Inshore Ireland Vol 7 nr 3 Jun-Jul 2011

News from the coast and inland waterways

€2.50/£2.00 Bi-Monthly

INTERVIEW WITH SIMON COVENEY TD, MINISTER FOR AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND THE MARINE page 12

June/July 2011 Vol 7 Issue 3

INSHORE IRELAND TO RE-LAUNCH ON JULY 30 PAGE 24 Profile on salmon farming in the southwest......page 14-15 News..................................... page 2-4 Your View ............................ page 6-7 Ocean Energy Conference .. page 8-9

Inshore Fisheries ................... page 10 Marine R&D ..................... page 18-21 Coastline News ..................... page 23

Ireland is ‘closed for business’ declares ocean energy body Gery Flynn

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reland is in danger of losing out to Scotland in the highly lucrative and jobs-rich ocean energy industry unless government steps up its commitment to provide the necessary support, according to the body representing wave and tidal interests. This fear is echoed also in our page 9 interview with Harvey Appelbe of TONN Energy – the Irish wave farm development company backed by Bord Gáis and Swedish utilities giant Vattenfall who wants the ocean energy initiative to be driven by the Taoiseach.

Reacting to news that Scotland had recently been ear-marked for wave energy projects in the order of 50 megawatts worth €250m of investment, the Marine Renewables Industry

Association (MRIA) declared in a statement that ‘astute political management, ambition and sheer hunger for jobs has seen [Scotland] emerge as the clear winners of the first round in the battle to dominate the sector’.

POLITICAL WILL AND URGENCY Nevertheless, and despite this set-back, MRIA chairman, Peter Coyle indicated Ireland could still become a major European ocean energy producer: ‘Based on our natural advantage of a better wave energy resource, world-class R&D facilities and some of the world’s leading marine energy developers, Ireland could still win the second round of ocean projects and become the world centre of this job-intensive new industry if political will and urgency are shown,” he declared.

Highlighting the recent »

page 2

Queen Elizabeth II enjoys a light-hearted moment with fish monger Pat O’Connell and Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, as they view freshly caught seafood landed into Castletownbere, in the English Photo: Maxwells Market, Cork City, during her State Visit to Ireland last month.

DON’T MISS YOUR NEW LOOK

AVAI LAB L FROM E

JULY

30TH

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INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

NEWS »» from page 1

report by consultants SQW which was commissioned jointly by the Belfast and Dublin governments, Coyle predicted that if the Irish government ‘puts the necessary structures in place’ it stands to gain up to €10 billion in income, and as many as 52,000 jobs from marine renewable by 2030.

THREE PHASES He explained that the development of a global industry would roll out over three stages: ‘Stage one focuses on identifying and developing the most suitable technology and infrastructure to harness wave energy using full-size devices in small-scale pilot projects of 10MW. In stage two, growth and investment will see the most viable technologies scaled up and ready for full-scale commercial deployment, again using full-scale devices but this time on medium-scale wave farms of 50-100MW. Stage three is when the technology is ready to roll out all over the world.’

He added the reality was that whoever wins ‘round two’ will become the global centre

for wave energy, adding that the two companies – Aegir Wave Power Ltd, a subsidiary of Swedish energy giant Vattenfall, and Aquamarine Power, involved in the recent Scottish move – could just as easily have invested in Ireland.

‘They had previously expressed a strong desire to develop wave farms in Ireland; but today that it is currently impossible for any major developers to locate here and to create jobs in any significant way, as from a Government point of view, Ireland is simply ‘not yet open for business’.’

He added that the key issues stalling ocean energy development here could be resolved ‘with very little financial input from the Irish government’.

And to highlight just how quickly and efficiently Scotland published and executed a process to secure wave farm sites, he said that last month’s revelation was part of a second leasing round for Scotland and it was noteworthy that a first leasing round in Northern Ireland was about to get underway.

Mr Coyle added that the MRIA’s action programme

for the next five years would focus largely on administrative actions which “do not cost money”.

The steps are: ‘To set up modern consenting procedures, hold an initial leasing round (which will bring cash into the Exchequer), plan grid development, put civil service resources into the area [of marine renewables].’

He hopes also that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will meet soon ‘to discuss the speedy roll-out of an action plan’.

REPORT CRITICISED Earlier this year Mr Coyle criticised the ESRI publication A Review of Irish Energy Policy* claiming that it failed to grasp the potential contribution of ocean energy – and ‘that it failed to grasp three critical aspects of ocean energy in Ireland’.

He pointed out then that Ireland had ‘the most energy intensive wave resource in the world as well as a notable tidal resource – a natural advantage that has been built on by the

Marine Institute • Foras na Mara

development of the world’s best research and development facilities for ocean energy’.

Listing progress here he noted that the full-scale test site off Belmullet, Co Mayo; the existing quarter-scale test facility in Galway Bay; the testing tanks and other facilities at MERC in Cork, and the facilities in Queens University Belfast were all evidence that major progress was being made in terms of harnessing sustainable energy for Ireland.

‘The creation of the world’s largest single ocean energy research community at University College Cork is a further feature of the Irish scene, while Irish companies such as Wavebob, Ocean Energy and Open Hydro account for a substantial portion of the international Premier League of Ocean Energy companies,’ Coyle declared.

The MRIA chairman nevertheless welcomed the

ESRI Report as ‘a valuable contribution to a key debate’ adding that his Association looked forward to ‘opening a dialogue’ with its author, Professor John Fitzgerald.

He warned however that if the Report’s views were implemented they ‘would stop the industry in its tracks as they would give a hugely negative signal to all involved with Irish ocean energy’.

The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources respond to questions from Inshore Ireland: Is the Department still determined to meet the 500MW wave and tidal target for 2020 set out in the Ocean Energy Strategy?

In Ireland’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), available on the deptartment’s website, which was submitted to the European Commission in July 2010, 75MW of ocean energy was included in the Table 10 modelled electricity scenario. The 500MW was included in a non-modelled export scenario. Wave and tidal energy is at the R&D stage globally and is not yet commercially viable. The wave test site planned off Co Mayo, when built in a few years time, will be used to test pre-commercial prototypes. Currently quarter-scale prototypes (without grid) are being tested in Galway Bay.

An explanation on the Table 10 modelled scenario from the NREAP is as follows: The data in this modelled scenario is influenced of necessity to a significant degree by planned Gate 3 generation.

Technologies in the R&D category (e.g. wave and tidal) are not included in the Gate. However as noted at 4.2.6 (b), CER 09/099 is a new policy which sets out how small, renewable, low carbon generation can access the grid outside the Gate 3 process.

Possibilities using CER 09/099 are reflected only to a limited degree in the modelled scenario, hence the low figures for certain technologies. Reports on the NREAP will be submitted on a biennial basis and the modelled scenario can be updated at that time to reflect technology and other developments that may occur in the interim. In the meantime, the non modeled export scenario version of Table 10 which follows offers an alternative development trajectory, without the constraintsbuilt into the modelled scenario.

Is the Department going to commence a study of the potential to export renewable power, such as wave and tidal to the UK? No. The department’s draft Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan and SEAI Environmental Report available on our website already indicates the potential resources. It is however our intention that there will be a tender for a study to examine the cost-benefit analysis for Ireland engaging in renewable export over the next decade.

When will the Department publish its Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan?

Do thairseach chuig taighde mara, monatóireacht, forbairt teicneolaíochta agus nuálaíocht

www.marine.ie Your portal to marine research, monitoring, technology, development & innovation

The public consultation closed on May 6 and we received over 60 submissions. As a result, it will take us some time to go through them all. It is likely to be July or September that it is finalised. *’A Review of Irish Energy Policy’

by John FitzGerald ESRI RESEARCH SERIES NUMBER 21 April 2011 is available to download from www.esri.ie

Fisheries Awareness Week

encourages youths and adults to take up angling as a pastime and to heighten awareness of the natural environment. Organised by Inland Fisheries Ireland in conjunction with fishing clubs, charter boat skippers and private fishery owners the events included games, coarse and sea angling; river walks and information days at fishery centres.

Marine Institute Rinville, Oranmore, Co. Galway +353 91 387 200 +353 91 387 201 institute.mail@marine.ie

Foras na Mara Rinn Mhaoil, Uarán Mór, Co. na Gaillimhe

To launch the week (May 7-15) local children were brought to a ‘secret spot’ on the Clare River, Co Galway when they caught their own salmon of knowledge.

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

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NEWS

Innovation and differentiation to drive seafood processing

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ddressing the AGM of the Irish Fish Producers and Exporters Association, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, said the seafood processing sector had a secure and viable future “as long as it continued to innovate, differentiate and develop new marketdriven products.

“Indigenous food processors of [which] seafood processors are an integral part, will be a central plank in the road to [our] economic recovery. The fundamentals remain solid and the global and national demand for seafood continues to grow, presenting real opportunities for Irish seafood processors,” he said.

He added that the range of supports available from BIM, Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia aligned to BIM’ strategy, Delivering on the Potential of Irish

Seafood, “create the framework to deliver additional addedvalue and up to 600 additional jobs”.

Eighteen companies have subscribed to BIM’s Seafood Processing Business Investment Scheme which focuses on modernisation, expansion and adding value through new product development, innovation and product quality.

“I have made €1.5m available for this scheme in 2011, which when combined with private investment will total €6m.

