Bimonthly
incorporating
News from the coast and inland waterways
Aquaculture Ireland
1,000 kms of inland waterways
Marine archaeology survey
Page 9
Pages 18 to 19
Water recirculation Page 24
July 2006 Vol 2 Issue 3
Inshore fisheries . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 - 12 Aquaculture news . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 - 24 Marine Institute new headquarters .30 - 31 Marketing and retail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lack of transparency in sea lice data - Report By Gery Flynn and Gillian Mills
A report in this newspaper calls for ``new thinking and a new approach'' to be adopted in the State-funded investigation into the causes of sea lice infestations on wild sea trout. It suggests also that there has been a lack of transparency in the way results from the programme have been handled and interpreted to date by Government scientists during the past decade-and a-half. In a hard-hitting exploration of the subject, Dr Martin O'Farrell of Aztec Management Consultants, implies that data collected at tax-payers expense is not being released by State agencies as quickly as it should be. He writes that his attempts to interpret the results of this ongoing investigation ``would be more thorough'' if he had access to relevant fisheries data collected since the turn of the century. And he claims that the data is ``in the hands of Government scientists and will probably remain there until they are published in some peer reviewed journal.'' Dr O'Farrell also describes as ``meaningless'', the past and continued sampling of sea trout post-smolt in esturaries and the lower reaches of rivers with the objective of determining sea lice burdens. He claims: ``It is possible to have high sea lice burdens on sea trout post-smolt and high sea trout rod catches in the same river in the same year, and it is also possible to have no adult sea lice reservoir in a marine
IPN outbreak confirmed By Gery Flynn
PLAYING THE LINE ON LOUGH CURRANE, CO KERRY
* On his first attempt at catching an Irish salmon, Dr John Sutphen of Noank, Conn., USA, struck it lucky when he found a Ghillie with the magic touch and more than a bit of knowledge of the `hot spots' on Kerry's Lough Currane, near Waterville. (See also pg 13) Photo: Tim Magennis
environment and to have relatively high juvenile sea trout levels on sea trout post-smolt in the same marine environment
and at the same time.'' He much less in esturarine areas concludes that sampling effort and the lower reaches of rivin the future should be focused ers.'' This, he says would result in more on the open sea ``and
Strength in Unity for all Aquaculture Producers Join to-day - call 01-4508755 or visit our web site www.ifa.ie aquaculture
a ``more balanced appraisal of the sea lice infestation status of sea trout post-smolt populations in the west of Ireland.''
IPN - Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis - is a disease found in wild and farmed fish has been detected in 2006 salmon fry hatched from eggs imported into Ireland from Scotland. According to the EU and national authorities IPN is not considered to be a serious disease and is not controlled by legislation. There have been several outbreaks of IPN in Ireland over the past 10 years, but measures taken to control it managed to curtail its impact. IPN is prevalent in Scotland and Norway. Since 2004, the Irish salmon farming industry, in co-operation with the Marine Institute, requested a testing regime from suppliers of eggs and fish from abroad, involving individual parent testing of broodstock for IPN. This is believed to be the most effective test for IPN.
Home of The Irish Salmon Growers' Association The Irish Trout Producers' Group & The Irish Shellfish Association
2
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
NEWS
Lack of transparency United dismay * Continued from page 1
Responding by email to a request from Inshore Ireland for specific information on the migratory patterns of sea trout on named rivers in the west of Ireland, an official from the Central Fisheries Board wrote that this information would be published ``later this year'' and that it would be ``inappropriate to select out aspects of the work without presenting the full scientific evaluation.'' He added that ``to forward selected information'' would lead to ``confusion and misrpresentation.''
No response
The CFB did not respond to this paper's invitation to submit a clarification for publication. Responding to questions from Inshore Ireland on the above issues, Donal Maguire, Aquaculture Development Manager with BIM Ð the State agency responsible for aquaculture development, said
that this research has not been adequate to date. ``The research being carried out is an attempt to prove a particular hypotothesis and has not been based on sound scientific principles. ``For example, we still do not even have a clear understanding of the basic population dynamics of the sea trout, because of the poor standards of the research which has been carried out.''
Over simplification
He added that it was ``oversimplifying the issue and misleading to say that there is a direct link between lice on salmon farms and poor sea trout catches.'' Maguire contends that ``analysis has shown that there is more than one factor at play, and to lay all of the blame at the feet of the salmon farmers is not right and will not begin to solve the wider problems being faced by our sea trout stocks.'' Responding to similar ques-
tions, Richie Flynn, Executive Chairman of IFA Aquaculture, the organisation representing the interests of salmon farmers declare that the debate about the cause of sea lice on sea trout ``had become poisoned through the peddling of deliberate misinformation.'' ``People should always be suspicious of anglers or the regional angling boards declaring `extinction' and `destruction' Ð it's a deliberate ploy to confuse the issue. There's never going to be an end to this debate as long as the facts are hidden and individuals or bodies using our taxes need an excuse to draw attention away from the real issues affecting wild fish and their inability to tackle them.'' He demanded: ``First, drop the by-law preventing sea trout angling in Connemara, and then install and monitor that electronic counters on important sea trout rivers, rather than letting them rust in a warehouse.''
IPN outbreak confirmed * Continued from page 1
A spokesman for the ISGA confirmed that Marine Institute, veterinary professionals and egg suppliers were working intensively to ensure that
enough fry and smolts are available for the Irish industry so that there is enough fish to go to sea in Autumn 2006 and Spring 2007, while minimising the risk of spreading IPN
to other farming sites. The August issue of Inshore Ireland will report in detail on IPN and the implications it could have for the salmon farming industry here.
with latest salmon talks Report by Gillian Mills
A recent meeting with an independent group established to review the effects of a cessation of drift net fishing for salmon, has been described by fishing organisations as ``useless''. Representatives of the commercial salmon fishing industry made the presentation to Padraig White, former IDA chief executive; John Maloney, former secretary general, Department of Agriculture and Tim Collins. Central to it was the importance of the salmon fishery to small-scale fishermen and the domino effect of a cessation on inshore fisheries in general. The delegation stressed the need for a management approach with better stock monitoring, rather than a ``totally unwarranted attempt to follow flawed advice in one fatal step'', commented LorcaÂn OÂ CinneÂide, Irish Fish Producers Organisation.
became clear that the independent group felt they were ``totally constrained'' by the terms of reference set by marine minister John Browne, ``which were purely to assess the degree of hardship that would arise by meeting scientific advice in total by 2007.
Impossible task
``This independent group comprises people of the highest calibre, but they have either been given a totally impossible task, which is simply to delay the bad newson behalf of the Government or they have been `got at' by vested interests.... which is leading them to believe they can only consider the issue in `all or nothing' terms.''
Clarification
OÂ CinneÂide nevertheless paid credit to the group for clarifying their position: ``But the basis of the exercise they are engaged in is totally futile and is a travesty. If there is no change in the ToR or the independent group, or their perception of those ToR, or in Constrained the process of assessing the According to OÂ CinneÂide it effects of a total ban on so
called mixed stock fisheries rather than a graduated and imaginative management approach over a number of years, I believe [they] should in all conscience refuse to continue to participate in such a charade,'' he said.
Disappointment
Mike Fitzpatrick of the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation also expressed his disappointed saying the process was ``of little or no use to commercial fishermen as it merely rubber-stamps the recommendations of the Standing Scientific Committee. ``We have very serious concerns with the way the scientific advice is generated. Even the scientists themselves.....acknowledge the fact that the data gathering process is compromised due to lack of resources. It is based on a series of inappropriate assumptions and generalisations.'' He added there was still time for Minister Browne to redraft the ToR ``so that our legitimate and well-founded concerns can be taken into account.''
Next issue August 2006
Aquaculture Inshore fisheries Island living Marine Tourism Seafood processing Marketing and retailing of seafood Marine engineering & technology Support industries and ancillary services Marine and freshwater policy and regulation Marine and freshwater research and development * National and international legislative frameworks regulating seafood production * The issues pertaining to the commercial exploitation and development of the marine and freshwater environments * * * * * * * * * *
Inshore Ireland keeps its readers updated on these and other such important matters. It's also the most cost-effective means of communicating with the industry and represents the perfect opportunity for you to get your message to this hugely influential audience.
Editor: Gillian Mills - 01 2354804 / 087 2902045 - mills@inshoreireland.com Features: Gery Flynn - 091 844822 / 085 7475797 - flynn@inshoreireland.com Advertising: Roger Cole - 01 2859111 / 087 2611597 - silchester@eircom.net
w w w. m a r i n e . i e
Foras na Mara
35,000 copies distributed to coastal communities on an all-island basis Contact us with your editorial and ad requirements
telephone 353 91 730 400
Marine Institute Galway Technology Park Parkmore Galway facsimile 353 91 730 470 email institute.mail@marine.ie
Don't miss out
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
3
NEWS
* The photo looks north and shows scenic Broadhaven Bay and the Scruwaddacon estuary in Erris, Co Mayo where the proposed Corrib gas pipeline comes ashore on the lower left hand side of the photo where the land
meets the sandy area. Here the pipeline crosses the sand dunes from left to the right edge of the sand, and crosses the estuary to the green fields. The pipeline route then follows through the south facing fields parallel to the edge of the shore along the Rossport peninsula
`Substantial safety margin' - provided recommendations are followed
Shay Fennelly reports from north Mayo IN
early
May,
Minister
Communications,
for
Marine
&
Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey TD, published an independent safety review by Advantica of the proposed onshore pipeline through Rossport for the Corrib gas project. To
reduce
risk,
recommends
that
Advantica pressure
(345bar) in the onshore pipeline be limited to 144bar and that
the pipeline design be revised
accordingly. They also recommend a full
reliability analysis on the sub
sea pressure control and isola-
tion
systems
to
demonstrate
effective limitation of the pres-
sure in the onshore system.
at
The consultants also looked the
potential
for
ground
movement that might damage
the pipeline due to instability of
the peat bog. They said that
ground stability issues would be
appropriately
vided
that
managed,
pro-
recommendations
made by AGEC Ltd are fol-
lowed
in
full
and
that
the
proposed construction methods
are revised.
Conditional safety Advantica point out that if it can be demonstrated that the pres-
sure in the onshore pipeline will be limited effectively and the
other recommendations are fol-
whether
proposed
garded as acceptable but notes
legislation is passed to give the
fairs
lowed, there will be a substan-
project is likely to be permitted
`there is a significant level of
Commission for Energy Regu-
Department of Communications
tial safety margin in the pipeline
and to ensure consistency of
uncertainty in the risk calcula-
lation (CER) responsibility for
Marine & Natural Resources in
design in terms of the accept-
decisions
tions at pressures as high as
gas safety on upstream installa-
the management of the project.
ability of risk. They conclude
sues''. The unusually high de-
345bar.'
tions.
PAD appears to have failed to
that the proposed design and
sign pressure (345bar) resulted
route
as
from a cautious approach to the
Consent pending
1,000 voters on the Corrib gas
the
meeting or exceeding interna-
pipeline design, such that the
pipeline conducted for The Irish
sent, safety and environmental
tional best practice and stan-
pipeline is designed to with-
Minister Dempsey has accepted
Times found only 20% believed
issues.
dards
stand
should
be
for
accepted
high
pressure
or
not
made
the
a
on
highest
safety
is-
pressure
it
could possibly experience.'
pipelines. from
the
landfall
at
Glengad 9km inland via Rossport to the proposed gas terminal at Bellanaboy bridge. (Five local people spent 94 days
in
prison
last
year
for
contempt of court for failing to obey a Court Order, awarded to Shell, not to interfere with the construction
of
the
pipeline.
The proposed onshore pipeline passes close to several houses and has caused concern over a safety
risk
due
to
its
high
pressure.) The
report
states
safety
review
only
the
design
and
that
the
addresses
route
of
the
onshore section and does not include
any
alternative
examination
project
design
of or
route options. One
of
the
review's
main
findings identified that Ireland had `no formal framework for decisions on the acceptability of different levels of risk, which should be in place to enable potential developers to gauge
Advantica
recommenda-
tions, and has requested that tional technical measures before
Fit for purpose
further consents can be given.
Advantica contends that, pro-
The Minister's Technical Ad-
vided its recommendations are
visory Group (TAG) is to act as
followed, the pipeline will be
the monitoring authority until
it
should
current believed
go
ahead
planned it
with
route;
should
go
its
(PAD)
of
the
adequately manage aspects of project's
Advantica
inspection,
suggests
con-
that,
44%
ahead of future projects, Gov-
ahead,
ernment should review the reg-
but on a different route. The Advantica report points
ulatory system so as to ensure that
an
integrity is
management
to serious questions about the
system
included
conduct of the Petroleum Af-
pipeline design stage.
from
the
`fit for purpose', but also states: `There
is
insufficient
evi-
dence at present to conclude with confidence that integrity management plans will be sufficient to ensure that the integrity
of
the
maintained high
pipeline
to
standard
a
is
sufficiently
throughout
its
life.' The report recommends that a formal integrity management plan
is
established
prior
to
construction and that an independent
audit
and
inspection
regime for both the construction and operation of the pipeline is established. Advantica also undertook an independent assessment of the levels of societal risk, which shows a significant increase in risk with increasing pressure. It concludes that the societal risk level
would
normally
be
re-
DCMNR answers Inshore Ireland's questions on foot of Minister Dempsey's statement of May 3:
Q: What is the timeframe We understand that Shell's for `imminent legislation' to experts are currently working place responsibility for gas to provide this additional insafety on upstream installa- formation. tions with the Commission Q: The Advantica report for Energy Regulation? states, inter alia : `Provided DCMNR: Certainly this year. that it can be demonstrated Possibly by the end of the that the pressure in the current term. onshore pipeline will be limQ: What is the timeframe ited effectively, and that the for implementation of advice recommendations made elseof the TAG, in particular by where in this report are requesting Shell to under- followed, we believe that take additional technical there will be a substantial measures and to provide safety margin in the pipeline documentation detailed in design, and the pipeline dethe Advantica and TAG re- sign and proposed route should be accepted as meetports? ing or exceeding internaDCMNR: No timeframe has tional standards in terms of been set by DCMNR. Shell the acceptability of risk and has to respond, and no further international best practice consents will be issued until for high pressure pipelines.' satisfactory information is reWhat is meant by `proceived and is approved by vided it can be demonTAG.
the
Shell E&P undertake the addi-
Shell E&P plans to lay this pipeline
In late May, an MRBI poll of
Division
strated...' and will it be the responsibility of CER to ensure that the pressure in the pipeline will be limited effectively?
DCMNR: It is expected that TAG will still be the safety monitoring
authority
when
further design information is received from Shell. Detailed design information, yet to be provided, must
provide cer-
tainty to TAG that the design of
the
wellhead
and
beach
valve assemblies both provide pressure limitation. CER
will
monitoring
be
the
authority
safety when
construction takes place, and will be responsible for ensuring that the systems are built and installed as per the approved design. CER will also be
responsible
for
ongoing
monitoring when the pipeline is in operation.
Public Consultation The European Commission launched a public consultation on Maritime Policy on 7 June 2006 on the basis of a Green Paper, called 'Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European vision for the oceans and seas'. The aim is to allow Europe's citizens to contribute their views on the subject of extracting more benefit from the oceans in a sustainable manner. The initiative is a response to the growing awareness of the vital role which the sea already plays as a driver of Europe's prosperity, and of its potential for providing more jobs and greater well-being. Many economic activities of Europeans (such as transport, shipping, trade, coastal and port-based industries, off-shore, traditional and alternative energies, fisheries, aquaculture, marine research and tourism) are linked to or impact on the oceans and seas. Yet currently these sectors often operate independently. The Commission hopes the Green Paper will launch a broad public debate both on the principle of the EU adopting an integrated approach to maritime activities and on the many ideas for action with a view to ensuring that we avoid conflict and optimise our returns from the sea, combining economic growth with effective protection of the marine environment and greater stakeholder participation. The Commission intends to spend the next year listening to what stakeholders have to say. The European Commission Representation in Ireland will also be holding an event to debate the issue later this year. To find out more about the public consultation on Maritime Policy and to submit your contribution, please visit this website: http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy_en.html. The Green Paper and supporting documents can be downloaded from the same site.
The public consultation closes on
30 June 2007.
4
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
NEWS
Exchange of opinions over alleged over-fishing IN
a
recent
Da  il
exchange
is not on record in this House;
a point of clarification, the cut-
marine
no proof has been offered to
back
spokesperson, John Perry, and
support these allegations, which
related
companies offering marine survey services
marine minister, John Browne,
have led to 30,000 tonnes being
current
deputy Perry referred to a letter
cut from the quota this year.''
30,000 tonnes.
for the 2006 INFOMAR programme.
from former marine minister Pat the Cope Gallagher to Commis-
Response
and has come about as a result
sioner Borg regarding alleged
In response, Minister Browne
Invitation for Expressions of Interest from
The Marine Institute and Geological Survey of Ireland are commencing an integrated mapping programme of Irish inshore bays and harbours. Operations are planned in the Shannon Estuary, and Bantry, Dunmanus and Dingle Bays between July and October 2006. Submissions of interest are sought from vendors of the following services: . Inshore geophysical and Order 1 hydrographic survey - vessel / equipment / operators . Marine geological and benthic sample acquisition and/or processing . Vessel supply for marine environmental monitoring in support of LIDAR airborne survey . Underwater engineer, hydrographic surveyor, multibeam data processing and marine geophysical consultancy . Marine survey equipment hire - multibeam & single beam echo sounders, tide gauges, magnetometers, sampling equipment and ROVs. Suitable vendors will be added to the Marine Institute vendor list and considered should the above services go to Tender.
between
Fine
Gael
over-fishing by Irish vessels. ``The former Minister alleged he
had
information
on
file
which he would bring to the attention
of
Commissioner
Borg. Why was this information not put on the record in the Da  il?
said the information was in the public domain and that it was being dealt with under Scottish jurisdiction. ``I attended a meeting with Commissioner Borg. The Commission intends to take 6,500
Marine Institute, Renville, Oranmore, Galway, Ireland. Email:
pauline.flaherty@marine.ie Subject : INFOMAR EoI
tonnes
2003
figure
[sic]
whereas
was,
in
the fact,
of unproven allegations. Why was this matter reported to the EU
without
any
proof
being
offered?'' he asked. Minister Browne retorted that the actual figure was 37,500 tonnes. ``A total of 6,500 tonnes is being deducted at the moment, while the remainder is up for
Public domain
fishing.
dealt with under Scottish jur-
about matters being dealt with
``If the Minister is in possession
isdiction so we cannot inter-
over the last number of months
of this information, could he
fere.''
by the Scottish authorities is in
place it in the public domain? It
The
matter
is
being
Deputy Perry replied that, on
negotiation.
The
information
the public view,'' he said.
Agreement reached on new 4bn European Fisheries fund AT
the
June
EU
fisheries
council, agreement was reached
protect
ticularly relevant to the Irish seafood
sector,''
commented
Minister Browne said he was ``particularly
enthusiastic''
natural
* *
*
Minister
include
eco-tour-
regeneration
of
coastal areas and measures to
re-
fishermen under the age of 40
Funding for aquaculture, inland
who
fishing
assistance to buy their first boat
and
processing
and
marketing of fisheries products.
would
be
eligible
for
under certain conditions.
Funding for fishery ports and
Significant funding will go
the promotion and develop-
towards stock conservation and
ment of new markets.
the protection of vulnerable fish
Sustainable
development
of
``These priorities embrace all
projects,
also
nity fishing fleet.
relating to sustainable developInitiatives
Browne
ferred to the support for young
coastal areas.
ism
shellfish sector.''
Measures to adapt the commu-
about new elements in the Fund ment of the coastal sector.
methods, development of aquaculture in new species and the
main priority areas:
*
Enthusiastic
enhance
The agreement contains four
on a new 4 billion European initiatives that will ``prove par-
and
heritage.
marine minister, John Browne.
Pauline NÏ Fhlatharta,
6,000
to
``This cutback relates to 2005
tonnes of stock back from Irish
Fisheries Fund, which contains
Interested parties should send their requests for terms of reference and submission to:
of
stocks. This will include vessel decommissioning
schemes,
in-
the areas in which Ireland has
vestment to improve on board
an interest, i.e. stock conserva-
safety, working conditions, pro-
tion, development of more en-
duct and hygiene quality and
vironmentally-friendly
more selective fishing gear.
fishing
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
5
Publically funded Information and our right to it
Maritime circles and CJ Haughey
THIS paper notes the passing of Charles
sure way of gauging how far any society
very hard to come by, and there are those
the tax-payer should be available to all which
has travelled along the path to maturity is to
who would like to hold on to it and use it for
is mark of a mature society
observe the way it deals with the flow of
their own advantage. Conversely, there are
What were they afraid of?
information.
those who want information and often have
Could it be simply a natural instinct - often
A
Information
has
always
been
a
prevent the public from knowing too much?
to
paper that information, collected over many
If it was as benign as this then perhaps it
access it, has achieved unprecedented status.
years by publicly-funded bodies, has been
might even be excusable.
information
and
the
freedom
slow
Ireland has come a long way from the days when
access
to
practically
any
kind
in
finding
domain
of
its
because it.
way
those
This
in
into
the
public
Any suggestion that the public is being
were
denied access to information which has been
controlling itself
is
information was reserved for the rich and
preventing
powerful.
unusual but surely, information that has been
not
circles
from
Carlingford
to
of Dingle. There
he
funding
of
was the
responsible
Harbour,
that
for it
the
might
provide benefit to the fishing community, and for the 50 berth marina so that yachtsmen could enjoy safe anchorage while sailing the rugged waters off the West coast of Ireland.
Ð Gery Flynn
paid for has to be challenged.
really
GM
Features Editor
gathered by public servants and paid for by
History shows that information is often
maritime
Kerry and especially in the fishing port
Allegations have been made in this news-
internet,
J Haughey. He would have be known in
lampooned - among some public servants to
to go to great lengths to acquire it.
very
valuable commodity. But in the age of the
tnemmoC
COMMENT
OBITUARY Ð Charles J Haughey OBITUARY Ð Capt. John Allen intuitive seamen who is always and personal capacities and was
THE Irish maritime community
in
is a great sadness for the fishing
greatly
lost one of its best known and
whether big or small, irrespec-
and coastal communities of Ire-
their futures.
most
tive of weather conditions. He
THE
death of Charlie Haughey
committed
to
securing
flamboyant
characters
total
control
of
his
craft,
John
was a superb ship handler, even
na an iar-Thaoisigh - agus is mo Â
E. Allen on 9 May last. Affec-
in the most restricted sea-room
locht a bhõ Â air - ach i bhfad na
tionately known as Phatz (the
or potentially dangerous situa-
bered many in the fishing com-
h-aimsire,
spelling was his own), he was
tions
munity as his closest and most
tuiscint nõ Âos fearr ar an iliomad
born
time to time in the course of the
trusted friends.
maitheas a dhein se  don tõ Âr le
Road, Sandymount, Dublin.
land. He had a lifelong passion
Ta  mora  n de  anta do lochtan-
for the sea and a huge interest in marine
and
fishing.
He
num-
bhfe Âidir
go
mbeidh
As Taoiseach, he gave prac-
linn saol fada poiblõ Â. Bhõ Â gra Â
tical expression to this commit-
speisialta aige do lucht farraige
ment
by
insisting
on
the
agus
establishment of a Cabinet level
marine
portfolio,
and
of
the
marine
terms
by
in
national
his
succes-
ge Âarchu  iseach, development of the port which proved
sors. CJH
is
of
course
indelibly
associated with west Kerry and
to
be
significant
an
and
enormously
beneficial
in-
vestment.
Dingle. The fishing community
However, his interest and his
of Dingle erected a bust in his
deep knowledge of all aspects
honour
of marine was experienced all
last
August
and
re-
mained among his most staunch
over
supporters
particular
and
admirers.
He
the
coast
and
affinity
a
off-
from
his
the late 1940s and as Taoiseach
annual retreat to Inishvickillane,
was
he
fishing
and
a
marine
major
tourism
visited
Apart
had
the
shore
for
islands.
he
for
visited the area annually from responsible
agus
 hEochaidh, fear sal e  Cathal O
ment at the subsequent downof
fe Âin,
Go pearsanta, ba dhuine ua-
he expressed deep disappoint-
political
fharraige
iascaireachta.
Marine Institute. In latter years,
grading
don
bhõ Â ard-mheas air i measc lucht
practically
all
the
cinea  lta,
tuisci-
neach, comhluadar iontach, fear go raibh re  imse leathan a  bhair a raibh mion-eolas agus suim aige iontu.
Is
cailliuint
mo Âr
e Â
da Â
mho  ra  n cairde agus go ha  irithe da Â
bhean
Eimear, agus
Ma  irõ Ân,
a
chlann
Conchubhair,
Ciara  n.
Sea Ân
Deinimõ Âd
comh-
bhro  n leo in am seo a mbuartha. Beannacht De  le hAnam na Marbh.
*
populated islands in his official
with
the
death
of
Capt.
and reared on
St John's
confined inshore work. When M.V. Atlanta was sold
sea,
replacement
before
closing
the
years
mast,
of
in
the
the
Gray
Second
chosen way of life like a duck
Dun
Laoghaire
to
used
it
enthusiasm
for
regularly
as
a
and
house-
temporary
replacement
and
John, who was now the Servi-
seafaring in its traditional care-
boat. An invitation aboard guar-
ce's
free sense was further fired by a
anteed a lively evening for he
pointed in command. It was a
spirit of great exuberance which
loved
large, powerful vessel, techni-
he carried with him to the end
Mariner's `Jolly'.
nothing
better
than
a
senior
cally
John then passed his Master
of an eventful life.
the
and
captain,
was
operationally
traditional
buoy
ap-
unlike
tenders,
Mariner's examination and took
particularly in that all its poten-
shipping companies during the
up
tial
1940s,
1st Officer in the Dublin Gas
were on its afterdeck, as distinct
ship and trading to many dif-
Company's
from
ferent parts of the world, in a
plied between Dublin and Li-
working
period when a sailor could pick
verpool.
existing ships.
