Fisheries Local Action Groups and maritime museums in Spain—An opportunity to enhance the value of fishing culture and heritage

Although Spain has a long tradition of maritime, naval, and fishing museums, in the last 20 years there has been a boom in museums of this type along the Spanish coast. Paradoxically, this museum boom has coincided with a profound fishing crisis. In order to face the social and economic consequences, Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) have been established by the EU to support the territorial development of fishing areas, financing projects of various kinds, including sociocultural activities that promote fishery diversification, stimulate fishing tourism, and enhance the value of the rich tangible and intangible heritage linked to fishing. A mixed methods approach has been adopted to characterize fishing and maritime museums that have received European funds and have been supported by FLAGs, and to explore the relationship between the fishing sector and the management of museums. Results confirm the active role played by the FLAGs and the fisheries funds in the creation and consolidation of fisheries museums. However, despite the community-led local development approach, the fisheries sector still feels alienated from the management of these museums. The benefits, especially the intangible ones, that these museums can bring to fishing communities may be limited by the low level of involvement of the fishing sector.