This is a show of confidence by these companies in their own industry. ” He confirmed he would be working closely with the processing sector to expand the volume and range of Irish fish products to avail of the growing demand on home and world markets.

Minister Coveney also outlined his latest dealings with the Commission and EU ministers on the challenges

arising from the review of the Common Fisheries Policy and the international dispute on management arrangements for mackerel with Iceland and the Faroes.

He urged strong EU action to prevent those countries’ fishing fleets from doing “irreparable damage” to the mackerel stock on which the pelagic fishing and processing sectors in Ireland crucially depend.

Issues discussed included: Fish discards • the need to fast-track aquaculture production licences • insufficiency of supplies of salmon for processing industry, necessitating substantial imports from Scotland to meet its full requirement, and the importance of fish stock management programmes with active industry participating to maintain viability of pelagic and other fish stocks.

Southwest shellfish business secures valuable sales agreement

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ush Shellfish with production facilities in West Cork and Co. Kerry has secured a lucrative sales agreement that will see the company supply selected Tesco outlets across the country.

Fourteen stores are now stocking Kush Shellfish 500g premium organic Irish rope mussels; the brand is also available in Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Superquinn.

Company managing director, John Harrington, says the new sales agreement with Tesco is a direct result of the growing consumer demand for premium quality Irish shellfish.

“Within the domestic market, we’re seeing a phenomenal increase in demand for excellent quality Irish shellfish.

In fact, over the past three years, there’s been a huge revival of interest. Previously, we had been mainly dealing with the continental European market, but now more and more of our business is in the home market”, he explains.

He puts down this reawakening on the home market to a more adventurous approach to food choices coupled with better communications throughout shellfish sector:

“In the past, many Irish consumers [were] a bit wary of preparing shellfish in their own homes. There was a sense of apprehension about the prospect of cooking and serving shellfish, as well as anxiety with over the best way of assessing the food safety aspect.”

He added that the shellfish sector should also be credited for the increase in popularity as it responded to consumer needs.

“Here at Kush Shellfish, we’ve been very proactive in developing convenient packaging and easy-to-follow instructions that make homepreparation perfectly simple,” he said.

Kush Shellfish was awarded GT Certification for its organic

rope mussels and for overall high standards of shellfish production.

The company also operates strict biotoxin standards overseen by the Marine Institute of Ireland.

Based on the Beara Peninsula where West Cork meets County Kerry, Kush Shellfish is now undergoing expansion.

“As a result of the new sales agreements with Tesco and other Irish supermarket multiples, we’re now working with other approved shellfish farms on the peninsula.

“Growth of the domestic shellfish business is not just great for Kush it’s also excellent news for our employees and our quality approved partner shellfish producers.

John Harrington, with his new product which he is supplying to select Tesco outlets nationwide Photo Niall Duffy

Seated L-R: Andy Mulloy, Connemara Seafoods Ltd; Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine; Brendan Minehane, Eiranova Fisheries Ltd; Tom Geoghegan – National Secretary IFPEA. Standing L-R: Liam Quinlan, Kerry Fish Ltd; Dermot Sheehy, Ilen Seafoods; Sean McGuinness, Killybegs Seafoods Ltd; Daniel McCarthy, Star Seafoods; Niall O’Gorman, Arctic Fish; John Healy, United Fish Industries; Charles McAleavey, Donegal Fish Ltd; Cathal Groonell, Iasc Mara Teo; Ricky O’Cathain, O’Cathain Seafoods; Gareth Gallagher, Atlanfish; Tommie O’Callaghan, East Coast Inshore Fishing Co; Leslie Bates, Sofrimar; Patrick Gallagher, Gallagher Bros.; Michael Quinlan, Kerry Fish Ltd; Dr Cecil Beamish, Assistant Secretary, Dept of Agriculture Food & Marine.

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) aims to promote compliance with sea-fisheries and food safety law by supporting and helping the industry to understand their legal obligations under this legislation. The SFPA will continue working in cooperation with the industry to further develop a culture of compliance to ensure the growth of a sustainable, profitable, and world class fishing industry in Ireland.

The SFPA is the independent statutory body, legally charged with the State’s sea-fisheries law enforcement functions.

Confidential Line: 1890 767676 Fax: +353 (0)23 8859300 E: info@sfpa.ie W: www.sfpa.ie

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INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

NEWS

Innovative seafood packaging creates jobs in the southwest

Storms lash Arranmore Island K Jerry Early

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n May 23, the island was hit by violent storm-force gales and hurricane force gusts. A weather station on the island recorded sustained winds of 65 to 75 mph, including a gust of 97 mph (156 kph), as a deep depression passed by the north coast of Ireland. This kind of gale is not uncommon on the island during the months

of December and January; the difference this time was that almost the entire of the island’s inshore fishing fleet had lobster pots set in the local waters.

Most of the equipment which the fishermen depend on to make a living was lost as massive swells scoured the bottom of the relatively shallow bays. The cost of replacing these pots is estimated at around €150,000.

The near total loss of their livelihood has been compounded by a series of government restrictions that

have affected the community on Arranmore. The complete ban on the traditional salmon fishery and the prohibition of any fishing for whitefish in Area VIa as part of cod recovery measure has meant that islanders have been restricted to fishing for crab and lobster.

Rising fuel costs and falling prices for shellfish has made these fisheries marginal at best and the increased pressure on stocks due to the additional fishing effort will affect their sustainability in the medium to long term.

Arranmore’s fishermen are seeking a meeting with Minister Coveney to discuss the restrictions on their livelihood and possible ways forward - and will be reported in the next issue of Inshore Ireland (July 30).

Further information on their Facebook page: Support Arranmore Island Fishermen.

WE BRING CLARITY TO THE WORLD BELOW

eohanes of Bantry have announced twelve new jobs to handle a new microwavable fresh fish product, the first of its kind in Ireland. With the assistance of BIM’s Seafood Development Centre, the innovative packaging offers extended shelf life of up to ten days once it hits the shelf and is transparent for clear visibility of freshness.

The product was launched by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney; projected sales over

the next three years are valued at €3m based on the home and overseas markets. Many of the products come with complimentary flavoured butters and sauces and cover species including salmon, prawns and seasonal whitefish.

“This is a wonderful boost for the seafood sector and a positive indication that the industry will play an important role in the future recovery of the Irish economy. The dedication and focus that the Keohanes have shown in bringing this exemplary product to the market, combined with their determined business focus is

Rose McHugh, BIM chairperson; Minister of Agriculture, Food and Marine Simon Coveney and Michael Keohane showcase the innovative seafood products.

a testament to the calibre of company that is found in our seafood sector.

“BIM has been advocating that seafood companies need to focus on adding value to their products and I am delighted to see…the SDC paying such beneficial dividend,” he commented.

BIM’s chief executive, Jason Whooley said that demand for seafood was increasing faster than any other traded good in the world.

“We are committed to ensuring the Irish seafood sector is perfectly poised to capitalise on this demand – this industry will create long-term, sustainable job opportunities for people,” he declared.

Prepack fresh fish now accounts for 68% of the total fresh fish market in Ireland.

Overall value of the Irish seafood sector is worth €700 million annually. BIM estimates that an additional €50 million in value added seafood sales could be created by 2012. The industry employs 11,000 people and is on target to create 3,000 new jobs by 2020 in added value products and aquaculture.

Valentine – the world’s only captive white skate

O INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS TO SOLVE YOUR UNDER SEA CHALLENGES: • ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING • INFRASTRUCTURE INSPECTION • UNDERWATER SECURITY • SUBSEA CONSTRUCTION • SEABED MAPPING WWW.KONGSBERG.COM

Multibeam echo sounder water column data collected with EM 302 from NOAA Ship, Okeanos Explorer, July 2009. Deep sea plumes observed at depths of ~1200–1900 m.

Data processed using IVS3D Fledermaus.

nce common in the Atlantic, White Skate are now critically endangered on this side of the Atlantic. The only one in captivity worldwide resides in Atlantaquaria in Salthill Co Galway, which specialises in the exhibition of native marine and freshwater fish and animals in a fun and friendly manner.

Named Valentine, the White Skate came to the aquarium as an egg case in 2003 and hatched out February 14, 2004, hence the name. Initially Valentine fed off the remains of her yolk sack but then became very thin and had to be tube fed twice daily for six weeks. Something then triggered Valentine to begin feeding and she has never looked back.

Born with a wingspan of 20cm Valentine is now 1.3 m and growing. White Skate were once common along the west coast of Ireland; however slow growth rate and over-fishing led to a dramatic drop in their numbers. It is hoped that

conservation efforts including fishing bans will secure their future.

A few weeks ago, Valentine laid an egg which was examined and showed that the presence of a well defined yolk. Normally the developing embryo feeds off the yolk until eventually hatching out of the egg many months later.

Interestingly, Valentine has never met a male White Skate so it is likely that the egg will be unfertile; however the staff are hoping that maybe, just maybe, an event known as ‘parthenogenesis’ may have occurred. (The females of

some animal species including sharks (close relatives of skates and rays) have shown capability to produce offspring without male involvement.

The appearance of the egg comes at an opportune time of the year as it, along with partners in the Marine Institute, NUI Galway, Inland Fisheries Ireland, Oceans 2012 and others prepare to celebrate Ireland’s marine heritage and environment through a ‘Month of Marine Madness” in Galway this month.

Don’t miss World Ocean Day celebrations on Sunday June 12.

Photo Catherine Jordan

The large White Skate egg compared to a smaller thornback ray egg common around Galway Bay.

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

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COMMENT

Widespread pollution behind Ireland’s self styled green image

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or the Irish tax-payer trying to grasp the magnitude of our national debt which is measured in the billions, news that the country has been fined a mere €2.7 million - plus a daily penalty of €26,173 for not implementing on time key EU environmental legislation – might seem like very small change indeed.

Do the sums however, and that daily penalty mounts up to an annual bill of €9.5 million – and will be recurring until the necessary legislation is put in place.

Suddenly, the figure is not that insignificant anymore – especially when

you realise the clock will keep ticking until Brussels is satisfied that Ireland has implemented fully the essential checks and inspections for its 400,000 septic tanks in order to protect both public health and the environment.

To be haemorrhaging almost ten million Euro unnecessarily and indefinitely – is hardly what this country needs right now. Such a sum would surely go a long way towards stimulating imaginative job creation measures for an economy on its knees and already dangerously overburdened with debt.

But let’s forget about that significant financial cost for a minute.

The fact that Ireland for the second time in eighteen months has been hauled before the European Court of Justice

Dear Editor Drogheda River Rescue & Recovery Service (DRRRS) is a voluntary group founded in 1972 after the tragic drowning of a young child in the River Boyne in Drogheda, Co Louth.

An intensive fundraising campaign was mounted and by the end of May that year, £900 had been collected, thanks to the generosity of all the people of Drogheda. (Other founding members include Patrick Foley, first chairman and ex-Mayor of Drogheda; Garda Pat Lamb, dive officer and Frank Godfrey, also an ex- Mayor of Drogheda.)

Regrettably, on March 25 2011, Drogheda Borough Council deemed the building to be dilapidated and therefore locked out the DRRRS from our boathouse of 39 years, with no alternative accommodation offered.

We are still in discussions with our mayor Paul Bell and Drogheda Borough Council.

We have offered to demolish and re-build our boathouse at our expense, but to no avail.

We feel this serious and delayed action could possibly endanger people’s lives. Until the situation gets resolved, our male and female members must change in a car park in the harsh weather conditions Ireland is prone to.

Background On Whit Sunday 1972, we proudly displayed our 13ft Dory boat on Drogheda main street for all to see. The boat was initially stored in a shed until the committee, with the support of local people and Drogheda Borough Council, acquired the premises where the rescue resided for the past 39 years, at No3 Horse Lane.

Down the years a number of

boats were purchased; these included the 5.4 Avon Sea Rider and 2 x RNLI D-Class boats (Tommy Campbell after another founding member).

The 5.4 Avon Sea Rider was named after Paddy Morrissey who was a Garda stationed in Collon and a member of DRRRS in the 1980s. He was a training officer for the divers and also a founding member of the Garda Sub Aqua Unit still in existence today.

Paddy Morrissey had been on countless rescues in local waters and was responsible for many recoveries. It was the biggest boat in service and was a big loss when it was written off during a call-out in November 2003. We purchased a Pioneer multi-craft with a 55hp engine fitted to replace the Avon.

Today the team comprises more than 30 volunteers and growing, all of whom have professional training, high-tech diving equipment and are trained in proper water-safety techniques and procedures.

Training is held every Tuesday evening at 1900hrs in all weather conditions. DRRS is operated by professionals dedicated to the job, with full in-house training for swimming expertise, boat-handling skills and dive personnel. We also have basic first-aid & CPR know-how, as well as training on navigation with maps and compass.

We rely on donations from businesses and individuals to

for failing to satisfactorily implement EU environmental law is something we should be ashamed of – and especially our legislators.

What message is it sending out worldwide to the tourists who might be considering a holiday here? And hot on the heels of the global exposure Ireland enjoyed during the recent high caliber visits?

That Ireland is a modern European country seemingly unable or unwilling to get its environmental house in order.

Twenty years after the Commission produced an EU-wide legislative environmental road map that signposted clearly what was required for the aquatic and terrestrial environments – Ireland has been well and truly found out.

The political ducking and diving that seemed to keep the Commission at bay for two decades will save us no more. Ireland has finally run out of road, and we are now to be hit where it hurts most - in the national pocket.

Anyone who doubted the sincerity and determination of the EU Commission to pursue Ireland is left in no doubt that it means business.

And as we bask in the afterglow of back-to-back state visits by Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama and with one commentator after another speculating on the plane loads of visitors expected in the aftermath, the image we sell abroad of a land with a pristine environment, quite frankly and ashamedly is a fraud.

comment

Gery Flynn

Correction: The caption with the front page picture of Inshore Ireland (April 2011) issue incorrectly stated that the Marine Institute’s research vessels, RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager would record 267 days at sea between them during 2011. This should have read: 627 days at sea. http://www.marine.ie/home/aboutus/newsroom/pressreleases/ TheMarineInstitutewelcomestheappointmentofMrSimonCoveney.htm

help us provide this service to Drogheda. You can contact DRRR at droghedariverrescue@ live.com, or alternatively, we can be found on Facebook by searching Drogheda River Rescue.