He
remained
with
moving
British
from
E v e n t u a l l y, on
in
ship
the
completion sea-going
to
early of
his
time,
he
temporary
On
1
employment
steamers
December,
as
which
l958
buoy-working the
John
he
traditional
facilities foredeck-
arrangements went
ahead
on
the
and
per-
joined the Steamer Service of
fected the use of this ship, not
the
Irish
only in general buoy work but
Lights as 2nd Officer on board
also in heavy cable and anchor-
Commissioners
Isolda.
the
S.S.
on
the
long that he had made a change
sis.
in
for the best as he enjoyed the
pioneering
preparation for his Second Of-
frequent
the
regard that the stern deck work-
ficer's examination.
unusual
inshore
ing alternative was adopted in
studying
Irish
Nautical
West
Pier,
College
Dun
Laoghaire,
He
of
at
commenced
knew
boat-work nature
of
before
and
the
handling work on contract baSo
successful
were
operations
his
in
this
John was a very bright stu-
operations. In due course, and
the
dent and had no trouble assim-
soon after his marriage to Pau-
sioners new Granuaile, which
building
of
the
Commis-
and cohesive course through the
ilating
of
line, he was transferred to the
was launched in 2000, and has
Chile on 22 March of Dr Vigfu Âs
challenging
subjects, giving him ample time
S.S. Ierne which was based at
since
Jo  hannsson.
dustry was experiencing.
to enjoy a boisterous shore life.
Castletownbere, Co Cork, from
future state-of-the-art buoy ten-
In the relaxed atmosphere of the
where the vessel serviced all the
ders.
class-rooms of the period, how-
lighthouses
ever, his dog,
to
southwest coast of Ireland. Here
Irish
accompany him during college
the newly-married couple set up
1992,
lectures
an of
Icelander fire
and
from
ice'
it
the
try difficulties, coupled with his enormous
industry that included high seas,
management
and
of
course
all these sectors was immense,
of Stofnfiskur Ireland Ltd based
and
at Corrandulla in Co Galway.
recognised
the
impor-
Vigfu  s became MD of Stofn-
fiskur
Hf
-
Iceland's
largest
mily-selection
programme
that
was available to the whole Irish
at
salmon Industry and the vision
its foundation in 1991 and lead
he had then is now bearing fruit
the company up to his untimely
as this work continues.
producer
death.
of
In
established
links
with
salmon
the
eggs
-
he
As president of the Interna-
commercial
tional Salmon Farmers Associa-
and
tion
mid-1990s
strong Ireland
within
three years he became a director
of
the
from
2000
vice-president
to
2002
from
(and
1998
to
the
most
Tostal, used
bimonthly
by
Agricultural
Farmers Journal and the
Field, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12
Editor Gillian Mills
mills@inshoreireland.com
Production & imaging
01-2354804/087-2902045
Irish Farmers Journal
Features editor
Advertising manager
Gery Flynn
Roger Cole
flynn@inshoreireland.com
silchester@eircom.net
091-844822/085-7475797
01-2859111/087-2611597
the
for
When John retired from the Lighthouse he
Service
promptly
in
eschewed
the
spect and continued his seafar-
stewardship of the ISFA a very
day
that beautiful coastal area, with
ing
real
Walsh, trod on the dog's tail and
gusto.
various
achievement
during
an
evolving process.
by
his
Iceland
friends and
colleagues
Ireland
Tom
He
-
and
on
a
captain
on
the
ferries
that
the mainland. He remained in
in
ejected onto the East Pier and
by the nature of the ship's ever
this employment for a further
in
sat,
changing
14
selective
fitting tribute to the work that he initiated. Peter McGovern.
Tostal
was
thereafter,
dow
nearest
desk,
where
to he
consoled
by
comfort,
and
odd
under the
the Irish Times, 10
The publishers do not accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors and advertisers. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy of information contained in Inshore Ireland, we do not accept responsibility for any errors, or matters arising from same.
was
was
Marietta
years,
bringing
his
total
regularly
arranging
ible period of 61 years Ð surely
words
thrown
biscuit,
shortly
To
active sea service to an incred-
of the
filched
the
afterwards
building
of
a
racing skiff and the training of a
crew
of
John will be remembered for
oarsmen from among the ship's
many things: he made numer-
tional
very
a record?
enthusiastic
company.
He sailed through his examand
schedule.
this end he was instrumental in
from the janitor's kitchen. ination
work
master's
his
John's
win-
extremely
as
passenger
service the Aran Islands from
tion.
worked
career
hard
breeding programme will be a
*
Capt.
pro-
but enjoyed the leisure afforded
A successful Irish aquaculture based
principal,
armchair-and-slippers
summarily
particular those at Corrandulla.
industry
the
would
was promptly bitten in retalia-
Ð 16 D'Olier St, Dublin 2
Irish
on
prototype
work pattern and shore life of
Printed by
Trust, publishers of the Irish
buoys
a
home and John entered into the
is published the
and
become
snooze
and
Ierne's
The
requirements
opera-
frequently
ous good friends, loved life and, in
passing,
fitted in with the various sum-
legacy
of
left
behind
stories
him
about
a
his
on the
mer regattas around the south-
unconventional and sometimes
Wexford Steamship Company's
west coast, where John and his
hilarious lifestyle that will far
M/V Menapia, which was en-
crew
enter
outlive his generation. He was a
gaged in the foreign and home
for every skiff-racing event on
fine seaman and a clever crafts-
trades. For the following seven
the card. His crew were very
man
years,
skilful
build a boat, repair an engine or
joined, as 2nd
Inshore Ireland
complex
quietly on the floor until one
Vigfu  s will be deeply missed
He introduced a salmon fa-
tance of their interactions.
knowledge
aquaculture industry made his
rive r
aquaculture. His knowledge of he
in-
awareness of, individual coun-
pursue a career in the fisheries d eve lopm ent,
the
His genuine concern for, and
was
only natural that Vigfu  s would
ins hore
that
clear
harbour
record here the tragic death in
times
a
M.V. diving
2000),
As
steered
the
former
Clansman) was purchased as a
Empire Coral, and took to his His
ship, (a
support vessel named Seaforth
World War, on the RFA tanker,
water.
Seal,
IT is with great sadness that we
`land
Vigfu Âs
from
out of the Service in 1988, a
mandatory
OBITUARY Ð Dr VigfuÂs JoÂhannsson
arise
drew's College and first went to
1950s,
Producers Organisation.
could
He was educated at St An-
and chose exotic destinations.
 Cinne Lorca Ân O Âide, Irish Fish
which
when
Officer
not
at
home
for
of
oarsmen
and
won
would
a
number
of
who
could
carve
timber,
study leave, he became a well-
prizes but were never quite up
turn
known
tireless
to the standards of the best of
thing. He lived a long, exciting
evening reveller at the various
the local Cork and Kerry row-
and colourful life and was never
sea ports in Spain, Portugal and
ing teams.
known
caller
and
a
In
the near continent, as well as his
the
served
home ports.
following
as
Second
years and
he
then
his
hand
to
to
hold
almost
a
any-
grudge
or
speak ill of his fellow man. His
colleagues
extend
their
college for
Chief Officer on all four of the
deepest sympathy to his wife,
further study he bought a small
Lighthouse Service's ships, and
Pauline, and his family, and to
in
all who held him dear.
On
returning to
fishing
boat,
which
when
Pride of Bantry, ashore
he
kept
moored alongside the quay in
1979
pointed
was in
eventually
command
of
apM.V.
Atlanta. John was one of those
May he rest in peace. O.M.D.
6
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
REPORT
Sea lice infestation of sea trout Ă? so what have we learned? Dr Martin O'Farrell explores the issue
ESTABLISHED in the early 1990s, an ongoing programme of investigation into sea lice burdens on sea trout post-smolt captured at various locations (open sea, estuaries, lower reaches of rivers) by various methods (gill-nets, seine nets, upstream traps, trawls) and funded by the Central Fisheries Board has been in operation throughout the west of Ireland. The programme was initiated after the collapse of sea trout populations in the west of Ireland in 1989/1990. The collapse was characterised by the premature return to freshwater of sea trout postsmolts with heavy sea lice infestation; lice infestation predominated by juvenile lice; a collapse in sea trout rod catches and a change in sea trout population structure. (Sea lice infestation levels higher than 55 per sea trout post-smolt are considered detrimental to the survival of the host.) Various publications have linked juvenile sea lice infestation on sea trout post-smolt to sea lice emanating from nearby salmon farms (<20km distant). Interpretation
This article attempts to interpret the results of this ongoing investigation and makes recommendations for the future. This interpretation would be more thorough if I had access to relevant fisheries data collected since the turn of the century (e.g. fish counter data from the Erriff and Casla river systems; fish trap data from the Invermore and Gowla). These data, however, are in the hands of government scientists and will probably remain there until they are published in some peer reviewed journal. God be with the days of the Department of the Marine's Sea Trout Working Group (19921995) when sea trout data of all types were shared openly between government and nongovernment scientists. Nowadays, important fisheries data Ă? collected at the taxpayer's expense Ă? remain undisclosed until their eventual publication. It is useful to quote the field sampling statements in these sea lice monitoring reports:
`Sampling was carried out in the middle and upper reaches of estuaries. Observations at a number of sites in Ireland since 1989 indicated that post-smolts can be present in estuaries in May and June. These fish may be representative of the general post-smolt population although there is also strong evidence that fish that have heavy infestation return prematurely to freshwater and are therefore more likely to be captured in estuarine locations.' Key consideration
The statement that the fish sampled in estuaries `may be representative' of the general sea trout post-smolt population is a key consideration. Before the 1989/1990 collapse, in the region of 140,000 sea trout smolt migrated annually from sea trout-producing
* Various publications have linked juvenile sea lice infestation on sea trout post-smolt to sea lice emanating from nearby salmon farms.
catchments throughout Connemara and south Mayo. Survival to post-smolt (finnock) averaged 21% over many years on the Burrishoole River system. In the past decade or so, salmon smolt survival has decreased significantly. So has sea trout smolt survival. Judging from recent reports and publications, sea trout smolt survival to first return as post-smolt depending on which catchment is being intensively interrogated - is in the region of 10%. Thus, almost nine out of every 10 sea trout smolt die within three months of migrating to sea. Before salmon farming commenced off the west coast of Ireland in the early 1980s, what caused almost four out of every five sea trout smolt to perish within three months of migrating to sea? Where did they die, and where would we have found these `compromised' (dead or dying) fish if we had looked for them? The present reality is that there are two sea trout postsmolt components during the period May 1 to June 15. One component is healthy and at sea, and the other is compromised. As the dead/dying component outnumbers the healthy component by perhaps nine to one, it might be expected that we have a better chance of locating the dead/dying component. Assessment location
In assessing the summaries/conclusions of the CFB reports, sea trout post-smolt infestation mean abundance levels were examined for one geographic area, Killary Harbour. Mean abundance equals the mean number of sea lice on all fish examined for lice infestation. The available data on sea trout rod catches and sea lice infestation levels on sea trout post-smolt are given in Table 1. The rod catch data are taken from the Delphi Fishery website (www.delphisalmon.com) and from the Erriff fishery annual newsletter (www.wrfb.ie). The objective of this analysis is to see if there are any trends/ relationships in sea trout postsmolt infestation data and to relate these data to sea trout rod catches. It is important to note that sea trout post-smolt predominate in the catches of recreational fisheries in the west of Ireland.
TABLE 1 SEA LICE INFESTATION AND SEA TROUT ROD CATCHES
Year 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Sea Lice Mean abundance Erriff Delphi Killary 0.0 31.3 32.1 18.2 14.7 19.0 60.1 55.2 88.1 82.4 106.8 21.5 11.0 42.2 87.8 20.1 30.2 1.2 0.3 41.4 40.2 11.2 42.5 24.9 67.1 63.8 10.3
Rod catches Erriff 293 217 318 202 263 466 520 637 321 344 282 142 127 79
Delphi 484 660 709 181 412 446 769 667 345 519 568 128 174 98
There is a significant positive relationship between sea trout rod catches on both fisheries (figure 1). There is also a significant positive relationship between sea lice infestation levels on sea trout post-smolt captured on the lower reaches of the Erriff and Bundorragha (Delphi) rivers (figure 2).
In 1992, Killary Salmon Company had no adult salmon in cages, and salmon smolt were stocked at the usual time during spring. Therefore, no adult sea lice reservoir associated with salmon aquaculture activities existed in Killary Harbour during the spring of 1992.
Relationship trends
High infestation
Having regard to the difficulties encountered in the interpretation of sea trout rod catch data (fishing effort, available stock, catch and release by-law etc), the relationship between rod catch and sea lice mean abundance data for the same year was examined. In the case of the Erriff (figure 3) no significant relationship was found. Similarly, no significant linear relationship was found between sea lice mean abundance and sea trout rod catch in the same year on the Delphi Fishery (figure 4). The conclusion to this analysis must therefore be that sea lice infestation levels on sea trout post-smolt examined in the estuary/lower reach of a river have no bearing on the health status of the sea trout post-smolt population of that river. Finally, the sea lice mean abundance on sea trout postsmolt sampled at sea in Killary Harbour in the years 1992, 1996, 2004 and 2005 were compared with sea trout rod catches on the Erriff and Delphi fisheries in those years. There is no evidence to suggest that years of low sea lice mean abundance on sea trout postsmolt sampled in Killary Harbour correspond with high rod catches or vice versa.
Nevertheless, the mean abundance of sea lice on sea trout post-smolt sampled in Killary Harbour during the period 1 May to 15 June 1992 was 31.1 per fish (a relatively high mean abundance sea lice infestation level). Where did these juvenile sea lice come from? Where did the sea trout post-smolt come from? Gargan et al. (2002) explained the above relatively high infestation level as follows: `This may be due to the
model above treating bays as isolated units and variation around the model may be due to movement of fish out of the bays where different lice infestation may be encountered and subsequent return to the bay, or the inclusion of sea trout not native to the bay in the sample.'
Some explanation that! Codswallop! Note that in 1992, with no sea lice reservoir in Killary Harbour, sea trout rod catches on the Delphi and Erriff fisheries remained relatively low. This fact has received little or no attention from government scientists investigating the collapse of sea trout populations in the mid-west of Ireland. Interestingly, in a paper soon to be published, Gargan et al. (2006) describe exceptionally low sea trout post-smolt survi-
val rates for the Owengowla River over a 10 year period (1992-2001) with the exception of a single year when prolonged whole-bay spring fallowing of marine salmon farms took place in Bertraghboy Bay. In that one year, marine survival rates of sea trout smolt increased and it was concluded that whole-bay spring fallowing had a positive effect on sea trout smolt marine survival. Conversely, they suggest that the sea trout stock collapse on Ireland's west coast was contributed to by sea lice infestation from marine salmon farms. Meaningless sampling
This article demonstrates that sea trout events following a period of fallowing do not run true and should be interpreted with caution. It also demonstrates the meaninglessness of past and continued sampling of sea trout post-smolt in estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers with the
objective of determining sea lice burdens. It is possible to have high sea lice burdens on sea trout postsmolt and high sea trout rod catches in the same river in the same year. It is also possible to have no adult sea lice reservoir in a marine environment and to have relatively high juvenile sea lice levels on sea trout postsmolt in the same marine environment and at the same time. The thinking behind the government-sponsored sea trout/sea lice programme of investigation/monitoring needs to be addressed and a new approach needs to be adopted. Future sea trout post-smolt monitoring should devote much more sampling effort to the open sea and much less to estuarine areas and the lower reaches of rivers in order to obtain a more balanced appraisal of the sea lice infestation status of sea trout post-smolt populations in the west of Ireland.
8
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
REPORT
Poor public awareness of pending impact of water rules
Report by Gery Flynn MANAGERS of the Western River Basin District Project one of the eight all-island bodies charged with ensuring that Ireland complies with tough EU-prescribed deadlines in the run-up to full implementation of the Water Framework Directive in 2015 - have acknowledged there is low public awareness of the issues involved. Dr Paddy Kavanagh, project manager of the Galway-based WRBD Project and a senior consultant with ESB International, says that a key challenge now is to ``get the message out to the man and woman in the street that this Directive is going to impact on them sooner or later.'' He says that despite the fact that many of the specialist focus groups and NGOs are quite well-informed about the Directive and its implications, ``this is a very small percentage of the total. We have to reach the public who are so busy getting on with their daily lives that they seldom think about water and even take it for granted.''
Timescale of the WFD Key Dates December 2003 December 2004 December 2006 December 2008 December 2009 December 2015 ESBI Computing
Poor attendance
Kavanagh says that proof of this was evident at a recent presentation by the WRBD project to the Corrib-MaskConn Angling Federation in Oughterard which attracted an audience of 400. A similar event held in Galway city, however, was poorly attended.
Requirement National and Regional water laws to be adapted to the WFD. River Basin co-operation to be made operational. An analysis of pressures and impacts on our waters has to be completed including an economic analyis - Characterisation Report. Monitoring programmes have to be operational as a basis for the water management. River Basin Management plans to be presented to the public. First River Basin Management Plans to be published. Waters to meet 'good status'
``These people around the lakes would be very well aware of water quality problems particularly because that is the source of their drinking water and they are already concerned. But we now have to start
gone into ensuring that local authority personnel throughout the region are being kept up to date about every aspect of the pending legislation. ``We have been integrating with the local authorities at every opportunity through a series of technical open days where their staff have come in and have seen at close hand how the WRBD project does its work. The local authorities are also involved in the steering group, and they have a say in what's happening nationally so they know what the implicaplanning a campaign to make tions are likely to be,'' Kavathe public at large more aware nagh says. of what this Directive is all Potential contentious about and of what is coming down the track.'' Kavanagh says that a lot of issue time and effort had already Addressing the issue of resour-
cing for local authorities, Pat Canney, project co-ordinator and local authority employee concedes that this has the potential to become a contentious issue. Criticisms have already been voiced that problems will arise once the local authorities take over from the consultants in 2008 and attempt to drive it to completion in 2015. Canney is optimistic, however, that it is only a matter of time before Government deals with this issue and that there will be no danger of any slowdown due to the lack of funding or expertise in the local authorities. ``From the start date in 2000, none of the projects were fully resourced but the Department of the Environment stepped in and allocated the extra funds to keep
them going to the end of 2008. So I would be confident that if it allocates the necessary infrastructure in relation to the management of natural water, they will hardly let it go by the way now,'' he contends Pointing to the variety of expertise among those employed in the project already, Canney says that this was what ensured that all deadlines were met. He is confident that this will continue. ``It has been incredible seeing how this work has been done so far. The way the Characterisation Report was prepared, and how everything was so well streamlined by the national coordination group and the technical group of the EPA so that duplication was avoided and deadlines were met.''
Water Framework Directive implementation poses challenges ADMINISTRATIVE issues as opposed to technology issues are those most difficult to surmount on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, according to a presentationĂ&#x201A; at Eco-Imagine. GearoĂ&#x201A;id O Riain of Dublinbased Compass Informatics outlined the progress on a range of technical issues and noted how these are dependent on various people and organisation-related issues. Under the Directive, which aims to create good quality surface, ground and coastal waters throughout Europe, there is a great need for new and accurate datasets to be created and also shared. This has led to the initiative to establish a range of national standard data structures and datasets by Compass and the setup of data exchange systems by the EPA. This departure is challenging many organisations to alter their mindset - from creating and keeping data for their own use - to designing data with the uses of others in mind and in opening up that data for those others. The
challenges arise from personal to national and European level, where policies on obligatory data sharing and freedom are being pursued by a range of Directives - including Freedom of Information, but also a Directive on Reuse of Public Sector Information, and the proposed INSPIRE directive on spatial data sharing.
Implementing the Directive
Implementation of the Directive is bringing these issues to the fore and is progressing in a hands-on way the development of many new and practical datasets and systems including seamless islandwide registers of rivers, lakes, coastal waters, protected areas, as well as national registers of point features such as licensed discharge points to rivers and sewer overflows which are fundamental to robust water quality management. It is also bringing the use of some technologies from being theoretically useful to a point where they are practically very useful - such as field
data recording systems and GPS, highly detailed aerial digital photography, telemetry and sensor technologies. These approaches offer efficient and high quality systems for data collection. At the same time GIS is also playing an indispensable role in management, analysis and presentation of data, and linking for example to catchment and coastal models for predicting water quality and impacts of human activities. Over the coming years there will be a greater focus on monitoring of our waters and also in actions planning to ensure good quality water. This will both increase the workload and roles for geographic technologies such as those that Compass Informatics specialises in, and will focus a critical eye on the data and methods used to decide on measures - measures that are likely to impact significantly on agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, industrial discharges, rural housing, and urban planning.
*
The PRISM webmap system for showing wind, waves, currents and temperatures for the Irish Sea illustrates the value of digital data analysis and presentation systems. (www.prism.ie - live mapping system for the public forthcoming).
GIS and integrated coastal zone management THE important role of GIS in the Water Framework Directive was the primary focus of a recent conference entitled Building Coastal Knowledge and Geographic Information. The conference explored how Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be used as a tool to analyse, visualise and share data collected from water quality sampling sites, in addition to
other datasets pertaining to land-use, geology and waste disposal, for example. Expert speakers who presented their views on current state-of-the-art approaches included Philippe Crouzet, European Environment Agency and Roger Longhorn, EU MOTIIVE project. The event was hosted by UCC's Coastal & Marine Re-
sources Centre and the Department of Geography, leaders in the application of GIS to coastal scenarios. The event was one of a fouryear series of European conferences and workshops on Coastal GIS entitled Eco-Imagine, led by GISIG and ICCOPS in Italy and funded by the Marie Curie Programme.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
9
WATER MANAGEMENT
1,000 kilometres of navigable inland waterways By Aoife Morrissy, Waterways Ireland
WATERWAYS Ireland is one of six North-South Implementation Bodies established in 1999 under the British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999, and the supplementary North/South cooperation (Implementation Bodies) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999. Waterways Ireland is responsible for the management, maintenance, development and restoration of the inland navigable waterway system throughout the island of Ireland, principally for recreational purposes. The waterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland are the Lower Bann Navigation; the Erne System; the Shannon-Erne Waterway; the Shannon Navigation; the Barrow Navigation; the Grand Canal and the Royal Canal. The aim of Waterways Ireland is to develop the potential of the inland waterways, and hence provide the incentive for local development to complement the boating industry and general tourism industry. Waterways Ireland aims to maximise the potential of the waterways resource by attracting visitors to local areas and thus enhancing local development opportunities.
* Jamestown Canal.
Photo: G Mills
* Completed works at Abbeyshrule, Co Longford. Photo: Waterways Ireland
Royal Canal restoration in Longford
The third and final phase of the Royal Canal Restoration Programme is currently underway. This phase will see the Royal Canal restored from Abbeyshrule to the Shannon Navigation at Clondra, and involves dredging the Navigation, restoring * lock chambers and installing lock gates, bog restoration work and a bridge replacement pro- Canal to navigation in 1961, were built on. To restore the gramme for culverted bridges. sections of the canal were filled Canal as a waterway, it is After the closure of the Royal with pipes and concrete and necessary to remove these culverts and to re-establish the navigation route. The third phase of the bridge replace`One-stop-shop' for ment programme involves the following restoration works: * Carnadoe Waters.
information on biological invasions in Europe
THE European Commission * other factors involved. and summarise ecois supporting the establish- Assess economic and health ment of an Alien Species logical, and impacts of the most Expertise Registry to gather risks and/or noxious data on species alien to Eur- widespread species in Europe. ope or likely to become so. * invasive data and the The registry, which is Use distribution of the individual being co-ordinated by DAI- experiences states as a frameSIE (Delivering Alien Inva- member for considering indicasive Inventories for Europe) work for early warning. aims to gather information tors Within a couple of months from experts in all world DAISIE to have the regions covering all biota. majority ofhopes experts and their In particular, the registry area of expertise entered into will: * Create an inventory of inva- the database. A main purpose sive species that threaten of the project is to evaluate European terrestrial, fresh- areas where taxonomic exwater and marine environ- pertise may need to be develments. * Structure the inventory to oped. The DAISIE registry is provide the basis for preven- open to the public, Governtion and control of biological ment bodies stakeholders invasions through the under- and can beandaccessed on standing of the environmental, social, economic and www.daisie.ckff.si.
Photo: G Mills
Waterways Ireland recently completed work on a new lifting rail bridge and a fixed road bridge with Bord na MoĂ&#x201A;na, to replace two low level fixed crossings over the Canal. * In the village of Abbeyshrule
the low level culvert which was used to carry the road across the canal has been removed. Work on re-opening Webb's Bridge, which involved realigning the road to approach the masonry arch bridge, has been completed. * In Ballymahon, the existing Longford Bridge and the road leading to it is nearly at water level, preventing the passage of boats. Work has just com-
menced to build a new bridge and approach roads. * At Begnagh, a fully automated lifting bridge will be installed to replace the existing low level culvert. Work is due to commence in the summer with completion due by the end of 2006. * At Mosstown and Lyneen Bridges, various options are currently being considered to remove the obstructions to na-
vigation, with completion due in 2007.
The Restoration of the Royal Canal will create a triangular route that will enable boats from the Shannon Navigation to travel to Dublin via the Royal Canal, and back to the Shannon via the Grand Canal. In doing so, the Royal Canal will provide new and attractive recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.
"Protect ourWater"
A new approach to protecting our Water Resources
Water resources across Europe are facing increasing pressures. Now is the time to face the challenges and preserve water quality and supplies for future generations. As part of the Water Framework Directive, the island of Ireland has been divided into eight River Basin Districts. The Western River Basin District includes parts of Clare, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo. Under Article 14 of the Water Framework Directive, the Western River Basin District is obliged to provide a timetable and work programme on the development of a River Basin Management Plan for public consultation. You should be prepared to participate whether you are involved in agriculture, waste disposal activities, forestry, tourism, quarrying, peat harvesting, general industry, fishing, or as a citizen using water everyday. For further information, please visit our Website: www.westernrbd.ie or www.wfdireland.ie Telephone 091-746804.
10
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
Recirculation technology may enhance lobster prices INSHORE FISHERIES
Gery Flynn reports
STORAGE systems using sophisticated recirculation technology are likely to become more common in Ireland to hold back lobsters from the marketplace when production is at its highest and prices to producers are at their lowest, a conference on the management of lobster fisheries heard. ``The huge seasonality in the market price of lobster can vary from 12-33 per kilo, a range of more than 100% that reflects the unevenness of supply and demand,'' Oliver Tully of the Inshore Fisheries Section of BIM said in Galway. ``As production increases in the UK, France, and Ireland in summer, prices fall. Production declines in September due to decreasing fishing activity, and demand increases in OctoberNovember in preparation for the Christmas market. Prices remain high from January to March, again due to very low production.'' Tully said that with European lobster production totalling 3,000 tonnes annually, the 20 to 30 tonnes maximum which Irish producers hold back would not influence the capacity of that market in any way. ``Technology currently used in Ireland to store lobster generally does not allow storage for more than two to three months and is not generally used for
more than two weeks. This is insufficient time to allow Irish producers to take advantage of seasonal price variation. The fact is, with figures like that, we are not even at the races,'' he added.
Available options
Outlining the options available, from the simplest and cheapest low-density flow-through units to the most expensive high density stacked systems, incorporating control and advanced recirculation technology to maintain conditions at a premium,Tully said that careful handling was crucial from the moment of landing to the time of storage. He predicted that appropriate holding systems in the future were likely to be ``land-based and self-contained, with up to 99.9% recirculation and be custom-designed for different capacity requirements, with lobsters housed in stacks of trays which have individual compartments, at densities equivalent to 300 kilos per square metre of floor space. ``Lobsters can be stored for up to six months if water temperatures are reduced to 2oC and if they are held in individual compartments and water quality is optimised,'' Tully added. ``They don't require feeding during this time, and over 95% of them can survive. And though condition declines
* Holding system. slowly, after six months, it is not significantly different when compared to freshly-caught lobsters.'' He estimated the cost of a 1-2 tonne capacity system would be around 25,000, and he revealed that BIM had already
purchased a 1.5 tonne capacity customised demonstration unit from aquaBiota Habitats of Quebec. This unit had been installed at MRI Laboratories Carna where its performance under Irish conditions is to be assessed.
* Berried female lobster.
The status of lobster stocks in Ireland Oliver Tully, BIM inshore fisheries co-ordinator
IN November 2005, BIM produced a report evaluating the status of lobster stocks around the coast. This report was presented to the Lobster Advisory Group at their first meeting in late 2005 and formed the basis for the management recommendations contained in the management plan produced by the group. Data on catch rates, recruitment, v-notched stock size, growth and reproductive biology, size of lobster in the landings and fishing effort have been collected in the southeast
since 1995 and in other areas since 2002. Landings continue to increase and reached a record high of 853 tonnes in 2004 with a first sale value of 12.8 million. The increase in landings is due to an increase in total fishing effort. Catch rates and recruitment are declining in the south-east and south-west coasts but are increasing on the mid-west coast. There is very little data available for the north-west. Trends in catch rates are correlated with conservation measures, suggesting that stocks respond positively to conservation. The average size at maturity varies regionally between 93
and 96mm carapace length. Hatching of eggs occurs in the period May-July. New eggs, which are carried by the females over winter, are spawned mainly in September. Data from tag recoveries suggests that growth, spawning rates and stock productivity are higher than previously assumed. Fifty-four per cent of lobsters moult once per annum and 5% may moult twice. Thirty-four per cent of lobsters spawn annually and 21% may moult and spawn in the same year. V-notched lobsters represent between 10-30% of legal sized lobsters caught at sea but this percentage declines quickly following cessation in notching.
This is due mainly to repair of the notch at moult. The high percentage occurrence of vnotched lobsters in the catch suggests that stocks are relatively small and that between 40-50% of the legal sized stock is removed each season. The vast majority of lobster landed are just one moult above the minimum size and will not have spawned before being captured. As a result, egg production appears to be low and may limit recruitment. V-notched lobsters, of which approximately 12,000 are released annually, are, however, providing a safety net and at present, in the absence of other measures, are important sources of recruitment.
The management plan for Irish lobster fisheries Vera O'Donovan, BIM, reports
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THE Lobster Advisory Group drafted a Management Plan for Irish lobster fisheries during meetings held between June 2005 and March 2006. Initial consultation with industry groups on the recommendations proposed in the plan was completed in May 2006. The management objectives outlined in the plan are to maintain stocks at a level that ensures viable economic returns in relation to capital and labour investment in the fishery. To achieve these objectives a number of strategies have been proposed: * The fishery should be managed in eight geographic units recognising that lobster stocks are local or regional in scale
and that the profile of the fisheries are different in each area. This will also allow management to proceed towards achievement of the objectives at a pace suitable to local industry. * Access to the fishery should be managed and limited in order to provide a sufficiently secure environment within which control of effort by vessels in the fishery can take place. Licensed vessels fishing for lobster would require a specific authorization to do so. Certain conditions would also attach to the authorization and, after the initial round of issue, certain groups or applicants would be given priority access to the fishery. * Effort would be managed in the first instance by stabilising the number of pots fished. There would be an agreed number of pots used per ves-
sel and this may be related to the size of the vessel. These numbers would be determined locally, within each management unit, and be based on current effort levels in the fishery * A maximum size limit of 125mm carapace length (equivalent to a weight of 1.3kg) would be introduced in order to protect spawning and, in particular, to protect lobsters that had previously been v-notched. It would be illegal therefore to land lobsters less than 87mm and greater than 125mm. * Each authorized operator would be required to fill and return a logbook. * More strategic marketing and promotion would be used to increase demand and prices by:
a. promoting the upgrading and installation of state-of-the-
art lobster holding systems so that Irish producers can take advantage of seasonal price variation and compete with UK companies currently developing in this direction. b. promoting, through education, increased quality and handling of the live product c. promoting the use of labelling of the product, eventually leading to accreditation as a sustainably managed and responsible fishery. This preliminary consultation will influence the next draft of the Lobster Management Plan. Detailed strategies and work programmes for the implementation of the objectives outlined in the management plan will be developed later this year, following a period of public consultation on the contents of the plan.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
11
INSHORE FISHERIES
New approach to lobster marketing is required Gery Flynn reports
DESPITE producing 850 tonnes of lobster in 2004 and generating around 15 million a significant income for the Irish inshore sector - the structure of the industry here, with a large number of small suppliers and traders is `fragmented'. Speaking at the BIM lobster conference, Nicolas Ranninger, their marketing adviser in the Paris office said that even though lobster was still ``one of the most emblematic seafoods consumed in Europe with a strong positive image associated with quality, luxury, status and pleasure,'' it relied on a precarious ``just-in-time-market'' which was characterised by a short life-span and limited stocking capabilities. The consequence of this, according to Ranninger, is ``a strong price variation throughout the year - with prices doubling between June and December - and even on a daily basis.'' He added that lobster was the classic `hot potato' which has to be passed on along the production chain as quickly as possible before it dies in someone's hands.
Marketing issues * Live shrimp en route to the French market.
Photo: John Rafferty
Authorities failing shrimp fishermen at the lack of intervention by nurseries at low tide during the sea fishery officers to reports closed season. The problem of bait collecSHRIMP fishermen in Dungloe that small shrimp are being Bay, Co Donegal, are outraged collected as bait from known tors using nurseries as a basis for their supply has been repeatedly highlighted but still nothing has been done about the practice. Since 2003 it is illegal to catch or be in possession of shrimp between the first day of May to the first day of August inclusive. SI No. 232 Shrimp (Fisheries Management and Conservation) Order, 2003. Speaking to Inshore Ireland, a marine department official, Ireland's Quality Seafood Supplier however, said they were unaof a problem: ``People Sofrimar Ltd are fish processors ware should come forward and report sort of activity as it will be and exporters based in Kilmore this dealt with. I will be checking into the Dungloe problem,'' he Quay. said. By John Rafferty
We buy all types of shellfish and whitefish including Whelk, Scallops, Crab, Crab Claws, Clams, Prawns, Monk, Ray, Sole and Turbot. We also buy live lobster, live crayfish and live prawns.
For the best prices and the best service please contact us: Telephone 053 9129660 Fax 053 9129699 Email sofrimar@eircom.net
Destroying stocks
Salmon anglers who fish with bait prefer their shrimp to be approximately 1-2 inches in length, although some smaller and slightly larger shrimp are also used. A large percentage of those caught are around two inches long and are carrying eggs, which is detrimental to next year's stocks. These are in most demand and salmon anglers will and do, pay considerably more for egg-carrying shrimps of this size. On average, 10-20 kilos are caught by each bait collector per day during the spring tides. This may not sound like much but if they became adults they
would weigh five to 10 times more. Bait collectors are coming in from Northern Ireland and are catching huge quantities of small shrimp in large fine meshed landing nets. A quantity are then dyed and cooked, and used the same day whilst others are bagged with salt and sold to bait suppliers or directly to tackle shops.
``This makes planning in the marketplace very difficult because if you are in a situation of over-supply or under-demand you cannot hold back the product in the hope of better days, and you have to pass it on. So, with everyone trying to get rid of it as fast as possible, a panic situation is often created, and the price crashes even faster.'' The price of lobster reached a high of 33/kg last year be-
tween Christmas and New Year, corresponding to a period of strong demand and little supply; however, during the Irish, UK and French fishing season, delivered prices were as low as 15/kg but demand was, relative to production, weak at this time. ``Unfortunately, the market for lobster remains highly dependent on price structures established by the balance between supply and offer. In the context of profitability in the Irish inshore lobster fishery, where catch rates are in most areas stable or declining and fishing costs are increasing, optimising price obtained in the market is hugely important,'' Ranninger declared.
Responding to demand
Outlining two possible future marketing strategies, Ranninger indicated that the most obvious thing to do was to concentrate on finding ways of holding back product from the marketplace when supply was at its highest: ``Basically, this means skimming the over-supply during summer, and then releasing it gradually at times of the year when prices are very high,'' he explained. According to Ranninger there was another marketing strategy that could be developed: ``A cheaper product like the American lobster could be used to stimulate demand among consumers. Once they are hooked on lobster and no longer think of it as a `not-for-me' elitist product, it's the right time for a co-ordinated campaign to persuade them to move to a superior product like the European lobster.''
Irish Fish Producers' Organisation
Undersized shrimp
``When we see shrimp bait collectors in any of the known nursery areas, some of us walk down the beach and explain to them that it is illegal to catch shrimp before the beginning of August,'' commented a shrimp fisherman from Dungloe Bay. ``We have a marine department that keeps bringing in new legislation but then does nothing to implement it. This shrimp ban should be enforced by the fishery officers and not us fishermen,'' he added. Fisheries such shrimp sustain rural communities and need protection. The department of the marine through its fishery boards must show willingness to act swiftly and forcefully against those who are plundering it into oblivion, and inevitably putting it beyond any commercial value to the fishermen. Each year Irish fishermen catch approximately 400 tonnes of shrimp, averaging 16 per kilo, which are shipped live to the French market.
SERVING THE NEEDS OF IRELAND'S INSHORE AND OFFSHORE FISHERMEN
SHOULDN'T YOU BE A MEMBER? 11 Elgin Road Dublin 4 Ireland tel: +353 1 6687077 fax: +353 1 6684466 mobile : 087 6299522 email: ifpo@eircom.net
12
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
INSHORE FISHERIES
End of commercial fishery alone will not stop salmon decline By John Rafferty
AT the annual meeting of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) on June 8, Alan Gray, head of the EU delegation said that Ireland has given ``a firm commitment to meet scientific advice in 2007, which means that fisheries will only take place in estuaries and rivers on stocks that have been shown to be above their conservation limit''. Cornerstone The 2006 report of the Standing Scientific Committee of the National Salmon Commission has made it clear that the continuation of mixed stock fishing (drift netting and some draft netting) is incompatible with a science-based approach to the management of the salmon stocks. Most fishermen believe, however, that salmon are the cornerstone within the inshore sector, and contend that if the commercial salmon fishery comes to an end then other stocks will suffer as a result especially lobsters and crabs which are left untouched until their season ends. Reduced season The decline in salmon landings is a major cause for concern and one the fishermen themselves would like to see redressed. Commercial salmon fishermen were among the first to notice a decline in catches. Conservation measures have seen their season decrease from 24 hours, five- * Most fishermen believe that salmon are the cornerstone within the inshore sector. days-a-week (February 1 to Photo: John Rafferty August 15) to four days-a week between 4am-9pm (July and NASCO has also confirmed (Salmon at sea) project, which sing the problem until we July) - and yet numbers are still declining. its commitment to the SALSEA researches salmon in the marine understand it.'' Salmon poaching on many stage of their life, to establish the causes of increasing mortal- rivers and estuaries is already at epidemic proportions as the ity rates at sea. Dr Ken Whelan, NASCO demand for cheap wild Atlantic president said: ``We simply salmon soars. It can only be must solve the mystery of why expected that the end of the so many Atlantic salmon are commercial fishery will intensidying at sea, never getting the fy what is already a very opportunity to return to their lucrative business, in order to home rivers to reproduce. We satisfy restaurant and hotel medon't have a chance of addres- nus.
Cockle update AT the latest meeting of the Dundalk Cockle Local Advisory Committee on May 10, the industry requested that the DCMNR formally close the fishery until June 1 2007 or until a comprehensive management plan was introduced for the fishery, whichever was the sooner. As a result, a Statutory Instrument to close the fishery is currently being drafted. Under the Shellfish Management Framework established in 2005, BIM has worked with the local stakeholders to develop representative structures. The Dundalk LAC first
met in February 15, 2006. The stakeholders are all agreed that management measures are required. The Dundalk LAC met again on March 29 to consider the available scientific information, to plan stock surveys for the coming year and to discuss possible management measures. ``BIM will continue to work with the LAC over the coming months to develop a concrete management plan that is consistent with the areas designation as an SAC and SPA,'' Ian Lawler, BIM Inshore Fisheries executive told Inshore Ireland.
Mackerel fishery closed since April ON April 13, the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources closed the mackerel fishery to all Irish polyvalent sea fishing vessels. Under Fishery Management Notice (FMN No 5 of 2006), such vessels could only retain on board mackerel as a by-catch not exceeding 5% by weight of all quota species retained on board.
To facilitate the inshore summer handline mackerel fishery promoted by BIM in recent years, however, the fishery has been reopened to polyvalent vessels under 15m fishing by means of hooks and lines only. Under Notice (FMN No 16 of 2006), these vessels can retain on board 500kg at any one time. The 5% by-catch limit still applies to all other vessels.
Strategic planning puts southeast processor into poll position SOFRIMAR Ltd in Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford, commenced trading in 1979 processing fresh whitefish and shellfish for sale in the French market. As time evolved, the company diversified into processing frozen products, and in the 1980s, cooking facilities were established in the factory, enabling the company to process cooked shellfish products. At the beginning of the 1990s, Sofrimar began processing whelks for the Far Eastern market. Sofrimar has also been buying lobsters from fishermen for over twenty years and is currently installing a long-term storage system for live shellfish. This will allow Sofrimar to sell an increased quantity of higher quality product to its markets
and will enable the company to diversify into selling other live products such as prawns and crayfish. Throughout the years, Sofrimar has actively followed a strategy of focused capital investment in order to support its ongoing development programme, resulting in the company currently having one of the most modern fish processing plants in Ireland. Currently, Sofrimar has fiftyfive employees and exports to European and Far East markets. The company purchases and processes all types of shellfish and whitefish including whelk, scallop, crab, lobster, prawns, winkles, crayfish, clams, monkfish, ray, sole, mullet, and turbot.
IFPO appoints inshore manager THE Irish Fish Producers Organisation, has announced the appointment of John Ward IFPO services to members: of Dungloe, Co Donegal, as their inshore development man- * and working groups within one-to-one basis to assist in collates information on new ager. the EAPO. new projects, financing, busiregulations, policies and meaFounded in 1975, the IFPO is ness planning etc sures that affect fishermen, ``IFPO Inshore is a major a national fishing organisation and represents their views at * provides inshore fishermen new initiative of the organisawith membership in all parts of Irish and EU level with a forum with regard to tion to extend its service Ireland. It is an EU recognised * both inshore species advisory specifically to inshore vessels. provides professional repreProducer Organisation, and a groups sentation for its members at The IFPO recognises the crimember of the European Assodepartment and ministerial le- * representation on all official tical importance of the inshore ciation of Fish Producers' Orvel consultative bodies in Ireland sector and the specific proganisations (EAPO). It is a * assists with vessel licensing and at EU level, e.g. EU's blems that this sector has, with Advisory Committees, the Pe- regard to inshore management, and advises on tonnage registered co-operative organi* provides a confidential, prolagic and Northwest Waters salmon, lobster crabs or insation owned by its members. Regional Advisory Councils shore whitefish. fessional advisory service on a Membership is open to the owners of any registered Irish fishing boat. For inshore vessels, membership is open on an through association with local seeking memberships from in- membership can be made availindividual basis; however group inshore organisations or co-op- shore fishing co-operatives, able to all their members in membership is available eratives. The IFPO is actively through which the benefit of turn.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
13
REPORT
Salmon drift net fishery essential to west Kerry region
Report by Gillian Mills
A report on the impact of the Corca Dhuibhne salmon drift net fishery on the west Kerry region finds that more than 95% of the catch is sold either directly to local restaurants or to fish processors who freeze most of the catch for the Christmas smoked salmon market. In terms of employment for fishermen and for fish processors and the restaurant trade, the
Main conclusions
impact is `significant' the report adds. According to the report, the total landed value in 2005 was 610,000 with an average value of catch-per-licence of 15,600. The local fishery is based primarily around two ports, Baile na nGall and Ce BhreÂanainn, where 39 fishing licences were issued in 2005 allowing fishermen to operate between June and July up to the limit of their designated quota of 18,000 fish for that year. The area in which fishermen can operate is roughly defined
by a line north of Oilea n Blascaod running in towards Ba Thra LõÂ; they must also fish within the inshore six mile limit (see map). Three major salmon processors - Iasc Uõ MhathuÂna Teo, De Bru n Iasc Teo, and O Ca thaÂin Iasc Teo - provide employment to almost one hundred local people and generate an annual income of approximately 1.1m. In 2005, approximately 16,000 salmon provided total revenue of 1.8m in salmon products.
* Ghillie Dominick McGillicuddy, who's also a three handicap golfer on the Waterville course directed Dr John (Sutphen) to a line of reeds where he hooked a 10 pound salmon and played it for 40 minutes on a very light line before boating it. Photo: Tim Magennis
Online directory of marine and coastal heritage
IRELAND holds a rich natural and cultural heritage in its marine and coastal zone. With increasing pressure on resources in both marine and coastal areas, it is vital that knowledge of this heritage is made as widely available as possible in order to manage and protect it appropriately. The Heritage Council recently launched an initiative to pull together all the significant information in a Marine & Coastal Heritage Directory. This online, illustrated directory provides substantial information on topics and resources related to natural and cultural heritage in the marine and coastal zone. Details are presented under 12 main thematic areas dealing with topics as diverse as climate change; integrated coastal zone management; legislation and policy and research. Extensive
links are provided to related relevant resources including the Marine Irish Digital Atlas (MIDA), where maps can be seen and geospatial data may be downloaded. Lists of relevant
organisations and points of contact for additional information are also provided. The directory, which allows easy navigation via a drop-down menu and is fully searchable,
Heritage Council
LAST Autumn, Dick Roche, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government appointed a new Heritage Council. Since then, the Council has been setting up the committees, the most recent of which relates to marine and coastal matters. Chaired by Nioclas OÂ Conchuchair who sat on the former committee, other members include Billy Colfer, Ted Creedon, Susan Steele and Cian de BuitleaÂr. Representing a wide range of interests, the committee will now be drawing up a work programme, which will build on the forthcoming policy paper on maritime heritage and the Heritage Council's emerging strategic plan 2007-11. High on the priority list is traditional and heritage boats, and other aspects of cultural maritime heritage.
THE report notes that a range of forces - internal and external- continue to work towards eliminating the entire drift net fishery and that further reductions in quota sizes are inevitable over the coming years. It acknowledges that Ireland shares the EU wide concern over stock conservation but adds that major differences of opinion exist regarding how to address this issue. Drift net fishing for salmon is a significant income earner for the local fishing community and its demise will have a major impact on those that depend on the sea for their livelihood, the report notes. In this context, the report suggests that a proactive approach should be adopted in terms of seeking solutions now rather than waiting until the situation is more difficult to rectify. Most people from within and outside the region agree with the importance of ensuring the continuation of the culture and way of life of the region. It is likely, therefore,
that any measures taken in pursuit of this agenda would receive support from a wide cross-section of the community, the report adds.
those fishermen who wish to voluntarily relinquish their drift net licences, so as to enable them invest in alternative economic and marine activities. * All relevant State agencies Recommendations should collaborate on an in* Although limited by statutory itiative aimed at ensuring that remit, UÂdaraÂs na Gaeltachta, salmon fishermen are given should assist where possible satisfactory access to alternato develop the fishery as an tive species in the event of ongoing source of income in total removal or further curthe Gaeltacht area. This tailment of the licensing reshould be undertaken in cogime. operation with FaÂilte Ireland, * UÂdaraÂs na Gaeltachta should the South Western Regional work with other State agenFisheries Board and BIM. cies to investigate the possiThis would involve providing bility of salmon ranching. support to enable the commuThis would ultimately help to nity develop additional ecoincrease salmon stock levels, nomic activities based on thus ensuring the continuatheir skills and experience. of this resource. * To build on the unique Gael- Thetionstudy commissioned tacht personality and the fish- by Taighdewas Teoranta in ing tradition by developing a response toMara requests from sea fishing tourism co-op fishermen at Baile na nGall where licences would be is- to carry out an appraisal of the sued in return for investment economic, social and heritage in the project, which could impact of the Corca Dhuibhne operate beyond the two months of the current salmon salmon drift net fishery on the west Kerry region. fishing season. * All relevant State agencies It was compiled by McIver should support the case for Consulting and published by adequate compensation for UÂdaraÂs na Gaeltachta.
14
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
Mayo awarded largest State investment National Development in islands Plan 2000-2006 ISLAND LIVING
ON Friday 30 June, EÂamon OÂ CuõÂv, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (DCRGA), will open new piers on Clare Island and Inishturk off the Mayo coast. This development, at a cost of more than 12m, is the single biggest investment ever made by the State in the islands. Funding for island development has risen from under 2.5m in 1997 to over 19m in 2006. ``For the past nine years, this Government has been committed to revitalising the islands. This is being achieved through investment in infrastructure and services, such as ferry and air transport, piers, roads, electricity and water supply, health and education,'' Minister OÂ CuõÂv told Inshore
UNDER the current programme, a particular emphasis has been placed on developing island access piers. Pier improvements have been carried out at Cuas a' Dubhghlais on OileaÂn CleÂire in the Co Cork Gaeltacht while 2.6m has been spent on the mainland pier at Machaire Rabhartaigh serving Toraigh and Inis Bo Finne in Co Donegal. Major dredging works costing in the region of 0.8m are currently underway at Inishbofin harbour while plans are afoot for the development of the three piers on the Aran Islands and their mainland pier at Ros a' MhõÂl at a cost of approximately 50m. ``The Department will continue over the coming years to invest in the development of essential island infrastructure,'' Minister O CuõÂv added.
Island Living articles compiled by G Mills.
gramme aimed at improving the standard and safety of access to the mainland for island communities. This programme required the implementation of a two-pronged approach: the first to improve the reliability of transport services and the second to improve the standard of ferry landing facilities, both on the islands and at mainland ports serving them. Considerable progress has been made to transport services since 1997, with 17 Stateassisted island ferry and air services now operating, comIreland. pared to just five in 1997, the latest being Clare Island and Island access Inishturk. The introduction of a cap of In 1997, the Department embarked on a long-term pro- 8 on the cost of an adult return
NDP Investment in Co Mayo
* Inisturk.
fare and 5 for students and children on the DCRGA subsidised ferry services since 1 November, 2005 has had a hugely positive effect on the cost of living on both Inishturk and Clare Island along with
many other islands around the coast. The Department will shortly be seeking expressions of interest from ferry companies interested in operating subsidised cargo services for the first time to Inishbofin and Toraigh.
Bere Island's boat club ROWING on the Beara Peninsula will soon enter a new league when the men and women of Bere Island take to the seas again. After a period of over 40 years, St Michael's Rowing Club has been reformed with plans to revisit the island's past glories in gig racing. Two years ago, Dutch students on work experience with the Bere Island Project Group carried out a survey among the youth of the island to determine which recreational activities they would be interested in. One of the main findings was the overwhelming interest to restart a rowing club. Funding was obtained from the Ireland Fund and together with a donation from Catherine and Gerard Sullivan of Bere Island Boatyard, a new gig was built by O'Sullivan Marine in Tralee.
The original St Michael's Boat Club had its inaugural meeting on 2 September, 1961, chaired by John F O'Sullivan. Funding was raised through donations from islanders both at home and abroad, and through a dance and raffle. Local boat builder, Finbar Murphy, built the gig on the island, which was the first fibreglass gig built in Ireland at the time. The inaugural crew comprised Donal D Sullivan; Kieran Murphy; Leo K Sullivan; Padraig Sullivan and Joe Sullivan. The crew had never rowed together before but in this new light and fast fibreglass gig they achieved second place in their first race in Castletownbere's annual regatta of 1962. Rowing has traditionally enjoyed a loyal following in Ireland's coastal communities. For many it has been the only sport available to them because of the geographical restrictions
First in fibreglass
A major investment in pier infrastructure serving the Co Mayo islands is currently nearing completion. New piers have been built on Clynish, Inseghort, Inishlyre and Islandmore, while the first phase of new slipways serving Inis Bigil have been completed. At the request of DCRGA, Mayo Co Council has brought forward proposals for further development of the piers serving Inis Bigil and a decision is expected soon. Just over two years ago, Minister OÂ CuõÂv opened the extension to the mainland pier serving Inishturk and Clare Island at Roonagh. ``Roonagh was the first piece in the Inishturk/Clare Island access jigsaw, and coupled with an improvement in ferry services, the final pieces of the jigsaw will now be in place. ``The new piers on Clare Island and Inishturk were largely funded by DCRGA, with assistance from Mayo Co Council and in particular their team of engineers who made an invaluable contribution - not just in this project but with the full programme of pier developments in Co Mayo under the current NDP,'' Minister OÂ CuõÂv emphasised. At the time of publication, Minister OÂ CuõÂv will have launched a marketing plan for the islands of Ireland. Full report in the August issue of Inshore Ireland.
Bere Island photography competition *
Bere Island gig crew 1962-63. Cox: Joe Sullivan; stroke: Leo K
Sullivan, Donal D Sullivan, Kieran Murphy, Padraig Sullivan.
of living in remote coastal areas. The last few years have seen a growing interest in this sport with many old clubs starting up again and new clubs being formed. The new Bere Island gig is now ready, and plans are being put in place for training crews
of all ages. It is hoped that the island will once again be a force to be reckoned with in local regattas. For further information on joining St Michael's Rowing Club contact the Bere Island Projects Office on 027 75099.
ine all the relevant schemes available to farmers in the Irish context, i.e. REPS, The National Scheme (DuÂchas), the Organic Schemes Corncrake Initiative and others, especially those relating to island farmers. The views and recommendations of farmers and environmentalists will be sought. The European context will also be evaluated, i.e. how are REPS implemented in partners countries; what are their views for the future?
advice across Europe. Online internet and video conference links and discussion boards will be established between the island partner farm advisors. Potential role models and exchanges of staff between islands will also be investigated. Opportunities for farm advisors to exchange views, approaches and methodologies will strengthen and benefit the farming community and their ability to raise finance to manage their island farm landscapes. In addition, REPS 4 proposals will be looked at along side an examination of the whole island concept of one plan for each island in the Irish context.
