The Government of Åland is the governing body for the Åland Islands, an autonomous, demilitarised Swedish-speaking part of Finland.
The Fisheries Agency of the Government of Åland works to make sure that Åland’s fisheries are competitive, economically profitable and socially sustainable. The stocks and ecosystems that are used by the fisheries are protected and cared for by the Fisheries Agency to make sure that there are high quality products available for human consumption. The Fisheries Agency is a part of the Government of Åland’s Department of Trade and Industry. The Agency’s responsibilities include general management of the fisheries sector, management of the fishstocks and restoration efforts. The Fisheries Agency also includes ”Ålands fiskevårdscentrum”, a restocking facility for conservation of the fish stocks.
The Fisheries Agency at the Government of Åland is the TCL host for the Transition Coastal Lab in Finland. They are responsible for the everyday running of the TCL, communication with the coastal communities and the wider region, and the organisation of local workshops (WP2, WP3, WP4 and WP6). They are also responsible for the Ocean Literacy capacity building in Finland (WP6).
Fisheries Biologist
Linda works as a Fisheries Biologist for the Department of Trade and Industry at the Government of Åland. Her work constitutes mainly of monitoring and management of the fish stocks on Åland. Another big part of her work is conservation care for different fish species through local commitments and efforts. She studied environmental and marine biology at Åbo Academy, focusing on ecology.
Åland TCL Local Host and Coordinator
Viktor Eriksson is an educated professional chef with two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. As part of his dedication to promote the sustainable local food cluster and vitalising the coastal community on the Åland islands, he has had an active role in numerous international projects and is currently working for the fisheries agency at the Government of Åland, coordinating the EmpowerUs project on a part-time basis.