Inshore Ireland is published by IIP Ltd

We would like to sincerely thank Inshore Ireland for their interest in our organisation’s plight.

Maurice Byrne, Alan Floyd

We are proud stockists of the

Responsible Irish Fish products. This year Scally’s won The BIM (Bord Iascaigh Mhara) Seafood Counter of the Year award 2011 and the Product innovation award 2011.

Editor

Features Editor

Advertising

Design

Gillian Mills

Gery Flynn

Durgan Media

mills@inshore-ireland.com

flynn@inshore-ireland.com

01 235 4804

091 844822

Gillian Mills Gery Flynn

info@durganmedia.ie

074 91 94477

The publishers do not accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors and advertisers. While care is taken to ensure accuracy of information contained within Inshore Ireland, we do not accept responsibility for any errors or matters arising from same.

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INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

YOUR VIEW

YOURVIEW

Inshore Ireland and its publishers do not accept responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy of information, we do not accept responsibility for any errors, or matters arising from same. Contact the editor at mills@inshore-ireland.com.

An untapped potential laps our shores

Senator David Norris has been a member of the Trinity College Dublin University Panel in Seanad Éireann since 1987 and is a founding member of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs. He was Senior Lecturer in the Department of English in Trinity College Dublin from 1968 to 1996.

He is one of Ireland’s leading Joyce scholars; was the Founding Chairman of the James Joyce Centre; the North Great George’s Street Preservation Society and Friends of the Library (longest serving Chairman) TCD. His main areas of concern are national and international human and civil rights, equality issues for gay and lesbian people and conservation of Dublin architectural history. He studied the piano with the late Lily Huban at the Reade Pianoforte School in Harcourt Street.

Senator David Norris

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ne of the powerful influences on my life was my aunt who being a midlands woman distrusted and was fearful of the sea. She was my mother’s older sister and my mother and she reared me after the death of my father when I was six. He was an English man, John Norris, lover

of the sea, a sailor and a holder of Lloyd’s Medal (The Marine VC) from the First World War. Like all his forbears before him he felt that strong pull of the ocean tide. The name Norris in fact just means ‘Norseman’ or ‘Viking’ so it is just as well that the genetic balance was rescued by this infusion of Norse-English blood which gave me my own love of the sea.

I sometimes think we in Ireland don’t often realise we are an island, and should indeed in the words of Dominic Behan’s ironic song: Thank God We’re Surrounded be Water. Of course James Joyce in his novel Ulysses and in Finnegan’s Wake gives us a wonderfully musical evocation of the sea and its moods and movement but it is only a lingering glance.

MARITIME MISCELLANY I always listen to Seascapes on RTE Radio in the late evening.

It brings you in contact with the fishing community; stories of bravery of lifeboat men; the struggles of the fishing industry and also the record of those who minister to them spiritually – things like the Missions to Seamen especially when as a result of legal disputes over crews left stranded on the Dublin quays in rust buckets of dubious ownership.

Seascapes also a few months ago did an excellent piece on a seafood festival up in Donegal where a group of restaurants combined in order to maximise gourmet tourism. We could do with more of this.

I honestly don’t think we make enough of our domestic produce. This is partly a relic of the penitential days of ‘fish on Friday’ but when you think of the salmon, prawns, crab, mussels and scallops etc which can provide such a rich harvest and make delicious food, I think there is a great deal of untapped potential still there.

There are not many places where you get a good simple crab salad or crab mayonnaise.

Often when prawns are served in a restaurant they turn out to be these jet lagged limp water-logged creatures from somewhere in Asia instead of our own beautiful fluffy Irish

pink and white prawns.

I use the word Irish instead of Dublin because I want to include the Atlantic prawn as well as the Dublin Bay prawn which is a rare enough item these days. I was very pleased to learn about an initiative in Co Cork where seafood producers were given training and incentives in the management and packaging of fresh seafood produce.

These matters are discussed in the Senate but they rarely attract much attention. I am sorry for this because I do remember in my own very early days in Seanad Éireann being spellbound when Senator Tom Fitzgerald from Dingle spoke passionately on one of the Fisheries Bill.

When I congratulated him subsequently he told me he was indeed himself a trawler skipper. I think it is very important that we hear directly from the voice of the fishing industry in ways like this.

MARINE RESOURCES Indeed I am certain one of the things that will ultimately lift this country back into the position as one of the leading most successful economies in Europe, will be a proper recognition of, and respect for, the wealth of resources with which we as an island have been fortunately presented.

