Title of the workshop: The role of local partnerships in developing innovative and sustainable strategies in fisheries areas Workshop 1.9 Friday 21 st May 11.15-13.00. Sala Azul Chair: Paul Soto, Team Leader FARNET Support Unit. Speakers: Jesper Raakjaer, Professor in Fisheries Management at Ålborg University and Head of the research centre Innovative Fisheries Management IFM in the Department of Development and Planning, North Sea Science Park Juan Ignacio Gandarias, Director General for Fisheries at the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs. François Maïtia, Vice-President, Association of the French Regions and of Regional Council of Aquitaine Rosa Chapela, Head of Socioeconomics Fisheries Department CETMAR, Technological Centre for the Sea. 1. Three key messages The challenges facing fisheries areas, and maritime areas as a whole, require new forms of governance which bring together different stakeholders. The local level is a vital component for dealing with the diversity of European fisheries areas and achieving the ownership and commitment of the different actors concerned. The 240 partnerships that are being set up in 21 Member States under Axis 4 of the EFF provide an exciting living laboratory for exploring how stakeholders from the fisheries sector can
cooperate with other local actors in order to shift their areas towards more sustainable paths of development. Fisheries Local Action Groups could play an important role in complementing other local and regional governance structures. However their precise functions will probably vary according to circumstances and require time in order to show how best to achieve concrete benefits for all concerned. 2. Summary of the interventions from the panel (1-2 pages) Paul Soto introduced the panel and the aims of the Workshops. He then gave a brief introduction to the key features of Axis 4 for the sustainable development of fisheries areas and provided an overview of the current state of play of the partnerships. He insisted that Axis 4 is more than just another local layer of management and requires a paradigm shift away from deficit funding to mobilising human and physical assets around a vision of the future for each area. For Axis 4 to fulfil its potential for shifting fisheries areas towards more sustainable paths of development it is important to get three key elements right: the definition of the strategy, the boundaries of the areas and the composition of the partnerships. At present approximately half of the expected 240 local partnerships (Fisheries Local Action Groups or FLAGS) have been selected and most of the remainder will be on line by the end of 2010. The FARNET Support Unit is working in close cooperation with Commission desk officers, Managing Authorities and the local groups to ensure that the partnerships fulfil their maximum potential for supporting innovation and diversification within fisheries areas. Jesper Raakjaer, Professor in Fisheries Management at Ålborg University argued that local involvement was essential for dealing with some of the key challenges facing the fishing sector and fisheries areas: overfishing, over capacity, poor profitability and the decline of fishing communities. Some of the underlying causes of this situation include the severe fragmentation and diversity of both the sector and fisheries areas which means that it is impossible to define standard, one-size-fits-all solutions from above; the need to reconcile global environmental imperatives with local needs for jobs; the advantages of combining broad scientific knowledge with local experience and the need to build ownership and coresponsibility in order to close the gap between administrators and fishermen and thus prevent implementation drift.
He argued that many of these issues could be addressed by a greater regionalisation and devolution of management responsibilities. In this scenario FLAGs could play an important role in ensuring that structural aid was directed to support innovative development within the fisheries sector and also to create alternative employment and income outside fisheries. Juan Ignacio Gandarias, Director General for Fisheries at the Spanish Ministry of the Environment explained that Spain was using the partnerships funded under Axis 4 to support the sustainable development of fisheries areas in four main ways: firstly by adding value to fisheries products; secondly by promoting economic diversification; thirdly by improving the coastal environment; and finally by encouraging cooperation between coastal areas. Altogether five Spanish regions have created 22 FLAGs making Spain one of the most important countries that is exploring the use of Axis 4. Mr Gandarias explained how the FLAG in Cataluña, one of the earliest to be selected, was introducing a high degree of conditionality into the grants provided to local projects. The FLAG ensured that private projects achieved tangible benefits in terms of jobs, diversification, innovation, quality products and enviornmental improvements. On the other hand, one of the criteria for selecting public projects was that the experience was transferrable to other municipalities and organisations. Mr Gandarias also described how his Ministry had created the Spanish Network of FLAGs, with a dedicated website, which was working closely with FARNET to improve the application of Axis 4 and improved the visibility of the results achieved. Finally, Mr Gandarias argued that Maritime Policy required new forms of governance that brought together public and private actors with a solid scientific foundation. This was also important to ensure that coastal areas contributed to the EU 2020 priorities of smart, green and inclusive growth. In this context, he argued that it was vital to ensure that the implementation of Axis 4 was of the maximum quality, with clear benefits for the prosperity of fisheries areas. These results would provide the basis for continuing this approach as a financial instrument for sustainable development within sectoral fisheries policy. François Maïtia, Vice-President, Association of the French Regions and the Regional Council of Aquitaine, presented the two Fisheries Local Action Groups that have been chosen in the region of Aquitaine: the Pays Basque/Sud-Landes and the Pays Bassin d Arcachon/Val de l Eyre. As with most French FLAGs these projects have relatively small total budgets of around 1.5 million each but nevertheless both are pursuing very promising and high quality local strategies. Mr Maïtia stressed the innovatory nature of each project. For example, the Pays Basque/Sud Landes was led by the fishers themselves but brought
together several territories in different departments with an integrated and cross border dimension. The Bassin d Arcachon/Val de l Eyre for the first time brought together the actors in two star value chains shellfish culture and fisheries itself in an integrated local development project. Both projects are expected to show significant results in terms of economic activity, the environment and the quality of life. Mr Maïtia argued that coastal regions like Aquitaine considered that instruments like Axis 4 were extremely useful and needed more resources than are available in the current period in France. Rosa Chapela, Head of Socioeconomics Fisheries Department CETMAR, Technological Centre for the Sea, rounded up the session by presenting the situation of Axis 4 in Galicia, one of the regions most dependent on fisheries in Europe. Seven partnerships have been chosen in Galicia covering the entire coastline. Moreover, the budget per group is considerably higher than in many parts of Europe and reaches 10 million per group in some cases (total expenditure for the whole period). The Galician Regional Government has carried out an intensive and very well organised capacity building programme. However, despite this and the fact that the fishing sector has the presidency and at least 50% of the votes of the groups, it is proving difficult to mobilise sufficient high quality projects from the fishing sector itself, in the early stages of the programme. Rosa Chapela argued that this is because there is a strongly individualistic tradition, many differences within the sector, and a culture of grant dependency. Unlike some other local stakeholders like the municipalities, fishermen are not used to preparing and presenting projects. On the other hand, she argued that the women shelf-fish gathering sector are far more proactive and provide an excellent example of what can be achieved by patient work on the ground. The lesson she said is that the FLAGs need to put considerable effort into capacity building and direct technical support with fisheries stakeholders. Finally, Rosa Chapela, provided some concrete examples of how the newly formed Galician were already fulfilling new governance roles by helping to build links between different parts of the catching sector, between the processing and marketing firms, with local hotels and restaurants, port authorities, recreational fishers and boating sectors. FLAG members take part in the RACs and in this way can help to ensure that local realities are taken into account in broader policy discussions.
3. Links to presentations and speeches by speakers, and other documentation relevant for the workshop Contact person: Emilie Muzie