An Charraig: Empowering Coastal Communities

Empowering Coastal Communities, Waterford April 30th - May 1st 2014

Waterford coastal community is making it happen in Waterford on the 30th April by examining strategy, funding, processes for the struggling coastal areas of Rural Ireland. They will explore success stories and the following day, May 1st, will explore 'Making It Happen' with Tom Mc Sweeney, Waterford's City and County Manager Michael Walsh and a host of others.

Michael Keating from BIM will explore building capacity for innovation and we would hope to learn what can an island surrounded by sea hope to gain from the FLAG. Flag stands for Fisheries Local Area Group. It is hoped that FLAG can promote the sustainable development and improve the quality of life in our fisheries dependent areas.

BIM through FLAG provide funding for grant aid right across the seafood industry, from fishing safety to market quality. This initiative is co-funded by the European Fisheries Fund.

You can find more information on the FLAG website.

Who is eligible?

Qualifying organisations include:

Registered co-operatives
Producer organisations
Associations
Voluntary and community groups
Private companies and individuals with a link to the seafood sector
Other organisations with legal identity and recognised by the implementing authority

What’s funded?

Successful projects will address one or more of the following priorities:

Maintain and support jobs
Add value to fisheries and aquaculture products
Support diversification
Support economic and social restructuring of areas facing difficulties as a result of changes in the fisheries sector
Enhance economic and social prosperity
Promote the quality of the coastal environment

For further details on what's funded see the: