THE ISLAND RURALITY AS LOCAL DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE LAG “ŠKOJI” AREA

Veni Marinković, mag. geogr.LAG „Škoji”, Vicka Butorovića 4, Hvar

CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN RURAL AREAS International Scientific Conference, Zadar, Croatia, 4-6 September, 2014

ISLANDS as specific rural areas Local development

…part of the land surrounded by sea on all sides

INSULARITY (detachment and

isolation)

Specific elements of rurality -settlements

-population structures and trends-agriculture

-fishery

…overall development,participation of local comunity,resources

LEADER approach: - sustainable development, - specifics of areas,- bottom-up approach, - uniqueness, - innovativeness, - multisectoral approach: public, civil and economic sector - networking, - cooperation

Local Action Groups

LAG “Škoji” -Split-Dalmatia county-2 islanda: Hvar, Vis-6 local governments-14,537 (2011)

-2013-Local development strategy-Objectives and tasks: formating LAGs identity preparing the local community to implementation of LEADER approach -92 members

Civil36%

Public18%

Economic46%

Fig. 1 The sectors structure of the LAG (September 2014)

ELEMENTS OF RURALITY:

1. SETTLEMENTS2. POPULATION

3. AGRICULTURE AND FISHERY

The characteristics of island’s settlements size and spatial distribution

- dominance of small settlements (up to 500) 36/47- 5 „extinct” settlements- absence of larger settlements (more than 5 000)- coastal population concentration 5 coastal settlements=3/4 of population

Fig. 2 Settlements size by population

Population dynamic

3 stages:

1. Population increase (until 1900/1910) population maximum high birth rates2. Depopulation period (emigration)

1921-1931- agrarian overpopulation viticulture crisis 1961-1971- urban industrilization3. Contemporary period (from 1991) stagnation/ increase-immigration „fictive populaion” natural decline and very low birth rates

Fig. 3 Population dynamic 1857.-2011.

Age-sex structure

- An example of very old population- Age index (65+/0-14) 180- Regresive (contractile ) age type

Fig. 4 The age-sex population structure of the LAG, 2011

Agriculture

Main characteristics:1. Land fragmentation and small size parcels (an average farm size in Croatia is 5,9 ha, on islands about 50% familiy farms less than 1 ha) 2. Increasing of uncultivated land3. Domination of vineyards and orchards (citrus fruits and olive groves)

32%

68%

Total utilised agricultural land Other

Fig. 5 Utilised agricultural land of the LAG, 2003

Fig. 6 Land use structure of the LAG, 2003

Socio-economic restructuring

1971. 1981. 1991. 2001.0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

Agricultural population

- Deagrarization reducing the share of the agricultural population- Tertiarizationincreasing the share of employees in the service sector

Primary18%

Secondary10%

Tertiary52%

Quaternary21%Fig. 7 Changes in the number of LAG’s agricultural population, 1971-2001.

Fig. 8 The structure of employees by sectors, 2001

Fishery

- 12 fishery factories (first half of 20th century)- today 0- current meaning insignificant- main characteristics and problems of modern fisheries:1. lack of fish due to over-fishing in the past2. weaker fishing fleet- today fishing is part of the area identity and part of tourist offer- Maritime heritage

Conclusion

Elements of rurality as limiting factors:- Settlements size and their spatial distribution- Demographic trends and structures- Characteristics of agriculture and fishery

Local development and LEADER approach as possibility

The roles of LAG: 1. recognizing the value of local specificities2. sustainable valorisation of all rural elements3. encourage the participation of local people in creating

and managing their own development

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION