The fishery industry is, at present, a target for intensive development in Ostrobothnia in Finland. Much of this work is not necessary visible for those outside the business because in fishery issues, the mass media generally concentrates on the problems and damages caused by seals and cormorants for professional fishermen, or on the everlasting issue of salmon. Success stories, e.g. tanning of fish skin or fishing for cyprinids and development of bream products, sometimes twinkle with a beam of light.
The paradox in the fishery sector is that the consumers like fish food, fish processing industries and trade are doing well but most of this is based on farmed and imported fish. A mere 7% of our fish consumption is from wild fish caught by professional fishermen. We are in this situation now because, in practice, politicians lack any interest in the conditions and circumstances, business or otherwise, of professional fishermen. Instead, the politicians choose to focus on nature conservation and sport fishing because that is where there are votes to attract. Irresponsible, one could certainly think. Finland as a state loses big money by not utilizing the natural resources we have within our own territory and, instead, importing fish for consumers. Not particularly wise in terms of the environment, either.
There is an operational programme for fisheries, with the purpose of supporting development in the sector. The funding comes from the European Fisheries Fund, national funds and private financiers. During this current programme period 2007-2013, fisheries have for the first time had the chance to support development within the branch via a system of coastal action groups. These coastal actions groups are analogue to local action groups or Leader groups. Preliminary work in order to get a coastal action group to Ostrobothnia started already in 2004, and in November 2007 the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry appointed Studiefrämjandet i Österbotten (presently Aktion Österbotten) as one of the eight coastal action groups (fishery groups) in Finland. Concrete practical work started in the summer 2008.
The KAG coastal action group has provided funding for small-scale development projects and investments in the fishery sector since the autumn 2008. Thus far, a total of 39 development projects have got funding via the coastal action group. The projects have spent close to one million euros in the development of the fishery sector.
The coastal action group defined its policy, from the very beginning, so that it would focus on small-scale projects in order for as many actors as possible becoming involved in development work. This goal was a success and in addition to fishery organizations and businesses, many other organizations have been lead partners in different development projects, e.g. educational institutes, business development organizations, adult education centres, municipalities, 4H societies, homestead societies and foundations, etc.
One can distinguish different approaches to development in the projects funded by the coastal action group, all falling within the framework for the programme’s priority areas of competence development and cultural heritage. One approach focuses on making use of neglected fish species, e.g. bream and other cyprinids as well as bycatch. Here we can mention, for instance, Optima vocational school’s project for developing new products for institutional kitchens, Novia polytechnic’s investigation of fish guts and bycatch, and Korsholm Adult Education Center´s project on developing the tanning of fish skin. Another approach involves fish as food, and it also contributes to the utilization of neglected fish species. Here we can mention e.g. Dynamo Business Centre’s project called Inshore Fisherman’s Sushi. A major approach deals with fisheries information, both internal and external. We have here had projects for drawing up a strategy for professional fisheries, seminars for actors within the fishery sector, excursions, etc. Most of these projects have been administered by different organizations in the fishery sector. Likewise also projects dealing with different fishing techniques, e.g. developing a combi-fyke and a fish trap for professional use, developing winter fishing and seine-fishing as well as testing the so-called seal pingers. One more approach can be distinguished in the completed projects, viz. focus on youth in a couple of projects implemented by 4H societies.
The gain for fishery sector comes from the synergy generated through all the completed development projects and the networks established through the projects. From the fishery business side it is interesting to see all the persons and organizations which now, without any daily contact to fisheries, work to promote its development. We see this involvement as extremely valuable for the industry.
Professional fishermen, who struggle with seal and cormorant problems, do not see very much of the results of these projects in their daily work. The object is, however, that the projects which have got funding via the coastal action group, will contribute to professional fisheries having a future. I am also convinced that the fishermen who have participated in one or more of these projects, have got some positive ideas which may take a concrete form later on in their daily work.
The interim evaluation of the fisheries operational programme 2007-2013, commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry last year, notes that the new system with fishery groups is valuable. The role of fishery groups in the regional development of fisheries is important and should be reinforced during the last few years of the programme period. The European Union also regards the development of the fisheries sector through local coastal action groups in positive terms, and the proposal for a new fund for maritime and fisheries policy 2014-2020 reinforces this type of locally led innovation.
The current programme period will continue a couple of more years which means that good ideas can still get funding via coastal action groups. The work for drafting a new programme for the coming structural fund period 2014-2020 has already started.
Guy Svanbäck
executive manager
Ostrobothnian Fisheries Association
Projekt Optifish attending the fair in Pietarsaari 20-21.11.2010
The well-known chef Michael Björklund showed the audience together with the teachers and students from Optima how to make delicious dishes of fish during the fair in Pietarsaari 20-21 November 2010.
The visitors were able to taste different products made of fish. Optima owns the project Optifish that aims to develop new products of fishes like bream, roach and pike.
