France/European funds to support local fisheries

The Pôle d'équilibre territorial et rural (PETR) Vidourle-Camargue Syndical Committee recently met in the Salle Lucien-Dumas, chaired by Philippe Gras, President of the Rhôny-Vistre-Vidourle communauté de communes, with PETR President Pierre Martinez excused for health reasons.

Two projects in 2023

The meeting began with a presentation of the European Fund for Maritime Affairs, Fisheries and Aquaculture (FEAMPA) and Local Development of Local Actors (DLAL) by Ludivine Joule, project manager at PETR. This scheme aims to support the fishing and aquaculture industries. It has been supported by PETR since 2014, which has supported 28 projects over the 2014-2022 period.

In 2023, the selection committee, which ensures the governance of the European scheme at local level, has selected two projects: Chez papé Frezal restaurant, which offers 100% local fish menus, and the sustainable bluefin tuna hook-and-line fishery labeling initiative led by the Organisation Professionnelle de Pêcheurs du Sud.

In 2023, the Occitanie Region also supported three projects for the acquisition of second-hand fishing boats for professionals in Le Grau-du-Roi.

The public and private projects to be supported over the 2023-2027 period have been defined by local stakeholders during the development of a bespoke strategy. The region has been allocated a total of €580,000 for this purpose.

A territorialized budget of €580,000

Various types of projects can be supported, such as direct sales outlets for locally caught products, fish product labeling initiatives, the development and modernization of fish processing workshops, and the creation of a new fishing industry.and modernization of production and processing facilities, and experimentation with new, more environmentally-friendly fishing techniques.

The deployment of these funds in the hinterland will also be possible thanks to the opening up of this scheme to new projects such as support forThese include support for arts and crafts activities using local fish resources in the manufacture of their products, and leisure and catering activities involving local players in the fishing and aquaculture sectors.

The PETR provides day-to-day support to project leaders, helping them to put together grant applications.

Source: www.midilibre.fr/