highlights the diverse roles of women in the fisheries sector, including through several Axis 4 projects.

With EMFF and CLLD, women are increasingly encouraged and supported to access funding in order to increase their visibility, promote equal opportunities within the sector, start smart businesses and add value to local fisheries products.