Of course in terms of fishing this must mean sustainable fishing. There are three very large vessels with the word Celtic and Atlantic in their title: Atlantic Dawn, Celtic Voyager and the Celtic Explorer. The Atlantic Dawn is basically a factory ship, a super trawler, designed as a pride of a new entrepreneurial aspect of Irish fishing. Nevertheless it was held to damage fish stocks – partly because of its enormous capacity – and was banished from European waters and sent off fishing to the seas off Senegal in Africa.

We have also of course been on the receiving end principally from some of our European neighbours whose marauding expeditions reached even as far as the Canadian cod banks. I think the fact that Irish trawlers are forced to comply with the discard policy under which perfectly good food is dumped at sea while

our European fellow fishermen can apparently land unweighed catches at Irish ports needs to be reassessed.

The other two ships with the word Celtic in them are the two magnificent vessels associated with the Marine Institute in Galway. The Celtic Voyager is a multi-purpose research vessel for coastal research and its larger sister, Celtic Explorer which has a brief in the areas of fishery, acoustics, oceanography and hydrographic research.

The work they have been doing in providing mapping information, fish population surveys and scientific examination of the food and mineral resources of this nation is quite remarkable.

On this point reverting again to the political sphere, I believe it is very important that the Government reinstates the Keating principles under which it was policy that a reasonable percentage of the yield of natural resources including from the ocean should be available to the Irish people as their birth right.

The designated Irish continental shelf represents one of the largest marine exclusive economic zones of the European Zone and the fact that we have an institute conducting flag ship research – not just in fishing but in the discovery of new drugs and advanced bio materials from marine organisms for sustainable farming of cod for the development of advanced genetic tools for monitoring and predicting fish population – is a tribute to all those involved.

The impact of the ocean upon our country is indeed enormous. We all learnt at school about the importance of the Gulf Stream and we are now on the threshold of developing energy resources from wave power with a number of patents pending in this area.

I give thanks for the fact we are surrounded by sea and water – not because it separates us from our neighbouring island – but because it provides us with such a wonderful resource of pleasure, profit and protein.

Does reopening of the Castlemaine fishery breach Ireland’s salmon management rules?

Martin O’Farrell The Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources in 2010 allowed a pilot fishery to take in place inside Castlemaine Harbour and requested advice from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) on: “How a commercial salmon fishery could be operated on salmon stocks in the Castlemaine Harbour Special Area of Conservation in a sustainable manner, maximizing the opportunities for commercial fishing while ensuring that stocks are not over-exploited.”

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) sought advice from the Standing Scientific Committee (of the former National Salmon Commission).

See the accompanying map to help with the interpretation of the advice provided to IFI by the SSC. Summary of advice from the Standing Scientific Committee • the fisheries should take place only on single stocks that are meeting their Conservation Limits • fishing inside the rivers Laune, Maine and Caragh is advised as this will reduce the possibility of intercepting fish from other rivers • if it is not possible to operate the fisheries within these rivers, then the fisheries should take place as close as possible to the rivers (i.e. the river mouths) or

the estuaries of the individual rivers in order to reduce the possibility of intercepting fish from neighbouring and other rivers Based on this advice, IFI recommended to the Irish Government that: • a commercial fishery in Castlemaine Harbour should be permitted in 2011 • commercial salmon fishing should take place inside the Rivers Laune, Maine and Caragh • the public draft net fishery should only take place in boxes A, B, C, D and E, as identified in the pilot study • the management advice in relation to the methodology of prosecuting the fishery is that multi-strand monofilament draft nets are used, and are deployed in the same manner as heretofore.

• management further recommends that the TAC for Castlemaine Harbour should not exceed 1,162 fish, and the remaining 3,591 fish are to be divided between the private commercial fisheries in the Rivers Laune and Caragh.

Should the 1,162 quota not be fully caught by the Castlemaine fishermen then net figure be reallocated to the private commercial fisheries.

Have a close look at figure 1. The commercial salmon fisheries inside the defined mouths of the Caragh, Laune and Maine rivers are private several fisheries and also constitute very valuable private

Page 7 of 8

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

7

ANGLING

The fighting pike that fell foul to a Christmas tree Brendan Connolly

properties. Outside the defined mouths of each river is a zone (extending to half a mile from each bank and arcing seaward) from which any public fishery is prohibited.

CONTRADICTION IFI are very positive about reopening a mixed stock commercial salmon fishery which is at odds with the advice from the SSC. Of course the fishery can be carried out inside the defined mouths of the Caragh, Laune and Maine but only by the private several fishery owners.

This decision to re-open a mixed stock commercial salmon fishery goes against everything that has gone on in Irish salmon management for the past five years.