BERE Island in conjunction with the ISLA project is holding a photographic competition that is open to all amateur photographers, both resident and nonresident of the island. The island has to be the subject of all photos and the central theme of the competition is `On my island through the eyes of a child.' There are two age categories: under 16 and over 16. The closing date for entry is 15 September, 2006.
A new approach to farming
ISLA was established by five European islands to encourage sustainable social and economic development on islands in north-west Europe. Those involved include Bere Island, Shetland Islands, Argyll and Butte, Tiengemeten in the Netherlands and Kemenez and Quessant in France. For further information on the competition contact the Bere Islands Project Office at 027 75099.
MaireÂad O'Reilly
, CoE, explains
COMHDHA IL Oilea in na hEÂireann is participating in the `European Island Farm Landscapes Project', led by the Isle of Wight (Leader +) and other European island groups: Netherlands (Texel), Spain (Menocra), Sweden (Styrso) and UK (Shetlands). The project will involve a partnership of islands in Europe. Each island partner will explore the four project elements: biodiversity, information sharing, diversification and landscape, and work towards a European island farm landscape approach.
Project aims:
* To promote the special needs
scapes, by linking community, environment, economy and culture across different islands. * To explore how farmers can best use new agri-environment schemes under the new Common Agriculture Policy so as to maintain rural businesses and support landscape and wildlife integrity through sustainable land use. * To encourage know-how cooperation, better communication and sharing of experience between farming communities and environmental organisations.
Biodiversity and landscape monitoring/ assessment
Farming advice and information awareness
This scheme will provide the
opportunity for sharing knowfor rural farmland managehow between islands on the ment in order to maintain island biodiversity and land- Locally, ComhdhaÂil will exam- various approaches for farm
Farm diversification
Farmers will be encouraged to promote practices that promote long-term sustainability of island biodiversity and landscapes, thereby broadening income sources beyond agrienvironment scheme grants. Specialist issues such as island farm brands promoting sustainable landscapes; island dairy produce; transport constraints; commercially viability and slaughter house issues will be taken into account as appropriate. Comparisons of approaches in the other European islands will be explored. In Ireland, this will be difficult given that many island farmers are elderly and not interested in diversity. Never-
theless, local initiatives may benefit through the promotion of hedgerows, native tree growing, native orchards or other tourism initiatives.
Island farm landscape initiative
This element will explore steps towards continued international co-operation and a framework for securing sustainable island farm landscapes by building on existing island initiatives and exploring the opportunities for developing an island farm landscape strategy model and/or action plan under the Convention on Biological Diversity. The findings will be presented to European and international policy makers.
INSHORE IRELAND
Delivering essential services to island communities
July 2006
15
ISLAND LIVING
Ciara Cullen
, ESIN project manager explains
ISLAND
representatives from
the six ESIN countries (Scotland, France, Finland, Sweden and Denmark) met recently on Inis
Mo Âr
`public
under
services
the and
theme, commu-
nity'. The meeting focused on how
 rann, A
Athchursa  la
the
sive presentation about the pro-
facility,
vision of water on the island
and
island's nursing/care  ras Ro A  na  in.
and the wind powered desalina-
Cathy Nõ Gho  ill, manager of the
Comharchumann
gave
a
tion plant. Mikael
Grannas,
from
the
comprehensive presentation on
island of Houtskar in Finland
its role in the community.
then spoke about their waste
Aodha  n MacCormaic of the
and
water
management
pro-
Islands Section, Department of
grammes and Thomas Chiron's
services, with the Comharchu rann (Develmann Forbatha A
Community,
Gael-
outlined the difficulties of water
tacht Affairs, outlined the de-
provision and management on
opment
gree
some of the French islands in
the
island
delivers
essential
Co-operative)
to
Rural
and
which
Government
study.
services on the islands, eliciting
As always with ESIN net-
a great deal of interest from the
working meetings, themes high-
other ESIN countries who do
lighted
not have a similar structure.
reveal
other
gave
their
ESIN
countries
perspectives
and
were impressed by the role of
involved
in
the Isles du Ponant.
providing a best practice case The
was
central
by the
the
case
studies
inter-connectedness
Ann Mallaghan, Comhdha  il  ireann board na hE
with the issues that affect all
gard to delivery of public ser-
Oilea  in
islands: dwindling `native' po-
vices. On Inis Mo  r especially,
member and Galway Co Coun-
pulation; increasing tourist and
there is a very high degree of
cil, explained the other model
summer
co-operation
State
of island development being the
apathy
agencies and the island commu-
Community Development Pro-
and
nity. The meeting visited two of
grammes (CDPs).
(though this is not the case at
the local community with re-
the
between
Comharchumann's
most
 Murchu On day two, Niall O Â,
successful community projects:
chairman
of
Comharchumann
the waste recycling plant, Ionad
Inis Mea  in, gave a comprehen-
populations; or
neglect
national
general
from
local
Government
present in Ireland) and the finite and
fragile
nature
of
natural
resources.
An Roinn GnoÂthaõÂ Pobail, Tuaithe agus Gaeltachta
Tourism on small islands
Mo ra n pobal - fo cas coiteann
Anne-Sophie Brosseau
, on work placement with
ESIN, explains Ex-
cluded that small islands should
nificance
of
change Project, part of an Inter-
strive to develop a more sus-
Discussion
also
reg III programme, organised a
tainable type of tourism.
marketing and promotion using
THE
ESIN
Inter-Island
the
island.
focused
on
networking meeting about tour-
Access and island infrastruc-
the internet. It was agreed that
ism on small islands in March.
ture: Proximity of an island to a
this is the best way to target
Held on the Scottish island of
main
com-
visitors; however it is not al-
Arran,
bined with short-travelling time
ways easy to put in place on
countries spoke of their experi-
encourages
islands.
ence of tourism on small is-
although these are usually day
In conclusion, while specific
lands. (Tourism is one of the 18
trippers who tend to primarily
examples of good practice were
topics that the island network is
benefit the ferry companies.
suggested it
participants
from
six
On
investigating.)
population
the
centre
more
other
visitors,
hand,
while
was
felt that in
general, tourism should be the
a
result of co-operation between
the
providers and the island com-
water
munity, taking into account an
presentations from each coun-
and generation of rubbish can
island's specific characteristics
try.
negatively
and needs.
The first day was spent visit-
overnight
visitors
larger
ture,
extra-consumption
followed
Discussions
main
issues
by
short
covered
faced
by
the
small
source
of
provide
ing Arran's tourism infrastruc-
affect
income, of
an
island's
economy as well as its environment. Proliferation of holiday
islands. Seasonality:
It
affects
the
homes was also discussed.
local economy as well social
Most agreed that while con-
life and the environment. While
tributing relatively little to an
tourism is only a second indus-
island community considerable
try
negative effects are evident in
on
most
islands,
over-
crowded sites and concentrated
terms
pressure on natural areas during
sources as well as increasing
a short season often have nega-
rents and house/land prices.
tive consequences on the daily
of
utilising
Branding:
limited
Regarded
as
re-
a
lives of islanders as well as the
useful tool to promote tourism
local
Extending
in a sustainable way by enhan-
the season is often not possible
cing the traditional and local
due to weather conditions, in-
characteristics of an island, and
sufficient ferries/piers and lack
benefiting not only the tourist
of
accommodation
industry but also the local com-
and facilities. The meeting con-
munity's awareness of the sig-
environment.
available
Development challenges
THE European Small Islands' Network (ESIN) was set up in 2001 to raise awareness of the development challenges experienced by Europe's smallest inhabited islands and to promote inter-island co-operation on the subject of sustainable island development.
Ta se d'aidhm ag an Roinn tacu le Pobail ar fud na tõÂre agus iad achothu le linn do ibh bheith ag dõÂriu ara bhforbairt fe in. PrõÂomhfheidheanna na Roinne Forbairt na Gaeltachta agus na nOilea n agus polasaõ na Gaeilge Forbairt na Tuaithe, CLAÂR, LEADER agus Sce im Sho isialta na Tuaithe san a ireamh Cla ir Forbartha AÂitiu la agus RAPID Comhordu na Straite ise Na isiu nta Dru gaõ Cla ir Thacaiochta don Fhorbairt Pobail, Cuntais DhõÂomhaoine, Riala il Carthanachtaõ agustacaõÂochtaõ don GhnõÂomhaõÂocht Dheonach
Fo n: 01-6473000 Facs: 01-6473051 Fo n: 091-592555 Facs: 091-592595
LaÂithreaÂn GreÂasaÂin: www.pobail.ie
RõÂomhphost: eolas@pobail.ie
16
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
COASTLINE NEWS
Summer appeal by water safety body LAUNCHING a poster campaign, ‘A Stolen Ringbuoy - A Stolen Life’ during National Water Safety Awareness Week at the end of May, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said the absence of a ringbuoy due to theft or vandalism ‘‘can have tragic consequences’’. Irish Water Safety is appealing to the public to assist in maintaining these vitally important lifesaving appliances in good condition at all times. Any person seen tampering or in possession with these lifebelts should be reported to
A capital asset that cries out for proper management
*
Vandalism of lifebuoys ‘can have tragic circumstances’.
the local authorities and/or the Gardaı́. For further Information contact: Irish Water Safety, The Long Walk, Galway, Tel 091-
56.44.00; Fax 091-56.47.00; info@iws.ie. Mobile: John Leech: 0876789600; Roger Sweeney: 087-6789601.
President McAleese to be patron of the Irish Water Safety Association
PRESIDENT Mary McAleese has accepted an invitation to become patron of the Irish Water Safety Association. Expressing ‘‘delight’’ at the announcement, IWS chief executive, John Leech, said that the organisation has enjoyed a long association with Áras an Uachtaráin.
‘‘In 1950, the late president of Ireland, Sean T Ó Ceallaigh, presented the much coveted ‘Presidents Trophy’ for the overall winner of the National Lifesaving Championships. This silver trophy has been keenly competed for ever since, and it is appropriate that last year the trophy was won by the
Clare ladies team. ‘‘It is an honour for the 1800 volunteers nationwide who teach swimming and lifesaving skills to have our president as our patron. It will incentivise and motivate these volunteers to give more of their time and energy to drowning prevention,’’ he said.
Before going afloat, always wear a personal flotation device and get training to stay safe THE MARINE SAFETY WORKING GROUP SAYS ‘Before you go out, check the weather and tides. If unsuitable, cancel your trip and stay safe.’ • • • •
Plan your trip carefully and never go out alone Let someone ashore know where you are going and when you will be back Carry a means of communication and for raising the alarm should you get into difficulty Check the Safety on the Water web site links (right) for advice and the full range of safety guidelines
Maritime Safety Directorate Marine Safety Working Group Links
In an emergency, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard Marine Safety Working Group AIM To use its collective expertise and experience to create and communicate marine safety information and messages to endeavour to reduce accidents and to prevent the loss of life in Irish Waters.
OBJECTIVES •
To establish strong working relationships with other National and Local Organisations to create/promote accident prevention programmes
•
To establish cause and trends in accidents at sea
•
To develop accident prevention programmes
•
To measure effectiveness of prevention programmes
•
To provide a coordinated approach to the dissemination of safety information in response to individual enquiries
*
Ciarán Cuffe TD, Green Party, speaking at the ‘Save our Seafront’ rally in Dun Laoghaire last September.
Declaration reached at the conference to discuss the future of Dublin Bay
Report by Gillian Mills DUBLIN Bay is under threat. Dublin Port is proposing to infill an area between the docks and Clontarf and there are major development plans for the Poolbeg peninsula. The next few years may also see thousands of people living on lands currently occupied by oil tanks and container parks. On the southern side of the bay, cranes dominate the skyline. Meanwhile the old sea-baths at Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock, Sandymount and Clontarf lie derelict and covered in graffiti. These and other issues were discussed at a conference in April to debate the future of Dublin Bay. According to Ciarán Cuffe, Green Party TD and conference organiser, the event was timely given the announcement that the Dublin Regional Authority is to commission a master plan for the bay. ‘‘The bay urgently requires a strategy and vision. Some groups want a Special Amenity Area Order for part of the bay whilst others feel under-used land could provide affordable housing. The proposals need not contradict each other. All groups need to engage in dialogue,’’ he said. Cuffe stressed that the fractured governance of the bay was reflected in its ad-hoc development: ‘‘Most European coastal cities have a plan or a body whose only function is to look after the coastal area and amenities of the city. Dublin Bay,
*
*
*
*
*
Recognising the environmental, historical, economic, and amenity value of the waters and lands surrounding Dublin Bay. Acknowledging the improvements in water quality that have occurred in recent years due to investment in sewerage infrastructure. Concern at the pressures on the bay from Dublin’s growing population; increasing port traffic; loss of green space; lack of baseline date; climate change and ongoing development. Aware of the lack of co-ordination and need for greater integration between the different remits and objectives of Dublin City, Fingal and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Co Councils; Dublin Docklands Development Authority; Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company; Dublin Port; the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and other agencies. Appreciative of the work undertaken by the Dublin Regional Authority in setting up a Dublin Bay Discussion Forum, and of the many voluntary bodies that have nurtured and protected the bay over the years.
Resolves that: *
*
*
*
A statutory body be set up to co-ordinate, manage, develop and protect the waters and lands surrounding Dublin Bay. Greater provision and protection of the public amenities and biodiversity of the bay, and access for recreational purposes is required. A building height and land-use master-plan be drawn up for the lands around Dublin Bay in partnership with the communities, general public and bay users. This plan shall be developed in conjunction with a Coastal Zone Management Plan for the bay that would protect the foreshore. Such plans shall be drawn up with full public participation as provided for under the Aarhus Convention.
however, is administered by several government departments, three local authorities and numerous statutory agencies. Meanwhile proposals by government for a Coastal Zone Management Plan gather dust,’’ he said. Cuffe envisages a renaissance for the bay. ‘‘The seabaths can, and must be restored
as a resource for all; plans for a coastal cycle-way deserve funding and support; anglers, bathers and boat-owners need better access; bird habitats and other wildlife need greater protection; industrial areas and oil storage facilities could be put to better use as a mixture of public and private housing....People want a bay that is well-managed.’’
Dún Laoghaire baths update DÚN Laoghaire/Rathdown Co Council has agreed to fund a technical examination of the breakwater as part of an overall plan to redevelop the baths. Following major opposition last year to a proposal for a high-rise development on the site, the new plan includes a public swimming pool; renovation/landscaping of the existing walkways; a restaurant/tearooms and facilities for alternative therapies. The plan has been generally welcomed. However, concerns were raised in relation to the level of detail and funding source, suggested as being a combination of State, EU and a development levy.
*
New plans for the Dún Laoghaire baths include a swimming pool.
With options diminishing, Europe's pelagic fleet looks to Peru INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
17
OUTSIDE IRELAND
By Brian O'Riordan, International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF)
bility of no new agreement with
Mauritania, and with the Morocco agreement still pending, the eyes of the EU's pelagic trawler industry are turning to Peru, where fishery agreement
IT is ironic that at a time when
negotiations have recently been
the EU's fisheries agreements
initiated. According to official
with
sources, these are
two
sub-Saharan
West
still at an
African countries are due for
exploratory stage; however on
renewal, fishermen from those
the
countries are migrating to Eur-
pelagic resources (horse-mack-
ope in unprecedented numbers.
erel and mackerel), tuna, and
These
giant squid.
migrations
may
herald
the repatriation of the supertrawler and Europe's other distant
water
with
fleets,
diminishing
confronted options
in
African waters. Ironic also are the suggestions of the Spanish government that future fisheries agreements with
West
African
countries
should be linked directly to the migration
policies
of
those
countries. This echoes the action plan from a recent international summit on migration in Dakar,
Senegal,
proposals
to
that
includes
encourage
local
employment creation in fishing
activities as a way of stemming
the migrations. But, according to many mi-
grants,
fishing
is
no
longer
viable, mainly due to depleted
resources and high fuel costs; problems that we are only too
familiar with in Europe, and for
which
Europe
must
take
its
share of the blame. The model
of fishing that European fleets
engage in is simply not compa-
tible with sustainable develop-
ment, particularly when there is
direct
competition
small-scale
with
fisheries
for
local high
value stocks. But to survive, the European pelagic super-trawler fleet must
secure access to resources out-
side EU waters. European quo-
tas are too small to be viable,
and recent allegations of quotas being exceeded with impunity
may lead to further reductions.
With
the
prospect
of
quota
tightening in Europe; the possi-
table
is
access
to
small
No consultation
In May, the general secretary of Peru's
federation
of
artisanal
fishing organizations (FIUPAP) visited Brussels to raise concerns over the fact that Peru's 80,000 coastal artisanal fishermen had not been informed or consulted
about
agreement
the
fishery
negotiations.
Yet,
there is almost complete disorder
in
Peru's
fisheries,
with
significant declines in most of the
r esources
traditionally
exploited by the artisanal fishermen. Since the mid 1990s, catches of these many different species have
been
almost
completely
replaced by a single species: the giant squid, known locally as `pota'.
While
Peruvians
are
gradually getting used to a diet of
squid,
a
disturbing
new
phenomenon is the demand for imports
of
low-cost
horse
local food requirements (some 40,000 tonnes in 2005).
Policy vacuum
Peru's fisheries; the impact of the el Nin Ă&#x201E; o (ENSO), and the impact of the anchovy fishery for fishmeal. The latter is responsible for the extraction of 6-9 million tonnes of fish per fishing season. In 2006, the quota was totally than
saw
record
levels
with
up
of
to
fishing
130,000
tonnes of fish extracted daily.
order are the policy vacuum in
less
and 155 for 2004. 2006 also effort,
The main reasons for this dis-
in
facilities, often spending 10-15 days at sea, in very difficult conditions (weather wise, cold waters, etc).
-
mackerel from Chile to meet
fished
* Landings from Peru's deep water artisanal fishery. Fishermen operate 100-200 miles off shore in 8-10m wooden boats, with very rudimentary
70
days,
compared to 105 days for 2005,
The
Peruvian
anchovy
also
forms the basis of the marine food chain, and with the fishmeal catch taking more than 80% of the estimated biomass, little is left to feed the food chain that supports the other fisheries. A prerequisite condition to any
fisheries
agreement
with
the EU, therefore, is the establishment of a proper fisheries management
system
in
Peru,
within a policy framework of integrated coastal area management.
Investment
gently
required
is in
also the
ur-
local
food fish sector; to train and equip
artisanal
fishermen;
to
add value to squid and other fishery
products,
and
to
im-
prove the port, cold chain and transport infrastructures. These are all issues that could be addressed through a Fisheries
Partnership
Agreement
with the EU, so long as local sustainable development inter-
* The morning catch: women fish vendors prepare `pejerrey' (smelts), a popular local fish.
* The illicit catch: `Viking' fleet of small anchovy purse seiners.
ests are afforded a higher priority
than
gain.
short-term
economic
18
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
HERITAGE COUNCIL/INSHORE IRELAND
INSHORE IRELAND/HERITAGE COUNCIL
Ireland's maritime cultures and traditions that
proach to the exploitation of
to an organised management of
fields where they grew crops
ships
terri-
these towns were on interna-
maritime resources. In the 18th
oyster beds, particularly along
ten thousand years ago, the first
and herded cattle.
tional trading routes (silks, wal-
century, Ireland's larger ports
the west coast bays and inlets.
Christian monks lived out on
rus
saw growth and development
Ponds,
Ireland's Atlantic
were
(e.g. Cork, Galway).
used
arrived here by boat. Since then,
Bronze Age and Iron Age (2500 BC - AD 400)
tories to Scotland. Early Irish
people
The spectacular cliff-top fort of
ishmurray, Co Sligo and many
travelled and buried their dead
Du  n Aonghusa,
on the Aran
other
islands,
around Ireland's coastal land-
Islands, Co Galway was prob-
huts,
churches
terraced
Anglo-Norman and Gaelic lordships (1100-1550 AD)
scapes, using the sea as a source
ably
fields cling to the steep, rocky
of
a
Bronze Age. The fort's inhabi-
means of travel and communi-
tants gathered shellfish on the
cations and as a place to build
island's
communities.
fished the ocean below using
communities
houses
enabled expansion of maritime
known
lines. During the Iron Age (400
and fields located on coastal
trade. The safe navigation of
towers and signal towers, while
Blacksod Bay and Donegal to
BC-400 AD), Roman
lying land, and increased erosion of intertidal
plains,
the forts of Cork Harbour and
obtain oils for ointments and
deposits in estuaries and bays will damage or
Bere Island were designed to
lighting as well as whale bone
protect the British Navy fleet.
Archaeology of the modern coastline (AD 1840-2000)
for corsets and costumes.
The western coastline was de-
the coastline. Emigration ships
maritime economies were estab-
vastated by the Famine of the
left from many of our ports and
massive tide mills on Strang-
lished
1840s, yet many of its earlier
a number of these were lost
ford Lough to process grain,
fleets that operated offshore.
Post-medieval maritime landscapes (AD 15501840)
coastal traditions survived and
around the coast. One famous
were
recent
tragedy was the loss in 1853 of
times. Irish coastal communities
over 400 lives when the Tayleur
While some beaches, sand dunes, estuary
Ð such as those on the Aran
sank off Lambay Island, Co.
mudflats or cliffs are being eroded by the sea
and Blasket Islands Ð devel-
today, they may be forming through coastal
With the collapse of the Gaelic
Dublin. The two World Wars
oped their own maritime tradi-
order and the Munster and the
(1914-18
tions, using boats (e.g. currachs,
Ulster Plantations, new coastal
hundreds of ships lost in the
naomho  gs) to gain a livelihood
seas off Ireland, while observa-
natural coastal processes should not be inter-
towns (e.g. Londonderry, Coler-
from the sea.
tion posts and pillboxes were
fered with or obstructed, in case this causes
built to monitor the coast.
unforeseen problems elsewhere.
island story is
human settlers Ð hunter-gatherers of the Mesolithic era Ð have
food,
raw
lived,
worked,
materials,
as
Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to Neolithic farmers (7000 - 2500 BC)
be
found
amidst
first
the
ancient
occupied
rocky
in
the
shorelines
and
objects
of
northeast
Ireland
sailing
past
watched
their
islands. On
gical
evidence
ivory,
indicates
Threats to our
written on its seashore. About
IRELAND'S
amber
brought
and
from
slaves distant
lands).
significant source of income Ð producing iodine for glass-mak-
Surveillante in Bantry Bay, Co
ing, bleach, soap and as fertili-
The Anglo-Normans developed
Cork, were lost in Irish waters.
ser. Gathered from the shore, it
slopes of the island, testifying
the ports of Carrickfergus, Dro-
The English government built
was slowly burned in rectangu-
to the presence of these monks.
gheda,
fortifications along the coast of
lar stone ovens known as kilns.
Ireland,
A
and
stone
Other early medieval coastal lived
herding
Doonloughan,
in
Cork,
Limerick,
on
the
shipping into
pastures.
At
man
cattle
summer
ford,
Dublin,
ports
Water-
Galway
that
the Anglo-Nor-
of
Waterford
and
Ballycon-
New Ross was facilitated by a
neely, Co Galway, they gath-
lighthouse built at Hook Head,
ered
and
on Waterford Harbour. In the
near
For Mesolithic hunter-gatherers (who lived here between 8000-
ing
4000 BC), the sea was a place
spectacular
Broighter
oysters on the seashore; to eat,
western Gaelic lordships of the
of huge importance. Archaeolo-
boat model, dating to the first
to bait fish-hooks or to make
O'Sullivan Beares, O'Driscolls,
gical excavations at Ferriter's
century BC, can be seen in the
purple
O'Malleys, O'Donnells, native
Cove, Co Kerry have produced
National Museum of Ireland.
the
(4000-2500
In the early medieval period,
and coastal waters.
seals, whales and waterfowl and Neolithic
tools. period
During
BC) the first farming commu-
archaeology
nities
sources
navigated
between
Ire-
and
provide
historical
exciting
in-
bringing
sights into the lives of coastal
cattle, cereals, stone axes and
communities. On the promon-
other objects to this island. At
tory fort of Dunseverick, Co
Neolithic landscapes like Ce  ide,
Antrim, the kings of the sea-
Co Mayo, megalithic tombs can
kingdom of the Dal Riada tribe
land
and
Europe,
also
Early
people
exploitation of shellfish, fish, stone
dyes.
mussels
Early Medieval coastal life and traditions (AD 400-1100)
evidence about their tents, their
their
golden
limpets,
built
medieval and
used
and fish traps on the Shannon estuary to catch fish in estuarine In the Viking Age (AD 8001100), Ireland was drawn into the maritime cultures and traditions of the north Atlantic, with the development of urban ports of Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick. Archaeolo-
relating
to
the
fishing
aine, Belfast, Newry, Youghal) brought an entrepreneurial ap-
By
including Napoleonic
prevalent
the
19th
the
well-
Martello
until
century
nascent
developed
whaling on
maritime archaeology
were
transport
French military ships such as La
ancient
mercenaries or by refugees fleeThe
piers
and
the French Revolution of 1789.
brought by merchants, returning Britain.
and
collect
the oyster catch. Seaweed was a
lush
in
walls
to
Ireland was also affected by
Skellig Michael, Co Kerry, In-
found in Ireland may have been
warfare
Climate and sea-level changes *
global climate and rising sea-levels and this
industry
Iniskea
*
Island,
*
The 19th century also saw a
Peoples' concerns and political pressure may
coastal heritage.
Natural coastal erosion *
saw
*
* Traditional Gandelow boat on Shannon estuary.
development of aquaculture led
destroy archaeological sites.
could destroy or damage traces of our past
thousands of shipwrecks around
the
Predicted increases in storms, flooding of low-
defences (e.g. building of sea-banks) that
and trade, leading to tens of
1939-45)
will impact on Ireland's coast.
lead to inappropriate engineering of coastal
massive rise in coastal shipping
and
The world's oceans are changing because of
Coastal erosion is a natural, on-going process.
deposition elsewhere. Marine scientists often emphasise that such
So, while sometimes we may not always be able to prevent the destruction of coastal
* Cahercarbery Beg promontory fort, Kerry Head.
