The 2nd RSG meeting of the Province of Friesland took place in Leeuwarden in the provincial house, on 17th of July 2019. Seven participants were present at the meeting: two Frisian project partners, four stakeholders (from the University of Groningen; from the Investment and Development Company for the Northern Netherlands (NOM); a cultural entrepreneur as a strategic adviser and creative producer, who supports (international) fundraising processes on behalf of the province; a Social Design Lab which develops products in co-creation with Frisian crafts and landscape, and one project leader from the University of Twente, as a guest. The project leader explained the background of the project to stakeholders. The deltas generally have common characteristics (nature reserves). For example, Province of Friesland and Cork County are similar; both are agricultural areas. Local crops form another deltas: Camarque, Friesland and Danube. A number of areas focus on fishing and all deltas are focused on tourism. The aim is to find a number of common elements across deltas and also to improve policy instruments with regard to the use of ecosystem services in these regions. Stakeholders were asked to indicate their ideas.
At the meeting examples of the good practices were brainstormed as well. Some suggestions: - the Bee project; - the Sweater project; - the Fish migration river project. The last one is also seen as an ecosystem service: fish stock can be called disastrous and is increased by fish migration river project. Economically, fishing benefits from this ecosystem service. A project manager of the fish migration river project is hired by the province to be involved in the project. The stakeholders decided to expand the RSG inviting the manager of the fish migration river project to join the group. The Bee project has been expanded with Interreg North Sea (Beespoke) and is about how crop production can be increased. The aim is to make biodiversity measures more intelligent and to bring it online. Farmers can see what biodiversity looked like before, what it is now and what they can do to improve it. The cultural entrepreneur presented an example of Royal Polar Bear in Hammerfest. This has been done very well in terms of branding and has generated a lot of income.
Possible other projects: - Holwerd by the sea ; - Vegetable Soup: project about how hospitality can work in a more sustainable way. No plastic soup, but vegetable soup. Could also be for deltas. Circular Friesland is now attached. The next RSG meeting is planned to be organised on January 15th, 2020.