Fishskinn seminar with Lotta Rahme
On Tuesday November 23rd 2010 a new project started in the Institute for Adults in Korsholm. It´s aim is to increase knowledge about how to take care of fishskinn. Invited as guestlecturer was Lotta Rahme owning a tannery with studio in Sigtuna, Sweden. She has a long experience of traditional fishskinntanning without chemicals. A lot of her knowledge is from the Inuits, Laplanders, Indians and professional tanners. The project will develop products of fishskinn. The project will keep on until the end of September 2011 and is financed by the Coastal Action Group (KAG).
Good Start-Up for Coastal Action Group in Ostrobothnia
The past year (2009) was quite successful for KAG, the Coastal Action Group in Ostrobothnia. Its work-group recommended a total of 13 projects, some of which are still being assessed for their conformity at the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. The criteria for a project plan to be accepted require that it can be anchored in the confirmed KAG programme and that it complies with the legislation concerning the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). It is gratifying that the various actors are being active and that several project plans are being drafted at this moment.
Projects wich have been approved by KAG’s work-group
Several approved development projects focus on the possibility of utilizing wild fish in our coastal waters to a greater extent. One has to work in a creative and innovative manner in order to develop alternative fish products and attract the consumers' attention to the options by contributing to a change of attitude and consumer acceptance on a general level.
Optima Federation of Municipalities and the Support Association for Kilen Homestead Museum are examples of organization which are involved in this work. We, in other words, strive towards the same goals on a wide front. The plan is that we from KAG shall appear in a joint happening where the results are presented for the general public. The first of such happenings is planned at the Ostrobothnian Public Fair on 24-25 April, 2010.
One goal in the KAG programme is to maintain old jobs and create new ones. In order to create new jobs in the fishery branch in the long term, it is important to support the interest of young people. Therefore, it is a positive sign that several 4H clubs have shown interest and applied for project funding from the KAG programme and declared their goal as improving the knowledge and increasing the interest of young people for the fishery business.
Furthermore, manufacturers of fishing gear have been active. There have been many discussions about the possibility of applying for funding via the Coastal Action Group in order to develop fishing technology. The work-group has, so far, shown green light for some projects, viz. Combi-fyke net project run by Österbottens Fiskarförbund (Association of fishermen in Ostrobothnia) as well as an innovative selective fish trap developed by the fishing gear manufacturer Kivikangas Oy. If the development falls out well, the initiative will generate several jobs in the long term.
Österbottens Yrkesfiskare and Österbottens Fiskarförbund have been very active. The winter fishing project, which will start in January, is a good example on how professional fishermen in Ostrobothnia wish to focus on making winter fishing more attractive and profitable. The project aims at contributing to the beneficial development in winter fishing and supplying local markets with more fish in the winter months. One of its aims is also to reinforce faith in the future and improve the image of fishing.
Professional seminars arranged by Österbottens Fiskarförbund is a project series which aims at being a source of information and inspiration for improved knowledge and know-how in the business. The first seminar will take place in February, and Ilona Miglaw's from Svenska Fisk (Swedish organization), for instance, has been invited to speak there. The seminar will deal with fishing in local waters and climate-smart choice of foodstuffs.
Cooperation with Foodia and other actors.
A cornerstone in KAG’s strategy is to cooperate and build up networks with organizations which aim at developing sustainable foodstuffs production in the region.
Ab Företagshuset Dynamo Yritystalo Oy runs the Ostrobothnian foodstuffs cluster Foodia. Foodia is a collective resource which aims at maintaining and developing the various production and handling facilities in the foodstuffs branch as well as informing about important changes and trends in the business. Foodia initiates and engages in global activities but also in entrepreneurship which is linked with locally produced foodstuffs. KAG’s representative is a member of Foodia’s reference group. The group discusses common work methods, strategies, synergies and the best possible ways of promoting development. The Foodia groups brings up new ideas for discussion and initiates new projects with develop the foodstuff sector on various levels.
The fishery branch forms an important part of the whole package which the Foodia cluster works with. Fishing and the fishery branch must be closely connected with other development efforts in the foodstuff industry. Fishing cannot and must not become marginalized in the overall development of the foodstuff sector.
The Coastal Action Group also functions as the other national fishery groups’ link towards Sweden and other Scandinavian countries. For instance, KAG participates in regular meetings with actors from the fishery branch in Västerbotten and Norrbotten in Sweden. The next meeting will take place in February 2010 in Vilhelmina in Sweden. Dynamo’s project Qvarkenfood in the Botnia-Atlantica Interreg programme will act as the host.
Challenges
The national fishery groups started their operation in October 2008. Starting up a new programme with all its implications, information dissemination and activation for projects has been and still is a challenge for all the parties involved. The possibility of applying for project funding from the Coastal Action Group is, after all, a completely new form of development.
All in all, however, it is motivating to continue the tough work in order to promote and develop the fishery branch. All those interested in project work have here the chance to present good ideas to the work-group or the project manager. We still have time until 2011 (possibly 2013) to prove that all these funds are well-invested euros in our region.
Mikael Nygård, project manager/ Coastal Action Group in Ostrobothnia