Coastal developments and other human pressures *
Fishing and shell-fish farming Coastal communities often depend on fishing, fish farming and shell-fish farming for their
unknowingly by people driving their vehicles
*
damage intertidal and submerged archaeological sites (e.g. shipwrecks, ancient ports). Archaeologists, working with government authorities, can identify sites of interest and suggest means of protecting them or investigating them prior to their removal.
Off-shore developments *
across them. Farming and industrial pressures on sand-
appropriate
that
local
Photo: Mary Dillon
*
Ireland's maritime archaeology Living by the sea All around the coastal landscapes
the Kerry, Clare and Waterford
for ships and boats. Large fishing
coastlines. Medieval castles are
harbours and piers Ð as well as
regularly
prominent
their sheds and waterfronts Ð
coastal locations (e.g. Granuaile's
provide evidence for this maritime
castle on Clare Island) and you
heritage.
may find landing places or har-
hundreds of small piers and jetties
bours
19th
were built by the Congested Dis-
century, military forts and Martel-
trict Board to support local fishing
lo towers such as those along the
boats, the transport of turf and
Dublin coastline and around Cork
other economic activities. These
Harbour testify to the need to
piers may no longer be used but
watch for invading armies and to
can be recognised as rectangular
impress the locals with British
stone structures jutting out into the
military power.
water.
doned `Famine' villages like those
Ports and fishing
Beacons and
on
villages
Lighthouses
are
prehistoric,
medieval
and
modern settlements where people lived, farmed and worked the sea. On the Connemara, Mayo and Donegal
coastlines,
ancient
houses, field-walls, churches and burial places lie buried in the sand dunes and under the sandy machair soils. With the growth of Ireland's population in the 19th century,
rural
settlements
in-
creased on the west coast. AbanAchill
Island
have
ruined
houses, fields, roads and testify to life and work of dead genera-
found
near
Around
on
them.
Ireland's
In
the
coastline
are
Ireland's
In
the
19th
earliest
century,
known
light-
Energy concerns will lead to increasing con-
* Medieval towerhouse, Carrickkildavnet, Achill Island.
sunk during storms, high winds
edge of sand dunes and looking
and other accidents. Most of these
out for thin layers of shell, stone
are not visible as they lie sub-
and earth exposed in the eroding
merged under deep water; how-
cliff sections.
ever there are many thousands of inshore shipwrecks; old rotting
Ancient stone walls running down the foreshore may be evidence of
Fish traps
organisation of seaweed-gathering
boats and abandoned craft lying
Archaeologists
discov-
rights owned by different people.
around on the intertidal zone of
ered ancient wooden and stone
On the land, small rectangular
estuaries, bays and inlets. Almost
fish traps on Strangford Lough
stone structures may be the places
none
by
and the Shannon estuary. These
where the seaweed was dried, or
archaeologists. If you discover an
survive today as large V-shaped or
where kilns were used to burn the
old wreck, you should photograph
L-shaped structures partly enclos-
wrack. In some coastal districts
it, mark its location on a map and
ing a large space on the foreshore
(e.g. on the Aran Islands), there
report
have
it
to
been
the
recorded
recently
archaeological
fishing fleets and other coastal
Most
light-
Shellfish meat has been used as
economies. Many, such as Ard-
houses were built in the 19th
food, as fish bait and as a raw
glass, Co Down, have been used
century. They are often connected
material since earliest times to the
since the Middle Ages.
to houses, other buildings and
modern era. Shell middens are the
walled yards, testifying to the
rubbish dumps of the unwanted
Promontory forts, med-
that have long been centres for
ieval castles and mili-
of
Ireland's
other
wrecks under 100 years old) are afforded
coastal archaeological heritage.
protection under the National Monuments
Coastal Zone Management
(Amendments) Acts 1987 and 1994. All activities on underwater (including intertidal) archaeological sites are subject to licensing
lives of the keepers and their
shells from oysters, limpets, peri-
Text by
families. Other signal towers also
winkles. Shell middens can be
Island, the Aran Islands, and along
vide useful evidence for use of sea
survive from the 19th century.
identified by walking along the
UCD School of Archaeology
Sailing the sea ways
system. Any person wishing to dive on, or
CZM has emerged as one potential approach
inspect, an archaeological site `lying on, in or under the seabed or on or in land covered by
In practice, this encourages all the institutions
water' or who interferes with any site in any
and stakeholders involved in the coast to
way, must apply for a licence from The
manage the sea and the land in an integrated
National Monuments Section of the Deptart-
*
erosion patterns.
will a licence to dive be refused). Any archaeological site or object that is found
Harbour dredging, dumping of spoil offshore
underwater (including the intertidal zone)
and maintenance of shipping channels may
must be reported to the authorities. The finding
lead to the damage or destruction of under-
of an object should be reported to the director
water archaeological sites.
of the National Museum of Ireland, while sites
Off-shore sands and gravel extraction may
discovered should be reported to the National
also be immensely destructive of underwater
Monuments Section. It should also be emphasised that underwater, intertidal and coastal
* Shell-midden, Doonloughan, Co. Galway
archaeological investigations, are also located in potentially dangerous contexts.
How to get involved
Aidan O'Sullivan,
archaeology is not
to the coast to visit. Sites on
held in Universities, Institute's of
Historic Monuments, Waterman
just for experts. Given that Ireland
private land should only be visited
Technology and other centres (for
House, 5-33 Hill Street, Belfast,
has
coastline
with the permission of the land
example, www.achill-fieldschool.-
7,500km in length (longer than
owner. Your county's RMP (Reg-
com ). Perhaps you might even
Northern Ireland, BT1 2LA (web-
most European countries), it is
ister of Monuments and Places) is
become a professional maritime
vitally important that local com-
available for consultation in your
archaeologist!
munities are involved in protect-
county library.
an
extensive
archaeological heritage.
If you discover a previously unknown monument in the RoI you should report it to the National Monuments Service, phone
could encourage the appreciation
built/mbr/monuments_database/
gical monuments in the maritime
01-8882000 (website at www.en-
of maritime archaeological heri-
mons.asp. Many archaeological
and coastal zone in the RoI is
viron.ie). If you find an archae-
tage amongst tourists, walkers and
excavations have been carried
available
National
ological object in the RoI you
other recreational users of seas-
out on coast sites (see www.exca-
Monuments Service of the De-
capes. You could help to trace the
vations.ie).
must report it to the National
partment
Museum of Ireland, Kildare St,
Further information on archaeolo-
from of the
the
Environment,
The best way to get involved is
Heritage and Local Government,
historical
to join a local archaeological and
Dun Sce  ine, Harcourt Lane, Du-
sources, folklore, early maps and
historical society to learn more
blin 2. (website at www.enviro-
photographs.
about your own region's maritime
n.ie)
using
Dublin
2,
phone
01-6777444
(website at www.museum.ie/) You can contact the Heritage
You
In Northern Ireland, informa-
Council, Rothe House, Kilkenny,
1:50,000 maps, you can locate
could also enrol in local adult
tion is available from the Envir-
Phone 056-7770777: www.herita-
known archaeological sites close
education classes in archaeology
onment and Heritage Service at
gecouncil.ie/
Using the Discovery Series
Photo Aidan O'Sullivan
t.asp).
consulted at www.ehsni.gov.uk/
landscapes
* Killeaney church and graveyard, Inis Mor.
A database of Northern Ireland's archaeological sites can be
Where can I get further information?
site at www.ehsni.gov.uk/defaul-
Your own coastal community
historical development of coastal
The Heritage Council
Ireland's harbours and piers pro-
and headlands around Ireland's
old (and some historically important ship-
do this in ways that encourage respect for our
Museum of Ireland (only on rare occasions
ing and understanding coastal
An initiative of
coast Ð such as those on Dalkey
fortresses across the promontories
archaeological sites and objects over 100 years
scapes; however it should also be possible to
ment of the Environment and the National
MARITIME
Kelp walls and grids
and maintained by local monks.
Co
ing the resource in Europe. In the RoI, all
have yet to be recorded.
processed before being exported.
Head,
Photo: Sharon Greene
sea-bed around the coastline Ð
period to the modern times. Most
Wexford. It was built in 1172
Since prehistory, people have built
as 10,000 shipwrecks lie on the
Working the seashore
(e.g. Killybegs, Kilkee, Skerries)
tary forts
Archaeologists think that as many
doned kelp factories, where it was
Hook
amongst the most powerful legislation protect-
Shipwrecks
may also be the ruins of aban-
on
heritage, the Republic of Ireland has enacted
Photo A. O'Sullivan
dated from the early medieval
is
nature of Ireland's maritime archaeological
directly impact on archaeological sites, or
merged landscapes).
to catch fish. They have been
house
Recognising the fragility and non-renewable
resources.Such industrial developments may
archaeological sites (e.g. shipwrecks, sub-
authorities.
hundreds of towns and villages
tions.
*
communities
indirectly though alteration of currents and
* Medieval fishtrap (c.AD 1410), Fergus Estuary.
Legislation in relation to maritime archaeology
to coastal heritage.
wind-turbines for oil, gas and wind-farms
RIA funded excavations of Mesolithic hunter-gatherer site, Belderrig, Co Mayo. Photo Graeme Warren
archaeological site.
continue to live and work in coastal land-
*
struction of off-shore platforms, pipelines and
*
of a strategy for the management of the
and gravels.
is
develop-
survey or excavation, leading to development
grazing and the quarrying of dunes for sands
It
major
ments to be preceded by an archaeological
dunes may include intensive sheep or cattle
development of ports and harbours; the use of of the sea-bed by fishing gear can seriously
Growing human pressures on coastal land-
like shell middens may also be damaged
economy and livelihood. The modern rebeaches for shell-fish farms and the scouring
Legislation requires all
links golf-courses. Fragile archaeological sites
through archaeological excavations.
*
range of ways.
velopments, caravan parks and the building of
record them before they disappear Ð often
Photo: Aidan O'Sullivan
way. Archaeologists are involved in CZM in a
scapes include urban expansion, tourism de-
archaeological sites by the sea, we must
*
19
archaeological
heritage.
20
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
AQUACULTURE NEWS
`Root and branch' restructuring of salmon farming industry Report by Gery Flynn
AN anti-dumping investigation by the EU Commission that concluded in 2005 and led to the imposition last January of definitive measures on Norwegian-farmed salmon has also brought about a root-andbranch restructuring of the salmon farming industry in the UK and Ireland in order to make it more competitive. ``The dumping of Norwegian-farmed salmon on EU markets at prices below the cost of production had serious implications for Irish salmon producers, forcing them to compete in an unfair environment, MõÂcheaÂl Corrduibh, projects manager with UÂdaraÂs na Gaeltachta in Furbo told Inshore Ireland. ``So, once the dumping case had been dealt with we set about restructuring the way salmon is produced here in the southwest Connemara region.'' According to Corrduibh it began with the establishment by UÂdaraÂs and the Cill ChiaraÂin-based Irish Salmon Producers Group (ISPG) of a new company, Maoiniu Mara Teor-
anta (MMT), to oversee the logistics of harvest schedules and marketing: ``Historically, harvesting was driven by cashflow with the farmer selling when he ran out of funds. But when several producers sold at the same time it created a fluctuating supply base of over and under-supply, resulting in sub-optimal prices. We realised that marketing had to be better co-ordinated, and that the farmer had to be able to plan effectively. That meant they had to get cash by being able to pre-sell product before they actually had it, and they needed to build up customer confidence that their product would meet buyer specification. This became MMT's role.'' MMT was funded in its first year by ISPG and UÂdaraÂs each investing 600,000. A further 500,000 came from the Western Development Commission (WDC) as a long-term loan. In year two, UÂdaraÂs and the WDC provided another 500,000 each, and Corrduibh anticipates that by 2008, with a proven track record, total funds under MMT control could top 5 million.
* MõÂcheaÂl Corrduibh of UÂdaraÂs na Gaeltachta.
He believes that the appearance of MMT is a welcome development from a banker's point of view because instead of having to deal with only one or two farms, they will now be dealing with seven or eight - but through a single entity. So, if one farm defaults, MMT will still have adequate funds to repay the bank. Central to the restructuring process was the in-depth analy-
sis by consultant Peter Quinn who's report highlighted the need for a more united approach by farmers in the area. ``It was clear from this analysis that there was too much duplication of effort going on, and if there could be amalgamation into a single operating unit, significant savings would be the result,'' explains Corrduibh. ``So far, two farms - Muir
Gheal Teoranta and Muir AchmhainnõÂ Teoranta - have come together to form a single new company, Meitheal EÂisc Teorant (MET), and another three producers in the region are negotiating entry into this arrangement.'' He emphasises that involvement in MET could take different forms with some individuals acting as sub-contractors, and others, perhaps because of complications regarding licences or the value of shares will prefer to be part of some federal relationship: ``The intention in the longer term is to have one operating unit with production streamlined and market-focused. Marketing will be in the hands of ISPG, which will be the cement that holds the entire thing together,'' he points out. Looking to the future, Corrduibh is confident that a formula is being put in place which will enable salmon farmers in south-west Connemara to compete on an even playing field : ``Our target is to have about 9,000 tonnes of salmon produced in the Gaeltacht region of
south-west Connemara by 2009. This will be driven by the amount of funding available and of course all the usual factors such as an absence of disease.'' Nevertheless, he foresees huge possibilities: ``This is only a temporary arrangement to make sure the nuts and bolts fit together. But in the long-run, the obvious direction for this to go is for it to merge into one single structure - ISPG, MMT and MET one large operating unit totally independent of State bodies.'' And while focused for the time-being at least on salmon, Corrduibh says that once trials with farmed cod and other species have been completed, these are likely to become part of this process: ``I can see this model being applied to shellfish too and a whole range of other activities in this area. MMT will support any fish farming company willing to produce a product to ISPG specifications. And, for reasons of competition this cannot be restricted to the Gaeltacht either, it's available to all suppliers of ISPG,'' he says.
Ensuring safe
shellfish for the plate ESTABLISHED in 2002, De- Authority unveiled its refurpur Systems Ltd in Dundrum, bished mussel dock and depuraCo Down provides a full range tion centre, with the intention of of purification and recirculation having the facility available to systems for bivalve mollusc mussel producers from the beproducers and processors ginning of October. The system, which was dethroughout Ireland, the UK signed and built by Depur and further afield. According to the company's Systems Ltd, is partly based technical director, John Smyth, on smaller systems developed the company has responded to by Seafish but differs in that it has a water treatment plant market demand: ``Our initial systems were which enables operators to rebased on the standard Seafish use the water a number of times Industry Authority design. They with full quality control. Mehave been well tested and are chanical filtration as low as 5 used by leading research estab- microns is possible, and sterililishments (QUB; UCC; UU and zation with ozone makes the BIM) and satisfy EU standards entire system ultra efficient. Ozone is used in the water and requirements set down by the Food Safety Authority. Our treatment plant only. The plant systems meet full hygiene stan- is independent of the main dards, achieving a 4-log inacti- system and uses UV sterilizers. vation of bacteria cells such as Systems do not have backup E.coli. Commercial customers power except the very large include Ireland, UK (Shetland) industrial units. Running costs of the standard range of systems Devon, Wales and Iceland. ``Nowadays we can provide based on a five-year costing tailor-made systems for both including capital, grants and marine and freshwater custo- renewals should be less than 1 mers. Our largest standard sys- cent per kilo. The system at Warrenpoint tem was specifically designed for mussels and is based on a will simply charge for the multi-tank system of 10 per operation, but the final cost module. Nominal capacity is 3 per tonne has not been finatonnes (10x300kg). We have lized. The depuration system, also provided a system for a which will handle approxipilot abalone project developed mately 35-40 tonnes per cycle, by QUB research. Another is capable of an output of 150 awaits planning approval,'' he tonnes per week. Some 800 tonnes (800,000 litres) of water explained. The company has progressed per hour are circulated by 4 to producing industrial-sized centrifugal pumps through twin systems, which can be stacked 2 kW UV sterilizing units in a and therefore save space for the closed recirculation system. ``This system is the largest in grower/processor. Stacking systems are based on a single stack Ireland and probably the UK, of three bins holding a total of 1 and will significantly assist tonne with a 1.25m - footprint. producers with quality control Depur Systems Ltd can also and added value. With so much supply lobster and shellfish of Ireland's coastal waters having a `B' classification, there is holding systems. a requirement to depurate (or Product launch pasteurise) before marketing,'' Smyth, director told InIn May, Warrenpoint Harbour John shore Ireland.
Large scale deep layer system. Maximum 60 storage bins at approximately 40 tonnes.
*
* Medium scale multi-layer. Biomass 750kg (50 baskets) all biShallow tank. Small-scale nominal biomass 90kg (6x15kg valves. Tank capacity is approximately 2,600 litres UV. 220w-440w. baskets) all bivalves. Available with 25w or 50w UV. *
Depuration Ð the facts per 100g of flesh. SHELLFISH feed by filtering can be a serious health risk to * B: from 300 to 6,000 f. colismall particles - mainly natural humans. forms per 100g of flesh (in In order to protect public phytoplankton - from the surrounding water. If the water health, Council Directive 91/ * 90% of the sample). C: from 6,000 to 60,000 f also contains certain natural 492/EEC stipulates that the coliforms per 100g of flesh. biotoxins, or viruses and bac- areas from which shellfish are teria as a result of being harvested must be designated Prohibited: above contaminated by human or and classified according to animal sewage, these too will how much, if any, bacterial 60,000 f. coliforms be ingested by the shellfish to coliforms can be detected in per 100g of flesh accumulate - and even con- their flesh: Shellfish from category `A' centrate - in its blood or the best designation - can go Classifications muscle. direct human consumption Untreated, these shellfish * A: less than 300 f. coliforms for without treatments of any
kind. Shellfish from areas designated `B' or `C' however must undergo a process of depuration for specific periods of time in order to purge them of contaminants before they go for human consumption. Depuration can take place in man-made tanks through which clean or treated water is pumped continuously or, by re-laying the shellfish in naturally clean areas (class `A') for certain periods.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
IFA lobby wins fisheries fund approval
21
AQUACULTURE NEWS
IFA Aquaculture lobbying has succeeded in getting the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) back on the agenda for the June Council of Fisheries Ministers meeting with full approval, bringing forward the start of this vital fund for fish and shellfish farmers by at least three months. IFA began its campaign after the May Council failed to reach agreement on the EFF, following which the Federation of European Aquaculture Produ-
cers agreed an IFA resolution that strongly criticised European Fisheries Ministers for lacking the economic foresight and political will to agree the EFF. IFA also lobbied Minister John Browne and got agreement from the European Mollusc Producers Association to join the campaign for an early decision on the EFF. Ministers agreed this month, under pressure from an EUwide campaign, to reverse their
decision to delay the EFF item until September and finalise the details at the June Council. The proposed EFF will use 3.8 billion over six years to develop Europe's under-resourced fisheries sector and in particular boost sustainable aquaculture to redress the EU's large seafood deficit. The IFA predicted that continued low priority for the EFF by EU governments would result in a delay of up to one year in the activation of the
fund and that resources for improving environmental management, marketing, increasing efficiency and developing output would completely dry up in 2007. IFA Aquaculture executive secretary, Richie Flynn told Inshore Ireland said: ``Irish aquaculture producers operate in a market without subsidies, and our taxes go to the central fund for the good of the community. The EFF will help small and
medium sized enterprises develop their businesses to achieve the high EU standards of food safety and environmental management and push new boundaries to meet the challenges of increasing costs in the areas of fuel, labour and marketing. IFA welcomes the agreement on the EFF and the response of the Irish Government in helping to achieve a conclusion to this issue.'' Mr Flynn urged the Irish
Government to now ensure that negotiations begin immediately between industry and the authorities on the National Strategic Plan for Ireland for submission to the Commission as soon as possible: ``We have to aim, in partnership, to ensure that there is the minimum gap possible between the FIFG and the EFF, particularly considering that there will be no further FIFG funding available in 2006,'' said Mr Flynn.
Notice-board . . Notice-board. . Notice-board . . Notice-board
IFA Aquaculture and the National Seafood Strategy
FOLLOWING the announcement by Ministers Dempsey and Browne of the preparation of a National Seafood Strategy, Minister Browne has asked IFA Aquaculture to play a full role in the development of the terms of reference, which will set the pace and policy for development of aquaculture from 2007 to 2013. The main output from the Strategy is to form the national strategy, which will be lodged with Brussels as part of the European Fisheries Fund (EFF). Draft ToR were being discussed by IFA Aquaculture officers and committees as Inshore Ireland went to press. IFA Aquaculture executive secretary, Richie Flynn, said
that while the bulk of the work would be carried out in the consultation and negotiation stages over the summer months, it was important that the strategy addresses the potential for development in the context of: * Market potential for its products.
* Successes and failures of successive government approach to the industry's development to date. * Structural challenges brought about by outside economic and environmental forces across all species.
Specifically, IFA's priorities for the coming years to ensure delivery of a sustainable sector by 2013 must be: * Provision of adequate licensing policy for a profitable and
*
*
*
*
sustainable industry in the salmon sector - the low-impact high-quality approach. Addressing carrying capacity and licensing challenges in the rope mussel sector (see this and all other recommendations in the PwC Report). Addressing efficiency and customer delivery in licensing across all sectors to ensure security of tenure, legal requirements and reduce frustration and conflict over licensing delays and decisions. Making adequate provision to ensure production potential in the face of environmental challenges to the intertidal sector (algae blooms and pollution). Tackling the need to introduce proper and fair management to the uncoordinated approach to
the bottom mussel sector in terms of seed supply while addressing the difficulties faced by those vessel owners tied up by the CoC regulations. * Supporting and encouraging the development of a modern, competitive and efficient freshwater sector. * Addressing cost competitiveness across all species in relation to competing industries abroad, especially in terms of logistics, juvenile production, animal health protection, efficient production methods, new technology * The need to co-ordinate industry at local level through an active and effective CLAMS network.
``It is important that the strategy also addresses and
clarifies the roles and responsibilities of the various state agencies and departments that interact with industry, and that it contains specific plans to improve and develop the state's service and communication with aquaculture businesses, eg. in the context of decentralisation,'' Mr Flynn told Inshore Ireland. IFA Aquaculture welcomes an open and thorough debate on all the issues set out in the draft ToR. It will also provide a national co-ordinated response and input during the process of developing the strategy, under the auspices of the Aquaculture Forum or another agreed body involving all species and subsectors.
Battle continues on Classification HAVING been shocked at the `zero tolerance' recommendations for e-coli sampling contained in the proposed Good Practice Guide for the Microbiological Monitoring of Bivalve Mollusc Production Areas, the Irish Shellfish Association has fought the imposition of this potentially disastrous policy through the executive secretary in his capacity as chair of the EC's Aquaculture Working Group and the European Mollusc Producers Association in Paris. According to analysis carried out by Dr Bill Dore, even a 5% tolerance level of results would reduce `A' areas from 21 to 4 in the
entire country, while 6 current `B' areas would slip into `C' category with little or no hope for any `B' areas being upgraded. This approach will cost the Irish shellfish industry millions in sales and lost markets. ISA is campaigning hard for a return to the 10% tolerance level for `A' and `B' areas and has met directly with the Commission officials responsible for implementing the monitoring regime. News is awaited in September of the success of ISA lobbying and that of the French industry who has been equally concerned with the proposals.
Karenia mortalities
WHILE everyone in the industry is aware that mortalities in the summer/autumn of 2005 were caused by the Karenia bloom, the full extent of the damage was not clear until late April after farmers had the chance to check all generations of their stocks. Having made a call through Inshore Ireland and at our conference in Ennis for those affected to come forward, IFA Aquaculture development officer, Joe McElwee visited 18 affected producers along the west coast to investigate the reported losses. ISA estimates that approximately 20 producers had losses of over 1 million across three generations: seed, half grown and fully mature. Some producers will not feel the full effect of the 2005 bloom until next year when the shortage of 2005 seed leaves a huge gap in their production. ISA has submitted a preliminary report to BIM and recently met with their chief executive, Pat Keogh, in Connemara. A full report and request for compensation for growers is now being compiled for submission to Minister Browne.
PwC report follow-up ISA AGM to take place in September FOLLOWING a meeting between the ISA executive and IFA general secretary, Michael Berkery, the deferred ISA AGM will now take place in September. The ISA executive will use the summer months to examine organisational issues, and draft rules of the Association to be discussed by the full membership at the AGM. IFA president, PaĂ&#x201A;draig Walshe, and other invited guests will ensure that the AGM will be of interest to all members and deal with all of the important issues facing the shellfish sector today.
IFA Aquaculture and BIM have produced a `matrix' of the recommendations of the PwC report, outlining which agency or organisation is responsible for each recommendation and the timeframe involved in delivering an outcome. The ISA believes that this report is extremely important, which is why the Association and its members invested so much of their time into its production.
Therefore, the ISA executive and the Association's 18 members who were directly involved in the production of the report welcome the `ready reckoner' and eagerly look forward to getting down to business on the meat of the recommendations. The biotoxin recommendations are due to be discussed at the next MSSC meeting with the Marine Institute and the Food Safety Authority on July 18.
22
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
AQUACULTURE NEWS
Regional co-operation to boost coastal communities Alan Drumm, AquaReg reports
OPENING the second AquaReg forum in Ireland last month, MEP SeaÂn OÂ Neachtain noted that while differences existed between the regions in the inshore fisheries sector [Galicia, Spain; Trùndelag, Norway and the BMW region in Ireland] ``regional cooperation clearly is a benefit, and helps development of the sector within all three regions.'' The forum, hosted by the Marine Institute, brought together politicians, researchers and inshore fisheries/aquaculture representatives to continue the process of developing coastal communities.
