New forms of institutional support within modern multi-level fisheries governance are urgently needed to address the decline of coastal and inland fisheries. The EU-funded Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) initiative promises new hope to small-scale fishers by channelling support for the development of local fishing communities. This paper analyses the potential of FLAGs to contribute towards revitalizing small-scale fisheries in Nordic settings. Drawing on documents, surveys and interviews, we compare the implementation of FLAGs in Finland and Sweden. These countries were selected for analysis because they exhibit major differences in the implementation of FLAGs, alongside similarities in their coastal fisheries and social contexts. A special structural feature in Sweden is that FLAGs have been entirely integrated into Local Action Groups set up under the LEADER programme, an EU initiative that supports development projects in rural, coastal and urban areas. As a result, fisheries issues that used to be addressed by sectoral fishery groups are now subsumed into broader territorial initiatives. In Finland, the FLAG system still comprises independent fishery groups, which collaborate with LEADER groups. Our comparison of the two cases demonstrates the importance of dedicated institutional support for small-scale fisheries to enable them to access funding opportunities provided by the EU’s FLAG initiative. Our comparative perspective enables conclusions to be drawn regarding the pros and cons of different approaches to the implementation of this hierarchical funding system, and the extent to which they can help restore fishers’ self-reliance and benefit local fishing livelihoods.

迫切需要在现代多层次渔业治理中提供新形式的制度支持，以应对沿海和内陆渔业的衰退。欧盟资助的渔业地方行动小组 (FLAG) 倡议通过为当地渔业社区的发展提供支持，为小规模渔民带来了新希望。本文分析了 FLAG 对振兴北欧小规模渔业的潜力。根据文件、调查和访谈，我们比较了芬兰和瑞典的 FLAG 实施情况。之所以选择这些国家进行分析，是因为它们在实施 FLAG 方面表现出重大差异，同时在沿海渔业和社会环境方面也有相似之处。瑞典的一个特殊结构特征是，FLAG 已完全融入在 LEADER 计划下设立的地方行动小组，这是一项支持农村、沿海和城市地区发展项目的欧盟倡议。结果，过去由部门渔业团体解决的渔业问题现在被纳入更广泛的领土倡议。在芬兰，FLAG 系统仍然由独立的渔业团体组成，这些团体与 LEADER 团体合作。我们对这两个案例的比较表明了为小型渔业提供专门机构支持的重要性，以使它们能够获得欧盟 FLAG 倡议提供的资金机会。我们的比较视角可以得出关于实施这种分级资助系统的不同方法的利弊的结论，