The 12 co-operative projects range from recycling/re-using aquaculture by-products to development of innovative packaging for transportation of fresh mussels, cultivation of cod and restocking clawed lobster. According to Mark Norman, Taighde Mara Teo, the success of AquaReg is its focus on bringing together people with a common interest:
Bottom-up approach
``There is a strong bottom-up approach focused on the needs of businesses on the ground. Gaining experience from other regions and learning from their practical experience, and indeed mistakes, is very valuable. ``We should continue to sup-
* Crowding fish for slaughter and transport.
port these links to help develop our own resources,'' he said. Susanne Bratli, cabinet member of Nord-Trùndelag Co Council, and Fatima Linares, general director for Innovation in the Galician Ministry of Fisheries (Xunta de Galicia) believe that AquaReg has met its objectives: ``The introduction to new cultures, languages, markets and people, creates innovative thinking and we really need that to be able to develop - AquaReg is a good instrument for putting into practice regional development policies related with the marine sector.'' AquaReg differs from other INTERREG funded programmes whereby it involves small businesses, allowing them
* Geir Tevasvold, Trondelag; Jorn Ekrem, Trondelag;, SeaÂn OÂ Neachtain, MEP; Dave Jackson, Marine Institute; Yolanda Molares and Gabriel de Labra, Galicia and Alan Drumm, Marine Institute.
to build strong working relationships with their counterparts. ``The programme has yielded successful results. Our aim now is to further develop
these projects and working networks,'' remarked Jorn Ekrem, a steering committee member. The steering committee is to propose future co-operation in
coastal zone management and to broaden participation within the Atlantic region (including Canada), which already has links with Ireland and Norway.
* One of the new `concrete' farms in Jutland.
European fish farmers assess production in Copenhagen * Collecting live trout for transport at the farm
Richie Flynn, IFA Aquaculture reports
DELEGATES from 18 fin-fish producing countries (including ISGA and the Irish Troup Group) met at the AGM of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers for two days in Copenhagen at the end of May. The Associations present represented every European producer of salmon, trout, seatrout, carp, seabass, seabream, eels, cod, pike, perch, sturgeon, turbot and halibut. In 1998, production of European finfish was 816,343 tonnes worth 2.404 billion.
On the sides of the meeting, delegates held sectoral commissions on the major species
SEA-REARED TROUT
By 2005, production has risen to 1.3 million tonnes worth 4.333 billion at first sale value. EU production had actually fallen year on year by an average of 1.6% since 1998 from 525,067 tonnes to 475,628 tonnes in 2005. If you include non-EU countries such as Norway, Turkey, Croatia, the Faroes and Iceland, overall European production has grown annually by an average of 5.5% from 1 million tonnes in 1998 to 1.387 million in 2005. The Danes, who hosted the meeting, have seen their trout industry return slowly from a point of near extinction, thanks to a government that interprets
Country Finland Faroes Denmark France Norway UK Spain Turkey Sweden TOTAL
2005 13,000 4,500 6,000 9,000 60,000 3,000 1,500 2,000 3,000 102,000
SALMON PRODUCTION Country UK Faroes France Iceland Ireland Norway Totals
2004 150,000 33,000 700 7500 15,000 512,000 718,200
EU legislation very literally and has implemented Water Framework Directive regulations faster and more stringently than anywhere else so far in the EU. While Danish marine farming has been strictly constrained at around 6,000 tonnes of large trout since 1998, the freshwater trout industry has been forced to
FRESHWATER PORTION TROUT
2005 123,000 19,000 800 5,000 11,500 588,000 747,300
invest in a huge amount of new pipework, pumps and concrete to replace traditional pond culture to meet new discharge demands. Across the countryside in Jutland, overgrown and abandoned pond farms slowly return to nature (with most of the equipment left to rust in situ)
Pink Rainbows >400grm Country 2005 tonnage Cyprus 70 UK 12,500 Belg-Luxbrg 150 Denmark 6500 France 24000 Germany 1000 Ireland 1100 Italy 17000 Portugal 1500 Spain 22500 Turkey 250 Total pink trout Total white trout
while next door new recirc or low-flow farms produce 500 to 1000 tonnes of fish in concrete raceways or ponds at relatively high densities. The changeover has not been simple or without its problems; extra electricity costs and problems associated with some diseases have only been kept
White portion trout Country 2005 tonnage Croatia 800 Austria 1600 Belg-Lixbrg 250 Czech Rep 597 Denmark 22500 France 4000 Germany 22000 Greece 3000 Hungary 25 Italy 22000 Poland 14000 Spain 9000 Sweden 200 Turkey 38000 86,570 137,972
at bay by decent prices in the last year. The FEAP AGM dealt with a range of issues - most notably the European Fisheries Fund delay (see separate report) and the habitual supply/demand problem of the Mediterranean seabass and seabream sector.
BIM and Irish Aquaculture
Harvesting the Best!
At BIM there is a commitment to develop an aquaculture industry we can all be proud of. Sustainable job creation in coastal communities integrating all members of the community is central to this pursuit. Through technical, financial, marketing and environmental/quality support services, BIM is actively engaged in promoting the most up to date and cost efficient aquaculture techniques, to produce quality seafood, consistent with the needs of environmental protection and conservation.
Quality products are crucial for successful marketing. To this end, the BIM environmental/ quality programme aims to promote the concepts of quality and environmental awareness with the development of codes of practice for finfish and shellfish, and the implementation of quality assurance schemes.
Financial support for pilot and commercial aquaculture ventures is available through European and BIM grant schemes for both existing farmers and new entrants.
So, what does all of this mean? Simply, that BIM offers a one stop shop for all your aquaculture development needs.
The financial support is complemented by technical expertise and training programmes on best husbandry practice for shellfish and finfish production drawing on home based and international expertise. BIMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technical programme is continuing to investigate the potential of novel species and new and innovative technology. Feasibility studies, site selection and evaluation are also part of our service.
If you would like further information you can contact BIMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aquaculture Development Division at: Tel: +353 1 2144100/Fax: +353 1 2841123 Email: aqua@bim.ie www.bim.ie
24
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
AQUACULTURE NEWS
Water recirculation using energy-saving moving bed filters Gery Flynn reports
IVAR Warrer-Hansen has been active in Ireland's aquaculture sector since he arrived here in the early 1980s from his native Denmark to spearhead the transformation of three rundown rainbow trout farms in the Aughrim and Woodenbridge areas of Co Wicklow into an efficient and fully integrated operation that today includes a processing facility. Acknowledged as an expert in fish farming recirculation technology, Warrer-Hansen contends that recent advances especially in the key area of intank bio-filtration - means that these systems now often outperform conventional flowthrough and pump-ashore production systems in a variety of ways. ``Recirculation in fish farming used to be perceived as too complex and too expensive especially in terms of the capital cost - but this is no longer the case,'' he told Inshore Ireland. ``Not only are they simpler to operate today, the development of moving bed filters means that energy costs have been cut dramatically because water no longer has to be pumped to a high head. And, in terms of performance, the nitrification rate for a moving bed is 3-4
times higher, so this gives the filter greater capacity to tolerate any peak loads that are common when farming fish. In other words these sudden peaks will not cause the system to `crash' as was often the case in the past, and that makes it much more reliable overall.'' Warrer-Hansen says that recirculation is becoming the production system of choice for fish farming worldwide and points out that the range of species that can now be farmed successfully using the technology is on the increase.
Environmentally friendly
A key advantage of recirculation, he says, is the ability to control every parameter of water quality within the system. This, he argues, will have enormous knock-on benefits overall - for the environment in particular - because all waste materials can be retained and disposed of safely. And unlike the so-called conventional flow-through and pump-ashore systems which can be located only where there is a ready supply of suitable water, Warrer-Hansen says that ``being location-flexible, a recirculation system can be estab-
lished just about anywhere even in industrial estates.''
Expensive pump ashore
With turbot farming as an example, he claims that the cost of a pump-ashore system in Spain is a third more expensive than a recirculation system producing the same tonnage. ``Despite the fact that Spain, with its high seawater temperatures, is probably the most attractive place in the world today to farm turbot, there are still times during the year when ambient water temperature falls below the optimal 18 degrees,'' he explains. ``This means that the length of time required to produce market-ready fish is eighteen months. On the other hand, however, a recirculation system running all year at 18 degrees will have the turbot ready for market in just twelve months, or in fifty per cent less time.'' Warrer-Hansen states that in other words, the recirculation system requires 50% less space to produce the same tonnage of fish.
DEPURATION SYSTEMS FOR BIVALVE MOLLUSCS. SMALL SCALE TO INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS ALSO RE-CIRCULATION & SHELLFISH HOLDING
*
Inter aqua Advance 3rd generation recirculation aquaculture system at Kinloch Damph Salmon smolt
facility has a main stream pumping head of only 1.2 meters.
* Advance's 3rd generation clearwater Low-Space Bio-reactors in operation in a 600-tons marine system.
LATE NEWS . . . . .LATE NEWS SEA public consultation fails but licensing recommended Report by Shay Fennelly
THE first Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Ireland for a new round of oil and gas exploration has been published by the Petroleum Affairs Directorate of the Department of Communication, Marine and Natural Resources. The SEA report concludes, that the plan to issue offshore exploration licences in the Slyne/Erris/Donegal basin can be adopted without causing significant environmental impacts provided mitigation, monitoring measures and 35 recommendations are implemented. The report was commissioned by PAD to comply with the SEA Directive, which was transcribed into Irish law in 2004. The objective of the SEA Directive is to ensure, ``an environmental assessment is carried out of certain plans and programmes which are likely to have significant effects on the environment.''
DEPUR SYSTEMS LTD
MONEYCARRAGH FISH FARM PHONE: +44 (0) 28 43751860 60 DROMARA RD, DUNDRUM, FAX: +44 (0) 28 43751940 CO. DOWN, N.IRELAND, BT330NS E.MAIL: depursystems@yahoo.co.uk
WEB SITE: depursystems.com
The SEA identifies seismic surveys and the impact they have on whales and dolphins in addition to atmospheric emissions, which have a potential major effect on the environment. The report identifies large gaps in knowledge about mar-
ine mammals offshore and on fishing effort for the Slyne/ Erris/ Donegal basin, making it difficult to make impact assessments. A key recommendation is for additional impact assessment on a sitespecific basis.
Disturbance to whales and dolphins to increase
Chronic noise exposure to marine mammals is thought likely to cause auditory damage. Behavioural responses in whales, dolphins and seals include fright, avoidance and changes in behaviour - in some cases at ranges of tens or hundreds of kilometres. Fish also move away from areas where seismic surveys are undertaken. A typical seismic survey ship emits the most intense man-made noises directed at the seabed. The intensity of sound waves produced by the firing of seismic air guns can reach up to 250 decibels (dB) near the source and can be as high as 117 dB over 20 miles away. The sound intensity produced by a jack-hammer is around 120 dB, which can damage human ears in as little as 15 seconds. Between 2007 and 2008 PAD plan to license seismic surveys for a maximum of 157 days and 194 days re-
spectively. The SEA failed to identify the lethal threat posed by new low frequency navy sonar implicated in the stranding of beaked whales.
Lack of public input
No submissions were received from fishermen, coastal local authorities, western regional development bodies or and local representatives, indicating a lack of awareness about the SEA Directive and its significance. Article 6 of the SEA Directive requires that both the environmental authorities and the public must be given an early and effective opportunity to make submissions on the draft plan and the accompanying environmental report before any final decision is made. The SEA guidelines for planning authorities state that, ``Submissions received on the Environmental Report must also be listed, summarised and analysed as part of this process. Those who make a submission are entitled to know what consideration has been given to the points made. While it may be desirable to group similar submissions, individual submissions should be identified, e.g. by reference number.'' No public submissions are listed in the final report.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
25
CHAR FISHERY
Charr-ming fish to delight palates
Stofnfiskur has extended its highly successful family breeding programme to include the production of out-of-season salmon smolts, the first of which are expected to go to sea by Autumn 2007. Speaking to Inshore Ireland from the port town of HafnarfjoĂ&#x2C6;rÂ&#x2026;ur on the west coast of Iceland, Dr Jonas Jonasson, MD of Stofnfiskur HF - which wholly-owns the Irish operation - welcomed this development saying that it paved the way for ``a more streamlined and more cost-effective salmon farming industry''. Report by Gery Flynn. ``WITH
BIM support of Arctic charr
salmon eggs available
almost year-round and the ability to put salmon smolts to sea
Lucy Watson explains
more than once a year, these developments are the future of salmon farming,'' he declares. ``It
will
benefit
freshwater
lowing them to get more use
from their facilities throughout
the year, and this in turn will
have important knock-on bene-
fits for the entire industry.'' Jonasson confirms that he is
``very satisfied with progress''
Corrandulla in north Co Gal-
* Charr - a popular fish for generations in Iceland.
way, and he praised in particu-
lar the way they had introduced
Arctic
charr
(Salvelinus
alpi-
nus) to fish farming to Ireland. ``Charr farming has a very promising
future
in
Ireland;
however, despite the fact that
you have plentiful supplies of
good quality freshwater, limita-
tions will arise if you wish to
farm large volumes,'' he explains.
Key recirculation
been developed that set out
relatively
growth and profitability of 50
comparatively
is set out in a manual entitled
tonne
flow
producers compete with Ice-
`An introduction to farming
through and recirculation sys-
Arctic charr in Ireland'.
tems.
landic, Norwegian, Swiss and
cies,'' he adds. Jonasson admits
preferred by consumers. ``In the
that compared to Iceland, where
past,
an abundance of wild charr in
marketed
rivers and lakes means that it
now,
has
for
prefer to serve a fillet per plate
in
so you are talking about har-
particular, it remains practically
vesting fish ranging from 300g
unknown in Ireland and in some
to 800g weight,'' says Jonasson.
been
a
generations
popular with
fish
anglers
lakes is actually extinct.
wild
charr
at
was
often
up
to
2kg.
But
restaurants
in
particular
Jonasson says that the pro-
An industry-led strategy for
trials
Ireland, a proposed strategy
mer,
Gold, as well as our own Irish
for production and marketing'
charr per week will be har-
Kindrum
was written by Peter McGo-
vested out of Cool Springs
vern, Stofnfiskur Ireland Ltd
Arctic Charr Ltd in Co Sligo.
(SIL);
LMR
(See Inshore Ireland, vol 2:
and
nr2, pg. 22 April 2006) and
and
Coomasaharn
strains. These
trials
looked
at
a
growing conditions. Since the
Valerie Dujardin of the ISPG.
early days, BIM has worked with
individual
farms
and
strains to establish definitive growth
data
and
husbandry
guidelines.
over two years ``from egg to
is a quality food. Nevertheless,
plate and as a northern fish, it
consultants
BIM has also worked with to
develop
pro-
technical advances in recircula-
was no longer a seasonal fish
ence in Iceland has been that it
der various grow-out scenar-
tion
technology
available only during the sum-
does very well between 8-10 C.
ios, to establish best practice
that
water
a
mer when the ice had left the lakes. We find now that the
charr
tion in Ireland. He thinks that
national consumption of charr
says that despite its reputation
results from their own tests in
has actually increased in line
as being a highly sensitive fish
Iceland indicate that recircula-
with increased farmed produc-
that is easily stressed, it has not
tion would play a pivotal role in
tion, and I am confident it will
been a problem for them.
such an industry here.
happen in Ireland too.''
be
ability to protect the environ-
Consumer demand
ment
Increasing
``Quite apart from that, the by
controlling
effluents
makes recirculation look like a realistic
option
for
this
spe-
availability
Comparing with
the
rearing
salmon,
of
Jonasson
``Compared to salmon it's a very different fish and the eggs are of course much smaller. But of
farmed charr in Iceland has also changed the size of fish now
apart from requiring a bit more attention
at
start-feeding,
it's
quite straightforward,'' he contends.
Profiling the management of inland fisheries THE Central Fisheries Board has
published
looks
at
book
that
improvement
a
and
management of inland fisheries. Compiled by Dr Martin O'Grady, Channels & Challenges is primarily a training manual aimed at stakeholders in river restoration and enhancement. Launching the book, Marine Minister John Brown TD commended the CFB for the initiative, saying it would be of great interest to anyone concerned in the future of the salmon resource and protection of the environment: ``Many
fishery
enhance-
ment programmes were undertaken nationwide in both public
and
public/private
partnerships over the course of the National Development Plan. The marine department along with the Central and Regional
Fisheries
Boards
played pivotal roles in these schemes, and I am pleased to see that this book provides examples of just how successful
individual
pro-
grammes were, and in doing so demonstrate how the benefits of future investment can be maximised in this area,'' he said.
Roche,
Management
analyses of charr growth un-
not
Liam
variety of growing sites and
duction models and economic
would
being
ment, entitled, Arctic Charr in
have to be convinced that charr
limiting factor for charr produc-
is
marketed into Europe by the
is now finalised. The docu-
duction cycle for charr is just
o
Currently
charr
Labrador; Nayauk `Yukon Ă&#x192; ; Icelandic Omble Gold U
as low as 2 C. But our experi-
proven
product.
Arctic
Irish
charr farming sector in Ireland
can tolerate water temperatures
have
Irish
and
small.
N-type;
Swedish Yivgves;
``In Iceland people did not
o
German
specialised
Canadian
on
tional work to inform folk that it
that
tonne
the development of the Arctic
we did have to do some promo-
believes
100
This document details the
recent
Jonasson
and
results of comparative growth Swedish
at the Stofnfiskur (Ireland) sal-
mon hatchery near the village of
trial data relating to
Arctic charr farming in Ireland
ALL
producers in particular, by al-
production
methodologies.
Specifically,
models
have
Services
This document, however, is confidential to the identified industry
stakeholders
who
participated in its production. Suffice to say there is considerable interest in farming
ISPG and market reports are very positive. During the sumtwo
tonnes
Stofnfiskur Galway.
of
Ireland
The
fish
Arctic
Ltd
in
will
be
available both for the home and export market. BIM
is
committed
to
a
programme to diversify aqua-
charr among existing farmers
culture production away from
and some new entrants at sites
the more traditionally farmed
with
finfish species such as salmon
good
freshwater
sup-
plies.
and
Specialised market
been identified as a species
The market for Arctic charr is
land.
trout.
Arctic
charr
has
offering good potential in Ire-
26
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
REPORTS
Marine photography exhibition at Fish Ireland 2006
PHOTOGRAPHER, former oyster fisherman, mussel farmer and current contributor to Inshore Ireland, Shay Fennelly, has been documenting Ireland's marine sector and coastal communities since 1986, telling their stories in pictures and words. Since 2000 he has contributed to the fishing press - The Irish Skipper, Marine Times, Fishing News and Fish Farming International (UK). His feature articles have also appeared in the Irish Independent Magazine, the Irish Times and Ireland of the Welcomes magazine. In 2001 he was awarded a John Healy National Print Award for a feature article in the Irish Times on how the Shetland Islanders benefited from the development of Sullom Voe Oil Terminal/North Sea Oil. His first report was published in Fish Farming International, and was based on his experience mussel farming in Clew Bay, Co Mayo. His first travel photographs illustrated a book: Sailing to Leningrad, published
in 1987. This told the story of the first visit by an Irish yacht to St Petersberg and the Baltic States before glasnost, since the Oriana in 1859. He also shot the film footage for 40 Degrees West - a Channel 4/Ulster television documentary and in 1991 he photographed the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race in South America. Recent features include photojournalism reports on the Corrib gas project; coastal zone management; marine enterprise in Newfoundland; the Prestige oil spill in Spain; satellite tagging of bluefin tuna off Donegal and tourism photo features on the Mullet peninsula, Achill Yawls, and the Sceiligs off Kerry.
* Shay Fennelly also runs
AQUAPHOTO - a niche photo library specialising in Irish maritime affairs. He will be displaying his photographs for sale at Fish Ireland 2006, from 29 June - 1 July in Killybegs. Further information: shayfennelly@eircom.net / mobile:087 6428902 / www.aquaphoto.ie
Seafood on the school menu
* Galway hookers racing at Kinvara, Co Galway.
* Ă&#x201A;Aine Patricia is welcomed home to Erris.
* Prestige oil spill clean up volunteers
* Surveview to Achill Head, Co Mayo.
Skills display by Irish Coast Guard & HM Coast Guard volunteers Borrisokane Community College student Jennifer Hodgins was in high spirits after getting to grips with a Gurnard fish at the Bord Iascaigh Mhara's `fish at the heart of a healthy diet' campaign in the Tipperary school.
BORRISOKANE Community College in Tipperary is the first school in Ireland to participate in the BIM `fish at the heart of a healthy diet' seafood and health education drive, and has secured certification from the HSE Western Area. Visiting the school, BIM consultant dietitian Sarah Keogh stressed the importance of seafood as part of a healthy balanced diet. The students received a series of life-stage health brochures that BIM is developing as part of its national health information campaign. College principal, Matthew Carr said that healthy eating was firmly on the school agenda:
* Tall ships becalmed.
``Our Millennium project was to build a state-of-the-art canteen and dining hall. Last September the idea of a Collegebased healthy eating policy became a reality, and students can now purchase a healthy main course dinner at lunchtime for 2. Students are very satisfied with the results and continue to put forward their views for more healthy eating options and choices.'' For further information on BIM's seafood and health initiative visit the BIM website www.bim.ie/wellbeing, which contains information on the nutritional aspects of seafood, tips and hints for buying, preparing and cooking fish.
THE inaugural Joint Search and Rescue competition involving the Irish Coast Guard and HM Coastguard Northern Ireland took place in Greencastle, Co Donegal, over the weekend of May 19-21. The purpose was to demonstrate the skills of volunteer lifesavers through friendly competition; participants also exchanged information and ideas and were recognized for their work as dedicated volunteer lifesavers. The event stems from a visit in 2005 to the Canadian Coast Guard in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island by volunteers from the two services. Speaking in Greencastle, minister for transport, Pat the Cope Gallagher praised both services for their `steadfast' voluntary commitment to search and rescue and marine safety awareness within local communities. ``Very often, we read or hear about various rescue operations carried out by the Coast Guard around our coastal waters and on the cliffs. These operations are often carried out in the most extreme conditions and inclement weather. It is a pleasure for me to acknowledge and
thank the volunteers for their professionalism, skill and dedication to public and community service,'' Mini ster Gallagher added.
Participants
A total of 48 Coast Guard members from each of the Divisions - Dublin, Malin, Valentia and HM Coastguard Northern Ireland - competed in a range of disciplines. Teams were tested in leadership, teamwork, search planning, co-ordination and execution - both ashore and afloat. The initiative was another step towards developing a joint training programme between the Irish Coast Guard and the Northern Ireland Coast Guard that started in December 2005. A pilot training programme will involve 10 volunteers undergoing a week's training at the National Fisheries Training College in Greencastle in sea survival techniques, manual handling, basic seamanship, radio procedures fire fighting and first aid. Further practical training is planned at the new Maritime and Coastguard Agency facility under construction near Coleraine.
A total of 67 Coast Guard units operate throughout the Island - 54 units with the Irish Coast Guard and 13 units with HM Coastguard Northern Ireland. A further 1,200 full-time and volunteer personnel make up the full complement. Callouts to the Coast Guard for 2005 were fractionally less than in 2004 at 1,802, giving assistance to 4,709; however assistance to pleasure craft (at sea and on inland waterways) was up 15%. Minister Gallagher said this `worrying trend' reflected the growing popularity in water activities. More people are now wearing Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) and lifejackets, a fact that Minister Gallagher attributed to increasing pubic awareness to safety, changes in legislation and promotion of water safety. ``Training and proper maintenance of equipment is central to survival while engaged in activities at sea, on inland rivers and lakes and other outdoor activities. Wearing an approved, properly serviced, PFD or lifejacket may allow the time necessary for rescue services to reach you,'' Minister Gallagher added. Irish Coast Guard volunteers (comprising approximately 1,000 members) at 54 locations around the coast answered 663 calls in 2005. RNLI Lifeboats were called out on 754 occasions. The Irish Naval Service assisted the Coast Guard on 33 occasions while the Irish Air Corps assisted on 17 occasions. Callouts for community rescue boats were up 36% to 105 compared to 77 in 2004. Irish Coast Guard S&R helicopters based at Dublin, Shannon, Sligo and Waterford Airports were called out 452 times - up from 374. There were 27 pollution/salvage incidents in 2005. Hoax calls were down from 23 to 20 in 2005. Information on safety on the water from website: safetyonthewater.ie or use the in an emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard - don't assume someone else will.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
REPORTS
GOVERNMENT NOTICE SPECIAL AREAS OF CONSERVATION
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OFF-SHORE WEST AND SOUTH WEST IRELAND NOTICE TO ALL SHIPOWNERS, FISHING VESSEL OWNERS, AGENTS, SHIPMASTERS, SKIPPERS, FISHERMEN,YACHTSMEN and SEAFARERS Mr Dick Roche,TD, Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, wishes to notify marine users that it is proposed to designate marine sites off the West and South-West Coast of Ireland as Special Areas of Conservation in accordance with the ‘European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997’ SI 94/1997 as amended by SI 233/1998 & SI 378/2005. These regulations provide a mechanism for formally designating and protecting important ecological areas of significance. SACs will form part of ‘‘Natura 2000’’, a network of protected sites throughout the European Union. The sites (as listed below and indicated on map) have been identified as being of ecological importance and are being proposed as Special Areas of Conservation. The relevant areas are indicated on the accompanying map. Under the provisions of the ‘European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations’, users of the areas designated are obliged to consult with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government before undertaking certain activities which may adversely effect these areas. Marine users and others, identified by the National Parks & Wildlife Service of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, as holding rights or licences in Special Areas of Conservation are notified directly in writing. They are provided with a site map, site description, list of activities that may damage the sites, procedures for objecting to the designation proposals and details of compensation provisions. Objections (on scientific grounds only) to the proposals may be submitted within 3 months from the date of this notice. Marine users and those affected by the designation in the following areas, who have not received formal notification may contact National Parks & Wildlife Service at Freephone 1 800 40 5000, e-mail natureconservation@environ.ie or contact the local National Parks & Wildlife Service Conservation Ranger (listed in the State Directory pages of the Phone Book). The grid references listed identify the boundaries of each Special Areas of Conservation (Geographic Co-ordinate System:WGS84) Site Code 002327
Special Area of Conservation name & co-ordinates
Area
BELGICA MOUND PROVINCE
411 km2
51° 29’ 24”N, 11° 51’ 36”W; 51° 32’ 24”N, 11° 41’ 24”W; 51° 13’ 48”N, 11° 44’ 24”W; 51° 17’ 24”N, 11° 33’ 00”W 002328
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24’ 16’ 09’ 04’
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58’ 29’ 56’ 29’
12”W; 24”W; 00”W; 24”W 329 km2
SOUTH-WEST PORCUPINE BANK 51° 54’ 36”N, 15° 07’ 12”W; 51° 54’ 36”N, 14° 55’ 12”W; 51° 49’ 12”N, 15° 06’ 00”W; 51° 42’ 00”N, 15° 10’ 12”W; 51° 42’ 00”N, 14° 55’ 12”W
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24”N, 14° 36”N, 13° 48”N, 14° 36”N, 14°
27’ 49’ 14’ 32’
36”W; 53° 51’ 36”N, 13° 53’ 24”W; 48”W; 53° 35’ 24”N, 14° 10’ 48”W; 24”W; 53° 24’ 00”N, 14° 28’ 48”W; 24”W
100 200
E150 +VAT
500 1000 1500
002330 0 20
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0 20
Advertising Dept
Advertisement Manager: Roger Cole Tel: 01 285 9111 or 284 15440 Mobile: 087 261 1597
you can even include a picture.
002329
16’ 16’ 09’ 04’
Bathymetric contours
silchester@eircom.net
Classified
52° 52° 52° 52°
Your customers will be hooked
Tel: 01 285 9111
284 1544 Mobile: 087 261 1597
1,086 km2
HOVLAND MOUND PROVINCE
email: silchester@eircom.net
m
002328
0m 50
002329
m
0 10
m
0m 100 0m 150
002327
Bathymetric contours are derived from Irish National Seabed Survey Data. © Geological Survey of Ireland
27
28
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
SHIPPING SPOTLIGHT
Report highlights vital role of Irish seaports By Jehan Ashmore, maritime correspondent
A report on the state of Irish ports warns of the increasing capacity deficit faced throughout the country. Compiled by Indecon International Economic Consultants on behalf of the Irish Ports Association (IPA) and published last month, the findings conclude that two thirds of exporters believe the 11 commercial seaports require urgent investment in infrastructural development. Irish exporters want investment to be clearly earmarked as part of the Government's next National Development Plan. The report for the IPA - the State's Commercial Seaports representative body - highlights the significant net contribution to the Irish economy played by Irish ports. In 2004, total exports reached almost 56 million tonnes of merchandise. Exports accounted for more than twothirds of Gross National Product (GNP) realising a combined value of exports and imports totalling some 135 billion.
Independent verification
Eamon Bradshaw, chairman of the IPA, welcomed the report saying it provided ``independent verification that the State Commercial Seaports are significant net contributors to the Irish exchequer; form a substantial part of Irish economic life and generate significant employment, particularly in coastal areas. Mr Bradshaw also outlined the vital role that seaports play in Irish commercial life, and warned of the conse-
Oireachtas input
* Irish exporters want investment to be clearly earmarked as part of the Government's next National Development Plan.
quences of neglecting them in relation to infrastructure. In conclusion, he called on Government to make investment in Irish seaports ``a central pillar of the upcoming National Development Plan''. In response, Minister of State for Transport, Pat the Cope Gallagher who attended the launch, said that the report would no doubt provide a useful source of information on the significant economic impact of the ports sector at a national level. ``The initiative taken by the IPA to commission such a report from Indecon is to be commended.'' The report concludes that trade with other countries con-
Maritime Ireland, connecting Irish industry with the Global Market Place
www.imdo.ie Ireland Rotterdam
Roscoff Dublin
Holyhead
Shannon Galway
Antwerp
Dundalk Sligo Nantes
Bilbao
Piraeus Cork Helsinki
Hamburg
Drogheda Oslo
Aarhus
Limassol
Cherbourg
Le Havre
Salerno Rosslare
Liverpool New Ross Arklow
Waterford
Irish Maritime Development OfďŹ ce 80 Harcourt Street Dublin 2 Ireland telephone 353 1 476 6500 facsimile 353 1 478 4988 e-mail imdo@marine.ie
Setubal
tributed a net 33.2 billion to the Irish economy during 2004. Sea-based transportation accounted for 84% of total volume, and 58% of the total value of goods traded by the Irish economy. To put this into perspective, in 2004 the 11 ports accounted for almost 700 jobs and spent 38.7 million on wages engaged directly through port activities. The report concludes that the net economic impact arising from their activities to be in the region of 5.5 billion, supporting approximately * 57,500 full-time employees across the Irish economy.
Photos: G Mills
In 2004 the 11 ports accounted for almost 700 jobs and spent
MEANWHILE, Fine Gael's marine spokesperson John Perry is urging the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to investigate the potential loss of capacity at Ireland's ports: ``The report by Irish Exporters Association (IEA) warning that capacity at some of our ports may be exhausted within the next three years merits proper Oireachtas scrutiny and real answers.'' He added that the Committee should hear from exporters, IBEC, the Chambers of Commerce, the Ports and the Department to establish the scale of the problem and to come up with answers so as to avoid serious problems down the line. ``Most importantly, immediate provision should be made to ensure Dublin Port - whose roll on-roll off capacity will be exhausted by 2008 according to the IEA - does not become a liability for the national economy. While there are plans for the development of the Port, these are simply not progressing at a fast enough rate. It is vital now that the Oireachtas acts to protect our Ports at the earliest opportunity.''
Joint submission for boundary extension beyond continental shelf 38.7 million on wages engaged directly through port activities.
IRELAND, France, Spain and the UK have lodged a joint submission with the UN's Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf claiming an area of continental shelf about 80,000 km2 in size (equivalent to the size of Ireland) in the area of the Celtic Sea and the Bay of Biscay that lies beyond 200 nautical miles from shore. This submission is the first of its kind. The four States have unresolved maritime boundaries, and began a consultation process in October 2003. Ire-
land has already made a submission in relation to an area off the south west coast, which is currently being considered in the Commission. Under the terms of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, a coastal State exercises over its continental shelf sovereign rights out to 200 nautical miles from the coast, or further if the shelf naturally extends beyond that limit, for the purpose of exploring and exploiting its natural resources including oil and gas deposits,
as well as minerals and biological resources in the seabed. Where the submerged prolongation of its land territory extends beyond 200 nautical miles, a State is required by the Convention to make a submission to the Commission, which was established by the Convention specifically for this purpose. Such a submission sets out the co-ordinates of the outer limits of the shelf claimed and is accompanied by supporting technical and scientific data. The Commission cannot con-
sider submissions in respect of areas of the continental shelf where more than one State claims sovereign rights, without the consent of all the parties to the dispute. Therefore, the four States have made a joint submission without regard to the delimitation of boundaries (carve up of the area) between them. Delimitation will be agreed on the basis of applicable principles of international law after the Commission has concluded its consideration.
Tracking the fleet around the globe SCHOOLCHILDREN across the country will soon be able to navigate the world from their desks using a package designed by the Irish Maritime Development Office and the Marine Institute. The interactive programme is a modern version of the Irish Shipping `Follow the Fleet' scheme of the 1970s/80s. It enables pupils to track the course of the Irish merchant fleet (including the MI's research vessels, Celtic Explorer and Celtic Voyager), through animated graphics and real-time data streams instead of wall charts and coloured pins. The project is based on the Purple Finder Satellite Tracker System, which uses satellite
GPS and land-based communication services to provide position and situation data. According to the designers, the system will bring elements of the school curriculum together, by providing real-time information on where goods are produced and how they make their way around the world by sea. ``Over 130 billion worth of goods travelled in and out of Ireland by sea last year, representing more than 90% of all traded goods. `Follow the Fleet' is a wonderfully innovative way of teaching this message through subjects as diverse as geography, mathematics, science and history,'' commented Glenn Murphy, IMDO di-
* At the launch of Follow the Fleet were the Minister for Agriculture; Pat the Cope Gallagher with pupils from Glebe School, Donegal Town, their teacher Allison Taggert, Lt Commander Patrick Rankin of the naval
base
in
Cork
and
Sally
Education Centre, Donegal Town
rector. Twelve schools in Donegal participated in the pilot scheme, which will be rolled out nationwide from September
Bonner;
manager
of
the
Donegal
2006. Schools interested in the scheme should contact IMDO via their website at www.imdo.ie.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
29
SHIPPING SPOTLIGHT
Recognising excellence Largest Irish ship-owner marks 40th in short sea shipping SHIPPINGSNIPPETS BY JEHAN ASHMORE, MARITIME CORRESPONDENT
IRELAND'S largest privately owned shipping company, Arklow Shipping Ltd, celebrates 40 years of operations this year. The Co Wicklow-based company was established in April 1966 after the amalgamation of several ship-owners to form the company which is based on the
banks of the River Avoca. Arklow was an important mineral-exporting and fishing harbour during the 1800s and 1900s on the Irish Sea, with many sailing schooners using the east coast port. It became apparent with the transition from sail to motor-ships during
the 1960s, however, that single ship operators such as the Tyrrells, Kearons and the Halls, would need to merge in order to survive. Today, the company has a fleet of 37 vessels, ranging from 3,000-13,000 tonnes. The newest ship, Arklow Rainbow, was
Limerick in the dock!
THE port at Limerick, which comprises a single dock basin and dry-dock, is up for sale by owners Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC), despite objections from shipping and business interests in the city. Up to 200 jobs and 11 firms could be directly affected in the move to sell off the substantial riverfront land-bank at the city's docklands site of 40 acres, of which 11 acres make up the dock basin. The sale is part of an ambitious plan by SFPC to review its property portfolio, with a proposed investment of 100mplus, which could see an upgrading of the company's other main deepwater port facility downstream at Foynes. If the sale proceeds, which would require a formal decision by the company board, it may see commercial shipping no longer gracing the quays of the port, set 60 miles from the open sea. Expressions of interest by
delivered in January from The Netherlands. A further five 'R' class vessels are currently under construction - the last ship is due in 2007 to complete the 13-ship series. Arklow Shipping also has a Dutch subsidiary that manages and operates the fleet.
In the pipeline
* Celtic Tugs fleet based at Foynes.
Photo: Jehan Ashmore/ShipSnaps
tender were due by mid June. The site is to be sold as two lots, offering redevelopment of prime waterfront property. The proposed 100m investment plan for Foynes is to upgrade existing port quays and jetty facilities in addition to increasing shore-side capacity and improve cargo throughput for the larger vessels of modern shipping. (Foynes is strategically located midway along the estuary and is closer to the mouth of the Shannon compared to Limerick.) SFPC operates the country's largest bulk handling port and
the second largest port. The company reported very healthy returns in 2005 with total volumes reaching 11.4m tonnes, representing an increase of 7% compared to 2004. Total throughput by 2010 is expected to reach 14m tonnes. At over 100km long, the estuary has the largest pilotage waterway at 500 sq km in Ireland and the UK. There is the potential to develop Shannon as a major trans-modal port on the western approaches to Europe, thus helping to ease large and increasingly congested continental ports.
ALSO under the port authority of SFPC are the jetty facilities at Aughinish Alumina, Co Limerick and the ESB Power Station at Moneypoint, Co Clare. This coal-fired plant is undergoing major refurbishment, whereas its southern oil-fuelled counterpart at Tarbert, Co Kerry is scheduled to shut down between 2008 and 2010. Plans are in place to develop a neighbouring 281 acres site midway between Tarbert and Ballylongford. The proposed site is five miles west of Tarbert on the southern shores of the estuary. The 400m project would be the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import plant in the State and is a joint venture between US energy group, Hess, and a subsidiary of New York based shipbrokers, Poten & Partners. The project comprises a terminal with an unloading jetty, storage tanks and related structures. The plant would provide up to 40% of the country's gas requirements and employ up to 50 staff.
* Don Moore IEA president (left) with Glenn Murphy, IMDO director.
THE Exporters Associations Export Industry Awards for 2006 were recently launched by Don Moore, IEA president and John Whelan, chief executive, at a function in the Dublin Port Company. The awards recognise the strategically important role that competitive and innovative short sea shipping plays in an open island economy such as Ireland. In 2004, merchandise exports valued at 85 billion were exported from Ireland, with approximately 90% of these goods estimated to have used the Irish maritime supply chain. Commenting on the awards, Glenn Murphy, director of the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) and sponsor of the Short Sea Shipping Company award, said that during the three ``short years'' as sponsor, ``there has been huge interest from the sector in competing to obtain this prestigious title''. The awards are the premier showcase for the best in Irish export activity, and recognise
the achievements of small and large export companies as well as innovation in design and service delivery of export products. ``No other field of endeavour adds more to an image of Ireland abroad than that of its exports,'' commented Don Moore. ``I hope [the awards] will encourage more exporters to come forward and have their special performance recognised; encourage their peers in the market to keep going in tough times and continue to show that, despite recent set backs, Ireland is still a nation of top class exporters.'' Previous winners are Portroe Services and Stena line Ireland, current holders of the award. A new, specially commissioned trophy designed by Joseph Butler of Celbridge, Co Kildare was also unveiled. The Awards Ceremony will take place in O'Reilly Hall, UCD Belfield on the November 22. Entry forms available from: www.irishexporters.ie and www.imdo.ie
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INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
MARINE INSTITUTE
Eddies, waves and water droplets inspire design of marine research hub
* Home Sweet Home: The new 50m Marine Institute headquarters at Rinville, Oranmore which overlooks the peaceful waters of Galway Bay.
After our success in the last ten years, I think similar bodies are all looking at our model, rather than us looking at theirs! - Peter Heffernan
* An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in conversation with Dr Peter Heffernan (left) and Noel Dempsey, Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources. Photos: Gillian Mills
Gery Flynn and Gillian Mills report from Galway IRELAND'S
position
as
development
innovation firmly Marine
(RTDI)
endorsed
a
is
and now
through
Institute's
new
the
50m
headquarters in Rinville, Oranmore. Boasting 11,000 sq metres,
* Sarah Woods, Athenry enjoying World Ocean Day. Photo: Andrew Downes
The Taoiseach added that the
seat auditorium and a childcare
building also presented a ``tan-
centre.
gible demonstration of the great
The final design, based on
world leader in marine research, technology
cent-shaped office facility, 150-
`the common geometry of the wave' drew on 50 sketches of the beach and shore, and the effects of ripples on the sand. Officiating earlier seach
this
Bertie
facility
at
the
month,
was
Ahern a
opening
An
Taoi-
said
testament
the to
marine researchers ``who have
process that has been made in achieving
the
commitment
Government's to
establish
a
world-class capability in marine research
and
development
in
Ireland.'' The
facilities
are
also
ex-
pected to assist in the implementation of Sea Change Ă? the
the building was designed by an
a vision of a thriving maritime
`expert' team from the Office of
economy in sympathy with the
Public
prize-
ecosystem. It is a symbol of that
Ciaran
vision in its use of sustainable
Strategy for Ireland, 2007-2013,
materials, energy efficiency and
which is due to be launched
design.''
shortly.
Works
winning O'Connor,
led
by
architect and
features
54
scientific laboratories, a cres-
new National Marine Knowledge, Research and Innovation
30
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
INSHORE IRELAND, July 2006
MARINE INSTITUTE
31
MARINE INSTITUTE
Eddies, waves and water droplets inspire design of marine research hub Gery Flynn and Gillian Mills report from Galway IRELAND'S
position
as
a
world leader in marine research, technology
development
innovation firmly
(RTDI)
endorsed
Marine
and
is
now
through
Institute's
new
the
50m
headquarters in Rinville, Oranmore. Boasting 11,000 sq metres, the building was designed by an `expert' team from the Office of Public
Works
winning
led
by
architect
O'Connor,
and
prize-
Ciaran
features
54
scientific laboratories, a cres-
* One of the 54 scientific laboratories. Photo: David Branigan/Oceansport
cent-shaped office facility, 150seat auditorium and a childcare centre. The final design, based on `the common geometry of the wave' drew on 50 sketches of the beach and shore, and the
* Above: An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in conversation with Dr Peter Heffernan (left) and Noel Dempsey, Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources. Photos: Gillian Mills * Below: Design reflects the old walled gardens that surrounded the nearby derelict manor house.
effects of ripples on the sand. Officiating earlier seach
this
the
month,
Bertie
facility
at
was
Ahern a
opening
An
Taoi-
said
the
testament
to
marine researchers ``who have a vision of a thriving maritime economy in sympathy with the ecosystem. It is a symbol of that vision in its use of sustainable materials, energy efficiency and design.'' The Taoiseach added that the building also presented a ``tangible demonstration of the great process that has been made in achieving
the
commitment
Government's to
establish
a
world-class capability in marine research
and
development
in
Ireland.'' The
facilities
are
also
ex-
pected to assist in the implementation of Sea Change Ð the new National Marine Knowledge, Research and Innovation Strategy for Ireland, 2007-2013, which is due to be launched
* Home Sweet Home: The new 50m Marine Institute headquarters at Rinville, Oranmore which overlooks the peaceful waters of Galway Bay.
shortly.
* Sarah Woods, Athenry enjoying World Ocean Day. Photo: Andrew Downes
In an exclusive interview with Inshore Ireland, Dr Peter Heffernan, Marine Institute chief executive, outlined his vision for marine research, and addressed key questions as helmsman of a 30m plus annual budget.
Q:WHAT does the Oranmore facility mean to you personally? After our success in the last ten years, I think similar bodies are all looking at our model, rather than us looking at theirs!
marketplace, just like any other commercial company?
body, however we are keen to
is that we don't get into that
tion
provide best value both to the
territory. We have very strong
Marine Data Centre staff, and
government
project-management
the staff of the former SRA in
tomers
are
govern-
holders, so we compete for a
the teams here, and we pro-
Newport.
ment
departments
with
very small number of commer-
ject-manage very carefully so
track record in being able to
that we come in on budget.
manage change successfully.
Generally no. Our main cusprimarily
cial contracts each year Ð and we do so in line with public
the
corporate governance.
gency
the Gulf Stream, where climate
sciencesness of marine Ireland
these
and
Acres
commercial sector as long as
Q: Does the MI engage in trading of 3rd-party services when operating in the commercial survey sector?
Then we have to agree with
change impacts will be measur-
sur-
government views as the high-
veys we are not in a position
est priority service within the
to supply all elements of the
time window.
survey ourselves, and we wel-
Q: What interest has the freshwater sector for the MI?
being
available
to
the
Under the Sea' is growing all
it's in the national interest, and
once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity
portunities
the time, both politically and in
within meters.
as
a
natural
to be involved in a project of
laboratory. Ireland will be per-
the
this
public
awareness,
along
the
ceived internationally as a hap-
with the realisation that there
commitment and energy of our
pening place to do research - a
are real and significant interna-
staff
happening place for innovation
tional business opportunities in
world-class team of OPW archi-
in business and in research.
the marine sector.
tects. The work by everybody
Q: What was the turning point for marine R&D in Ireland?
Q: How do you see the future for the offshore survey sector?
standard.
occurred with the arrival of the
for
Q: How will the headquarters help the MI deliver its stated objectives?
research vessels Celtic Voyager
survey
and Celtic Explorer. Together
fantastic
It provides a fantasic oppor-
they have transformed Ireland's
tunity to really step up our work
capability to carry out research.
by a quantum leap in terms of
But, at the end of the day, ships
scale, quality and service. Ire-
and buildings are only tools to
land
do the work. The actual work is
nature,
and
working
involved
has
to
with
been
see a
truly
immense.
The entire project was delivered within the budget, within the time frame, and to a world-class
now
has
the
kind
of
crisis will happen, and an emer-
guidelines
in favour of State assets like
Million
There's a great opportunity
I think the real turning point
with this building and investments in the university sector,
infrastructure and expertise that
done by people. So the key
can attract international partner-
to grow the human capacity.
is
Ireland
in
offshore
policy
para-
For
Q: Can the MI openly tender for commercial work in direct competition with commercial companies? The
Institute's
some
commercial
come the opportunity to partner with industry to provide these
commercial
amount of money, in fact less
government resources
that
aren't
is if
required. additional
available,
a
priority call will be made and focus
will
When
services.
income is a relatively modest
response
We believe that this has been
the
successful
MI
be
put
on
government
it
provided
what
created
for
that
that 5% of our annual revenue.
a
for
potential scope of work expan-
We
para-
both the Institute and industry,
sion. We are currently working
work
within
strict
relationship
the
FRC
We
have
staff,
a
the
proven
Q: With the focus so much on the marine environment, isn't there a danger that the freshwater resource might be ignored? No, not at all. I grew up
beside the River Moy, so how could I forget the freshwater resource? For example, we are leading the preparation of the biggest salmon project in the world Ð SALSEA Ð which encapsulates both the high seas, and the freshwater resource. We also do a lot of work already with inland fisheries scientists and
with
the
CFB.
I
look
building
on
the
meters - the rules and regula-
and we have formed some very
to implement the decision by
achievements
of
the
tions for the operation of State
successful alliances with both
government before Christmas to
* Dr Peter Heffernan in conversation with Gery Flynn. Photo: David Ruffles
Irish National Seabed Survey,
agencies. We rarely find our-
Irish and international compa-
align inland fisheries capacity
strengthening.
and moving forward into the
selves in a direct competition
nies
to
and amalgamate it with the MI.
next
I
scenario,
Q: Ten years on, hasn't the MI failed to impact on the public mind?
believe
a
avoid it.
Q: In the event of a significant cost over-run on a project, will the government come to the rescue of the MI
the relevant staff in the Central
Q: Is the MI being modeled on any similar bodies that you have seen worldwide?
I disagree. This facility will
help create an identity for Irish
area,
the
prudent
practice
There are occasions when a
concerns. Nevertheless, I'm all
`220
best
in
central part of that drive. Conour
and
skills
ships. And, being right beside
able, gives us tremendous op-
been
stake-
marine
for
tremendous,
has
our
sector rather than commercial
responsibility
a
It
and
of
phase
Ð
that
INFOMAR. Ireland
has
marine research, not only na-
chance to be a world leader in
tionally but internationally. I am
that marketplace.
confident, that as Ireland goes after the knowledge economy, the
marine
sector
will
be
a
Q: Does the MI compete for commercial contracts in the
and
would
tend
* North Atlantic Drift 147-seat auditorium.
Photo: Gillian Mills
Q: There might be fears that the MI is able to under-bid for certain very lucrative tenders?
that
we
would
like
continue to grow.
to un-
those public good services, and
founded - our business strategy
to utilise State assets that we
is to provide public good ser-
possess to support those pro-
vices; to engage in research and
grammes.
Those
fears
development
would
that
be
strengthens
We
are
not
a
commercial
Thankfully our track record
We will be consulting with Fisheries Board and the Department to have an open process to
forward
to
that
growing
and
After our success in the last
integrate the relevant staff with
ten years, I think they are all
the MI Ð just as we did three
looking
times before with the integra-
than us looking at theirs!
at
our
model,
rather
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
31
MARINE INSTITUTE
In an exclusive interview with Inshore Ireland, Dr Peter Heffernan, Marine Institute chief executive, outlined his vision for marine research, and addressed key questions as helmsman of a 30m plus annual budget.
Q:WHAT does the Oranmore facility mean to you personally?
It has been a tremendous,
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be involved in a project of this
nature,
and
commitment
to
and
see
the
energy
of
our staff working with a truly world-class
team
of
OPW
architects. The work by everybody involved has been immense. The entire project was delivered within the budget, within the time frame, and to a world-class standard.
Q: How will the headquarters help the MI deliver its stated objectives?
It provides a fantasic oppor-
tunity to really step up our work by a quantum leap in terms
of
scale,
quality
and
service. Ireland now has the kind of infrastructure and expertise that can attract international partnerships. And, being right beside the Gulf Stream, where climate change impacts will be measurable, gives us tremendous opportunities as a natural laboratory. Ireland will be perceived internationally as
* One of the 54 scientific laboratories.
a happening place to do re-
Photo: David Branigan/Oceansport
search - a happening place for innovation in business and in research.
Q: What was the turning point for marine R&D in Ireland? I think the real turning point
* Dr Peter Heffernan in conversation with Gery Flynn.
Photo: David Ruffles
occurred with the arrival of the research vessels Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer. Together with this building and investments in the university sector, they have transformed Ireland's
capability
to
carry
out research. But, at the end of the day, ships and buildings are only tools to do the work.
main
practice corporate governance.
potential scope of work ex-
customers are primarily gov-
Q: Does the MI engage in trading of 3rd-party services when operating in the commercial survey sector?
pansion.
We
working
to
Generally
no.
Our
ernment departments with responsibility
for
the
marine
sector rather than commercial concerns. Nevertheless, I'm all in favour of State assets like
For some commercial sur-
are
currently
implement
the
decision by government before Christmas to align inland fisheries capacity and amalgamate it with the MI.
these being available to the
veys we are not in a position to
commercial sector as long as
supply
it's in the national interest, and
survey ourselves, and we wel-
prudent policy paraQ: Ten years on, hasn't within meters. the MI failed to impact on the public mind? Q: Can the MI openly I disagree. This facility will tender for commercial work help create an identity for Irish in direct competition with marine research, not only nacommercial companies?
come the opportunity to part-
am confident, that as Ireland
The Institute's commercial
some very successful alliances
income is a relatively modest
with both Irish and interna-
amount of money, in fact less
tional
companies
that 5% of our annual revenue.
would
like
We work within strict para-
grow.
change successfully.
meters - the rules and regula-
Q: In the event of a significant cost over-run on a project, will the government come to the rescue of the MI
Q: With the focus so much on the marine environment, isn't there a danger that the freshwater resource might be ignored?
The actual work is done by people. So the key is to grow the human capacity.
tionally but internationally. I goes
after
economy,
the
the
knowledge
marine
sector
will be a central part of that drive.
Consciencesness
of
marine Ireland and our `220 Million Acres Under the Sea' is growing all the time, both politically and in the public awareness,
along
with
the
realisation that there are real and
significant
international
business opportunities in the marine sector.
Q: How do you see the future for the offshore survey sector?
There's a great opportunity
tions for the operation of State agencies. We rarely find ourselves in a direct competition scenario, and would tend to
all
elements
of
the
ner with industry to provide these services. We
believe
that
this
has
been a successful relationship for
both
the
Institute
and
industry, and we have formed
to
that
we
continue
to
Thankfully our track record
avoid it.
Q: There might be fears that the MI is able to under-bid for certain very lucrative tenders?
is that we don't get into that
founded - our business strat-
There are occasions when a
Those fears would be un-
territory. We have very strong project-management skills
in
the teams here, and we project-manage very carefully so that we come in on budget.
egy is to provide public good
crisis
will
happen,
an
is
re-
services; to engage in research
emergency
offshore
and development that strength-
quired. Then we have to agree
survey area, building on the
ens those public good services,
with government that if addi-
fantastic achievements of the
and to utilise State assets that
tional resources aren't avail-
Irish National Seabed Survey,
we possess to support those
able, a priority call will be
and moving forward into the
programmes.
made and focus will be put on
for
Ireland
in
the
next phase Ð INFOMAR. I
response
and
We are not a commercial
what government views as the
a
body, however we are keen to
highest priority service within
chance to be a world leader
provide best value both to the
the time window.
in that marketplace.
government
Q: Does the MI compete for commercial contracts in the marketplace, just like any other commercial company?
holders, so we compete for a
believe
that
Ireland
has
and
our
stake-
very small number of commercial contracts each year Ð and we do so in line with public
guidelines
and
best
We will be consulting with the relevant staff in the Central Fisheries Board and the Department
to
have
an
open
process to integrate the relevant staff with the MI Ð just as we did three times before with
the
integration
of
the
FRC staff, the Marine Data Centre staff, and the staff of the former SRA in Newport. We have a proven track record in
being
able
to
manage
government
created
the MI it provided for that
nearby derelict manor house.
No, not at all. I grew up
beside the River Moy, so how could I forget the freshwater resource? For example, we are leading the preparation of the biggest salmon project in the world Ð SALSEA Ð which encapsulates
both
the
high
seas, and the freshwater resource. We also do a lot of work already with inland fisheries scientists and with the CFB. I look forward to that growing and strengthening.
Q: Is the MI being modeled on any similar bodies that Q: What interest has the you have seen worldwide? freshwater sector for the After our success in the last ten years, I think they are all MI? When
* * Below: Design reflects the old walled gardens that surrounded the
looking at our model, rather than us looking at theirs!
* North Atlantic Drift - 147-seat auditorium.
Photo: Gillian Mills
32
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
MARINE R & D
A large moraine offshore Donegal Report by David Hardy, EibhlĂľĂ&#x201A;n Doyle & Xavier Monteys, Geological Survey of Ireland IN
the last issue of
Ireland
Inshore
we described the evi-
dence supporting the existence
of large ice-bergs in Irish waters
formed in the recent geological past. In this article, we show
evidence indicating that the ice
that covered almost all of Ire-
land
also
extended
out
into
areas currently below sea-level. Ireland
large-scale
age'
last
experienced
glaciation
beginning
or
a
`ice-
approximately
30,000 years ago and drawing
to an end roughly 12,000 years
ago. This resulted in almost all
of the country being covered by
large bodies of slowly moving
ice
sheets
-
a
present
day
example of which can be seen
in Greenland. Due to the large
volumes of water trapped on
land in the form of ice-sheets
and glaciers, many areas of the
globe experienced a significant
reduction in sea-level, exposing
large areas of land that today
are flooded by the sea. Some of the more spectacular
features
left
behind
by
these
*
Figure 1: Evidence indicating the flow of large volumes of ice through Donegal Bay during the last glaciation or `ice-age'. The small hill-like features represent drumlins - another feature resulting from glacial action & best presented in the classic examples of Clew Bay. Blue arrows indicate inferred flow directions based on the orientation of these features. trapment
of
rock
and
other
material in the body and base of the ice sheet; as the ice flows this material is moved closer to the
edge
of
the
ice
sheet,
forming a deposit when the ice melts. A
survey
in
an
area
of
Donegal Bay in 2002 imaged a spectacular example of one of these
features.
Onshore
evi-
dence indicates that large vo-
have undergone extensive erosion or reworking of material which would lead to a more `bedraggled' look), suggests it is from the later part of Ireland's final glacial cycle. The featureless appearance of the seafloor to the east of the moraine is due to a build up of significant volumes of fine and medium
grained
sediments
Donegal Bay (
possibly
due
the
2 marks the end-point of this ice
the transport of these sediments
lumes
of
ice
flowed
through
Figure 1). The feature imaged in Figure
to
-
moraine
acting as a `dam' and blocking
flow for a significant period of
towards the west. Similar fea-
large mounds of sediment re-
time. Altogether, the moraine is
tures have been observed on
ferred to as `moraines'. A sub-
over 29km long with an average
other areas of our continental
set
and
height of over 20m above the
shelf during the course of the
recessional moraines, mark the
surrounding seafloor. The rela-
Irish National Seabed Survey
leading
sheets.
tively `fresh' appearance of the
Ă? most noticeably north Done-
These are formed through en-
moraine (it does not appear to
gal and the Porcupine Bank.
slow-moving
of
these, edge
ice
sheets
terminal of
ice
are
* Figure 2: Large moraine feature, surveyed in Donegal Bay - representing the end point of a large sheet of ice during the last glaciation. The moraine is some 29km's long and has an average height of 20m above the surrounding seabed. The `fresh' and `clean' appearance of the moraine suggests a recent origin, when compared to other examples on the Irish shelf. Note the smoother fine grained sediments to the east of the morraine.
Underwater acoustics reveal the world beneath the waves Peter Bennett, Kongsberg Maritime explains THE
Marine
Institute's
two
Celtic Celtic Voyager,
marine research vessels,
Explorer
of accuracy required for assess-
of changes as they occur.
ment and repeat assessment to
interest
be
made
and
changes
moni-
One of the primary acoustic
integrated acoustic survey sys-
systems on both vessels is the
tored, all the systems need to
tems from Kongsberg Maritime,
Kongsberg Maritime EM1002
be closely integrated into a very
which allow scientists the op-
multibeam echo sounder
accurate vessel positioning and
portunity to explore the world
tem. This allows swaths of the
attitude
beneath the waves. Having the
seabed to be mapped in detail,
Kongsberg Seapath 200 is the
opportunity
primary system.
then
The Kongsberg EM 3002 multibeam echo sounder is capable of 3D inspection of underwater port structures, with the highest resolution. The system is capable of resolving details as small as 10-20cm, using up to 508 simultaneous, focused and stabilised narrow beams. The dual head version can do concurrent mapping and inspection over a 180 degree sector. The system operates reliably also in difficult geometrical environments.
vironment. To provide the level
generating
are equipped with world-class
record
EM 3002 Precision Bathymetry
and
and
creating a better understanding
form,
the
monitor
and
producing
environment,
and
studying
to
resurvey
and
monitor
change, allows a greater under-
tion.
and
habitat
and
Within the water column, fish analysis
the
assessment may
The environment beneath the
EK60
scientific
post
processed
species
the vessel before being taken ashore for further post proces-
fishery
echo
Over time, the onshore archives
build
dataset
to
into
a
valuable
cause
Maritime
SP70
Utilising underwater acoustics
allow
acoustic
in conjunction with 3D visuali-
of
sation software allows the en-
around the vessel to be made
ensuring
vironment to be presented in a
and recorded - again to allow
managed
clearly
accurate monitoring of the en-
tected for future generations.
difficult
understandable
to
see.
visual
the
an
biomass
Kongsberg
sing and archiving.
sounder
is
the
be
surface is easy to ignore beit
and
may
using visualisation software on
performed
and
be
using the Kongsberg Maritime
environment.
the
The data is stored within a
stock
on
this
storage network on the vessel
pact
activity
for
For
charts for the safety of naviga-
resource available and the imany
maps
system.
forming
standing of the environmental of
terrain
sys-
sonar.
These
assessment
beneath
and
the
accurately
environment
and
monitor assess
any change taking place, thus the
environment
correctly
and
is
pro-
EM 3002 will detect debris and other objects on the bottom, will map the seafloor according to the strictest IHO regulations, and has a maximum operating range of 150-200 meters. EM 3002 is the result of more than 20 years of accumulated experience with the design and production of multibeam echo sounders. The EM systems from Kongsberg are in daily use by hundreds of hydrographic agencies, ports, private contractors and research institutions all over the world. 2 years warranty and maintenance/ support contracts are offered.
Kongsberg Maritime www.kongsberg.com E-mail: subsea@kongsberg.com
* Utilising underwater acoustics in conjunction with 3D visualisation software allows the environment to be
presented in a clearly understandable visual form, generating interest and creating a better understanding of changes as they occur.
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
33
MARINE R & D
A `flagship' of maritime colleges Proposals for an integrated European maritime policy are floated Until you have seen it for yourself it is quite difficult to imagine the scale and grandeur of the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI), which dominates the Ringaskiddy shoreline opposite the Naval Base in Haulbowline. It is quite the envy of the maritime world, writes Commander Tom Tuohy.
External to the main buildings are the fire fighting/damage control facilities. The fire-fight-
Phone: (01) 678 2000 Lo-call: 1890 44 99 00 Fax: (01) 668 1782
en t
w ater ch nic al
website: www.gsi.ie e-mail: gsisales@gsi.ie
geological h er minerals k e rin
c
h iris
ma
Beggars Bush, Haddington Road Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
ground
ua te
ge
Outdoor facilities
Geological Survey of Ireland it a
The 14,000sq m college comprises three linked blocks: C Block contains the reception, learning resource centre, IT rooms and the catering facilities; B Block contains classrooms, laboratories and simulators and A Block con-
THE sea has long been at the heart of Europe's culture, economy and environment. But, until now, the European Union and its Member States have managed different aspects of maritime affairs separately, without considering their impact on each other and on the seas and oceans as a whole. For the first time, the European Commission is planning to develop a truly integrated policy to deal with all aspects of maritime affairs, including fisheries, shipping, transport, energy, marine research and tourism. It has published a Green Paper on Maritime Policy, and recently launched one of the biggest consultations in the history of the EU, in order to allow politicians, industry and the general public to contribute to the new approach. ``The European Commission is asking the question of how best to manage competing uses of the same maritime space,'' Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs commented. ``The ocean is the natural resource upon which all maritime activities are based, as well as being part of our history and our identity. But it is coming under increasing pressure as more and more activities compete to exploit its riches. ``The Green Paper on Maritime Policy is built on the need to develop an integrated approach to our interaction with our seas.''
to none and for the INS it has provided facilities and opportunities that could not have been dreamt of a decade ago. The INS prides itself on professionalism and its adoption of cutting edge technology, in order to meet the challenges associated with its range of duties and responsibilities. The NMCI cannot but enhance the INS in its determination to maintain the highest standards in maritime training.
q
Core elements
ing complex contains a replica engine room where fire scenarios can be set up and monitored. Students learn to fight fires in confined spaces and also conduct damage control exercises in a controlled environment. On the jetty, students practice launch and recovery of different survival craft and lifeboats, as well as practical aspects of boat handling. With the NMCI, the State now has a facility that is second
n f or m a tion managem
The Naval Service and CIT made a joint submission to the task force to establish one college to meet the training needs of the Nautical Studies Department of CIT and the nonmilitary training requirements of the INS. This submission was accepted as the task force's main recommendation. In 1999, the Government appointed an interdepartmental expert working group to examine the proposals. This group included representatives from the Departments of Defence, Communications Marine & Natural resources, Education & Science and Finance and from INS and CIT. The group recommended that the project should be developed through a Public/Private Partnership (PPP), which ultimately comprised FOCUS Education (Ireland), Bovis Lend Lease and HBOS Banking Group. Under this PPP the private operator would design, build, finance and operate the college to the required specifications. In return the operator would receive unitary payments from the Dept of Education and Science over 25 years, after which the college would revert to State ownership. FOCUS Education is responsible for the full operation of the NMCI, including maintenance, front-of-house, cleaning, security etc. This allows both the Naval and CIT staff time to concentrate of their core requirement.
bedro
Joint submission
tains the engineering facilities. The simulation suite is one of the largest in Europe and was provided by Norwegian company Kongsberg Maritime, a world leader in this field. Two full omission obridge simulators (360 and 270 visualisation) are supported by steering, engine control and navigation equipment, necessary to replicate a real ship's bridge. (The importance of simulation is specifically noted for the purposes of education and assessment in the STCW95 Regulations and accordingly a lot of emphasis went into providing top-class simulation equipment.) Large areas of the Irish coast and major Irish ports are now digitally mapped and can be accurately reproduced in simulation. A data base of the world's ports and shipping lanes also means that students can be examined, for example, in bringing a ship into Cork Harbour and berthing at the Naval Base. The simulator instructor can also set different sea and environmental conditions to fully assess students. So accurate and lifelike are the visuals that it is almost impossible not to feel the deck rolling under your feet (as this author can testify). The suite also has three auxiliary bridge simulators and 12 other simulators for navigation training; search & rescue co-ordination; vessel traffic system training; and fleet work. A full engine room simulator, damage control/cargo handling simulators and GMDSS (radio) simulators are also housed in Block C. A Block houses the main engineering facilities, comprising welding, mechanical engineering, heavy electrical workshops and a fully functional ship's engine room. At the seaward end of this block is the shipwright's workshop. Shipwrights are responsible for the repair to the fibreglass hulls of the fast surface craft carried onboard naval ships and for fire fighting and damage control onboard ship. Alongside this workshop is a seamanship training area. Also in A Block are a 20m survival pool, and an 8m dive tank used for basic diver training, underwater welding and free assent techniques. The survival pool, which ranges in depth from 2.5m to 5m, is used for training in sea survival techniques and life raft drills. The pool has a wave generating capacity that can replicate sea states; wind and rain generators add to the realistic atmosphere.
i
THE NMCI fulfils the needs of both the nautical studies department of the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the nonmilitary training requirements of the Irish Naval Service (INS). The genesis of the College was in 1993 when the Department of Defence acquired a 10acre site of reclaimed land along the shore just outside Ringaskiddy. Short of facilities since vacating Spike Island in 1985 the Naval Service submitted plans for a new naval college on the site but the development failed to materialise. At the same time, however, CIT was looking to upgrade its own facilities in Bishopstown. (This department is the merchant navy training school in Ireland). The catalyst for action was the decision by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to revamp the Standard of Training and Certification of Watchkeepers (STCW) Regulations in 1995. These regulations lay down the standards required for all levels of seafarer and the certification and maintenance of these standards. As a member of the IMO, Ireland was obliged to comply with the regulations and in 1997, established a task force on seafarer training and education requirements within the maritime sector in Ireland.
e ot e rnar y/g
The Green Paper sets out a range of tools that the European Commission believes could be used to help do this. These include a comprehensive data collection and sharing system; mapping a European Atlas of the Seas; a single, integrated vessel tracking system that would improve maritime security and the development of spatial planning tools.
Complex task
Bringing all maritime policy together is a huge and complex task, Commissioner Borg added: ``We will not succeed without bringing together the best ideas and the best minds from throughout the Union. And it is precisely because of this that we have decided on an unusually long consultation process of over a year.'' Martin Territt, director of the European Commission in Ireland, is calling on Irish citizens to make their voices heard in this consultation, which runs until 30 June 2007: ``As an island nation, the sea and fishing are an integral part of Irish culture. We need to take part in this public debate in order to make sure we better manage our use of the seas and oceans, combining job creation and economic growth with environmental protection.''
Further information and to submit your contribution, visit http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy_en.html.
34
INSHORE IRELAND July 2006
MARKETING/RETAIL
Ireland scoops major coup at seafood trade IRELAND
is to host the 2007
owned by the International As-
World Seafood Congress hav-
sociation
ing
Seafood
successfully
bid
against
of is
Fish the
Inspectors.
world's
most
The
event
will
include
a
conference and exhibition dedicated to the theme of `innova-
strong world-wide competition.
traded food whereby demand
tion
Announcing
the
for fish is set to rise from 133
where exhibitors will showcase
in
million tonnes to 183 million
the
tonnes by 2015.
trends
European
the
news
Seafood
at
Expo
Brussels, marine minister John Browne said the event represented an ``exceptional win'' for
Global platform
Ireland and
Jayne
the
would strengthen
country's
position
as
a
``serious player'' on the global seafood stage. ``The
key
challenge
is
to
continue to meet the increasing global demand while also developing a marketplace that is environmentally and economically
sustainable,''
Minister
Browne added. International seafood trading is worth more than twice the combined world trade of tea, coffee
and
cocoa,
currently
valued at $60bn per annum. World Seafood Congress is
Gallagher,
of
event, which will be the first to on
a
seafood
latest in
industry'
technologies new
product
and and
ity assurance and eco-labelling.
president
looking forward to the Dublin held
the
processing development, qual-
IAFI, said the organisation was
be
in
global
scale.
``Ireland has an innovative and progressive industry based on a strong history,'' she said. Hundreds of representatives from the catching, processing, aquaculture and marketing industries worldwide are expected to attend the event, which will be hosted by BIM, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Enterprise Ireland from 24-28 September 2007.
The
Congress
is
expecting
strong representation from developing countries where seafood
is
the
most
significant
source of protein, and currently provides the world with 6% of its
needs.
According
to
the
Food and Agriculture (FAO), seafood
has
been
the
fastest
growing sector of food production worldwide for decades and is
the
most
internationally
traded food. For
information
from:
the
World Seafood Congress website @ www.worldseafoodcongress07.com.
* Joe Somers; Maeve-Aine Earley; BIM; Helen Brophy, market development manager, BIM; John Browne, marine minister and Pat Keogh, chief executive, BIM
Strong Irish presence at premier seafood showcase
Irish participation: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
THE potential to raise Ireland's profile as producer of premium
seafood
products
was
further
bolstered at the European Sea-
food Exposition (ESE) in May,
which attracted 17,000 buyers
from
around
the
globe.
Irish
participation reached an all-time
high when 22 of the country's
seafood companies were part of
a 1,400 strong exhibitor show-
case. Speaking at the Irish Pavi-
lion,
Pat
Keogh,
executive,
said
BIM
such
chief events
provided the ideal platform for
companies
to
promote
them-
selves as leading producers of
top quality, high value products
that are designed to meet the
exacting requirements of Eur-
opean buyers and consumers: ``As the world's largest gath-
* Pat Keogh, BIM chief executive; Jayne Gallagher, president, International Association of Fish Inspectors
seafood
industry,
ESE
serves as an important platform
for the exchange of innovative
ideas that can help the industry
tackle current and future chal-
lenges. These events are pivotal
in
accelerating
the
pace
of
Atlanfish Ltd. (Donegal) Atlantic Dawn (Donegal) Atlantic Fare (Galway) Connemara Seafoods (Galway) Dunns Seafare Ltd (Dublin) Emerald Mussels (Mayo) Errigal Fish Company Ltd (Donegal) Fastnet Mussels (Cork) Killybegs Seafoods Ltd (Donegal) Shellfish de la Mer (Cork) The William Carr Group (Cork) Wrights of Howth (Dublin) Gallagher Bros Fish Merchants (Donegal) Glenmar Shellfish (Cork) Irfish Ltd.(Waterford) Irish Seaspray Ltd (Galway) Kenmare Salmon (Kerry) Norfish Ltd (Donegal) O'Cathain Iasc Teo (Kerry) Sean Ward Fish Exports (Donegal)
and John Browne TD, marine minister attending the launch.
ering for professionals from the
global
Aran Salmon (Galway)
product;
tition. The event recognises the
new
million with EU countries ac-
tion, valued at 65.3 million -
Dunn's Seafare Ltd for Black-
year's very best seafood pro-
technologies and bringing new
counting for four fifths of that
up 10.2% on the 2004.
ened Salmon and William Carr
ducts developed specifically for
products to new markets,'' he
total. France accounts for over
& Sons for their Rosscarbery
the European market. Our fin-
said.
25%
Seafood Chowder.
alists have proven that Ireland
Chorizo innovation,
integrating
Mr
Keogh
paid
particular
totalling
tribute to the 2006 Seafood Prix
30,617 tonnes valued at 82.1
d'Elite finalists - Bantry Bay
almost
million in 2005; Spain is ranked
198,000 tonnes valued at 354
second most important destina-
In 2005 total Irish seafood exports
amounted
to
of
exports,
Sausage
marvellous
can compete with the very best
Seafoods with their Mussels in
achievement by these three Irish
in terms of product quality and
a
companies against stiff compe-
innovation,'' he said.
Mediterranean
Sauce
with
`` T h i s
is
a
Fishermen's co-ops respond to changing consumer trends Irish fishermen's co-ops
the origin of the product they
delivery of management train-
plate.
participating
handling standards. In doing so,
by
joined forces on the Irish Pavi-
are buying and are expressing
ing and market information. As
co-ops are also looking at im-
a greater level of independent
with processors and distributors
lion at ESE to promote quality,
pronounced preferences for pro-
a result, senior managers of the
proving quality standards and
quality control can be achieved,
rather than simply selling their
provenance
ducts from certain areas. Sea-
five co-ops have undertaken a
onboard working conditions for
thereby
product at auction,'' Mr Kea-
food is no different.''
business-mentoring programme
whitefish vessels.
catch and maximising the ben-
FIVE
and
responsible
fishing as part of BIM's On-
The co-ops are in position to
The
five
efits
of
adding
value
traceability
to
and
the en-
organised by BIM. Each co-op
``The assurance of fish qual-
quality
has nominated a quality man-
ity and ultimate consumer con-
hanced
produce with a high level of
ager to develop a high level of
fidence
in
adding value to certain species
provenance
traceability
internal quality management so
detailed knowledge and quality
have also developed a better
and by diversifying from vo-
back to vessel. This can be a
as to deliver consistent quality
assurance but also a fleet of
understanding
lume
to
very powerful marketing tool,
control, which is essential for
vessels
networks.
Fisheries
particularly in the high end and
speciality food service distribu-
board
niche food service sectors,'' he
tors in the UK and Europe.
conditions,'' Mr Keatinge ex-
effectively
plained.
well as broadening their product
shore Quality Programme. The scheme aims achieve a higher
return
to
Michael
on
value.
product
According
Keatinge,
Development
Manager
by
with
BIM, provenance is of growing importance in the seafood industry: ``Consumers want to know
deliver
fresh,
chilled
and
added.
Quality programme Among the core elements is the
The
programme
also
ad-
involves
with
the
standards
not
only
highest and
a
on-
working
Irish
consumer seafood. of
``This
confidence The
co-ops
distributor is
enabling
them to manage their sales more and
efficiently
as
developing
relationships
tinge said. The five co-ops - Galway & Aran Fishermen's Co-op; Dunmore East Fishermen's Co-op; Union Hall Fishermen's Company; Clogherhead Fishermen's Co-op and Foyle Fishermen's Co
-
represent
sales
30% of the Irish whitefish fleet)
``The programme encourages
options. Most importantly, they
and
from the sea to the shop and
and assists fishing vessel own-
are also better equipped to deal
dependent vessels.
ultimately
ers to improve onboard fish-
with different routes to market
the
consumer's
50
whitefish vessels (representing
dresses the entire product cycle to
of
million and a fleet of 82 large
a
few
smaller
weather
INSHORE IRELAND
July 2006
35
SEAFOOD PROCESSING Innovation to boost market share of Irish seafood overseas
RESEARCH of international buyers into their perception of Irish seafood suggests a lack of product innovation particularly in the value-added category, and is the nucleus for a major conference to take place in Dublin in September. Organised by BIM and Enterprise Ireland, `Waves of Innovation' will aim to assist the seafood industry to maximise its growth potential through innovation. Among the key findings was a consensus across all markets on the need for new product innovations particularly in the value-added category; this is perceived as a critical factor for Irish suppliers to remain in the market. The survey also revealed a need increased competitiveness and pro-activity in the market, as well as finding solutions to the issue of logis- * Pat Keogh, BIM chief executive; Helen Brophy, market development manager; Mike Feeney, director, tics and supply frequency. Enterprise Ireland and Tom McCarthy, chief executive, Irish Management Institute Value-added
lighted the need for new product development in the fish According to Helen Brophy, category - particularly in terms market development manager of innovative value-added prowith BIM, Ireland scored very ducts. Equally, presentation high in terms of quality of its and packaging formats were seafood products, however, rated as being important elebuyers believe that competitors ments in this respect, particuare ahead in terms of developlarly, in the case of product line ment of value-added product, extensions. packaging and market inven- * In line with market trends, tiveness. ``Ireland is perceived buyers perceive growth in this as a commodity exporter,'' she area leading to future potential said. business development in seafood with competition at retail Key findings and food service level being * All buyers surveyed highdriven in this respect. weakness
* Buyers stated that Irish seafood
suppliers need to strengthen efforts in this area in order to maintain and build market share in key markets. Buyers do not currently perceive Ireland to be leading in this capacity and indicated a strong need to develop activity in this area.
``The key outcome of the survey is therefore the need for increased R&D of processing methods and application of the best-in-class technology. As a result, BIM and Enterprise Ireland have joined forces to create
this unique event to focus on innovation in the seafood sector,'' Helen Brophy added. Enterprise Ireland director Mike Feeney emphasised the `tremendous scope' for innovation in the Irish seafood industry, which he said was consistent with their strategy. ``The survey highlighted some interesting comparisons with alternative proteins, in particular beef and poultry and the level of innovation occurring in these categories as opposed to fish. Increasing the current level of innovation for
DIMINISHING supplies; rising production costs; increasingly tight trading margins; retail concentration; competition from low-cost producers and consumer concerns on health and the environment are combining to pose serious challenges and opportunities for the Irish seafood industry that will be addressed at the conference. Conference topics
* A review of the fish and seafood market around the world -
recent trends and product launches.
* Analysis of the convenience-health-taste triangle; understand* * * * * *
ing what consumers want and gaining valuable insight by looking at food products where adding value has succeeded for the supplier/manufacturer. Workshop sessions on innovation, branding and communication. Adding value to fish products; the new product development process and key steps to success. How to overcome barriers to innovation; how to get retailers to list your products. Case studies on successful companies focusing on their innovation and bringing a new product concept to the production line. Regulatory and technical details; how far can companies go in using labels to promote products i.e. indicating provenance, additives. Funding opportunities available from BIM and Enterprise Ireland.
BIM has enlisted the aid of Leatherhead Food International (LFI) - a leading international provider of market intelligence, food research and analysis. Founded in 1919, LFI has focused on meeting the changing needs of the UK and global food industry for over 85 years. `Waves of Innovation' conference September 12-13, Irish Management Institute, Dublin. Details: www.bim.ie. new fish products will be an issue for future seafood development in Ireland,'' he said. BIM's chief executive Pat Keogh believes that innovation will enable the Irish industry to capitalise on the ``unique health
and nutritional benefits of seafood. `Waves of Innovation' will open up new horizons for Irish seafood companies and will be the most significant event for the seafood industry this year.''
LOOKING FOR AN EXCITING CAREER? Are you aged between 17 and 27?
JOIN THE NAVY
Sometimes you may have to book couriers. As a member of the Naval Service you will sometimes have to shift tasks at short notice. So a fishery protection assignment can sometimes turn into a drugs interdiction mission. The catch of the day is often a large haul of deadly drugs and the arrest of the couriers. As a member of an armed boarding party you will be trained to board, search and detain suspect vessels and crews in co-operation with the Gardai or Customs National Drugs Unit. It's just one of the tasks you'll be expected to perform in the Naval Service. If you're over 17 years and under 25 years (27 for Naval Service) and would like to know more about careers in the Army, Naval Service or Air Corps contact the number below.
Saol iomlán éagsúil A life less ordinary LoCall 1890-262828
military.ie