The owners of the Caragh estuary several fishery did not operate the fishery in 2010 and do not plan to do so in 2011 on fishery conservation grounds.

To date, IFI has spent significant resources monitoring the 2010 pilot fishery in Castlemaine Harbour and on the genetic analysis of the 2010 catch of 783 salmon which proved the pilot fishery to be a mixed stock fishery exploiting fish from the Laune (64.4%), Maine (18.2%), Caragh (5.6%); other local rivers within Castlemaine Harbour - Behy / Emlagh / Owenascaul (5.3%); nearby rivers outside Castlemaine Harbour -Inny / Ferta / Tralee Lee (2%) and more distant rivers in the Waterford / Lismore fishery districts (3.8%) and Donegal (0.4%).

In 2010 the Castlemaine Harbour Pilot Fishery was an indiscriminate mixed stock fishery, just like the former Irish salmon drift-net fishery.

In many ways, former Junior Minister Conor Lenihan’s request for advice from IFI had the ring of a Rugby Union match referee who asks the Television Match Official: ‘Is there any reason why I cannot award a try? There is only one answer: ‘No Minister, there is no reason why you cannot allow the fishery to operate.’

I cannot understand why IFI would want to break the rules of national salmon management to accommodate the reopening of the Castlemaine Harbour public salmon draft-net fishery.

Am I missing something?

M

ay – the magical month – filled with bird song, new growth on the trees, and white-lace blossom of the hawthorn. For anglers, May also means mayfly season; however, just because trout are headline grabbers doesn’t mean other species are not targeted by anglers.

In fact, many freshwater species are as active in May as are trout. Pike angling is often seen as a winter and early spring activity when they enter shallow weed beds to spawn. But, pike can be caught at any time of the year.

For this reason, two anglers set out to try various lures on the pike of a small reed-fringed lake in Donegal. The main problem was to get the boat into the water – past the heavy blanket of grass and reeds around the edge.

REEDY RETREAT Pushing the reeds aside the anglers eventually reached open water and anchored the boat off the reed fringe to tempt pike that might be hiding there.

Retrieving the lure, a sharp eye

was kept out for the sudden movement of an onrushing pike.

Pike lures come in all shapes and sizes; some closely resemble little fish, others look like colourful creatures from outer space, and yet others would not be out of place on a Christmas tree. One such of the latter type comprises two parts connected by a stainless steel wire bent at right angles. At one end, two blades spin and at the other, a single hook is turned inwards towards the spinners, with the line attached in the middle.

The single hook is covered by a multi-coloured muppet.

This lure can be cast amongst reeds and because the hook is single and turned inwards, it is less likely to catch on weeds compared to a triple hook at the end of a lure.

While it may not catch reeds the question is: does it catch pike?

The other angler was using a gold-coloured floating plug bait, imitating a small carp. This bait dived down as it was retrieved.

When the area was fished for a while, the boat was moved to a different section of the reed fringe. With no pike appearing, the anglers changed to trolling two lures around the edge of the weed beds.

AGILE ACROBATICS This brought a change in fortunes. First the rod trailing the Christmas tree bait bent over and the reel zipped as the line was pulled out by a pike grabbing the bait. The garish nature of the muppet and the two spinners certainly did not deter the fish – and although the single hook is turned inwards towards the spinners, this did not stop the pike being hooked.

A medium sized pike jumped clear out of the water, displaying agile acrobatics before diving back down and dragging the rod tip to below the surface.

When the pike was netted it was relatively easy to unhook the single hook and release it; a triple hook would have been more difficult.

Both baits were soon again trolling behind the boat– this time the other rod jumped enthusiastically – the golden plug bait had attracted a small fish.

Over the next hour, another four medium and a smallish pike were caught on the two lures.

Maybe it was the bright colours, or just the disturbance they caused in the water, but each lure was as good as the other.

Yes, May is good for trout, but also for pike.

A small pike thinking big!

This quiet reed fringed lake hides many pike

Two spoons and a muppet hiding the hook –all in one lure

The Department

IFI responds to Inshore Ireland

responds to Inshore Ireland

Mr Martin O’ Farrell asserts that the decision to reopen the private draft net fishery in Castlemaine Harbour “goes against everything that has gone on in Irish salmon management for the past five years”. IFI strongly disagrees with this statement and suggests that Mr O’ Farrell is taking a somewhat selective view of the factual situation.

Minister Conor Lenihan, then Minister of State in DCENR instructed the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards, now IFI, to examine how a commercial salmon fishery could be operated [see full text at intro of main article]. On foot of this request the pilot project was commenced; this project included both fisheries and genetic stock identification elements. The results were assessed by the Standing Scientific Committee, and the results are available on the IFI website www.fisheriesireland.ie

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte TD has announced a statutory public consultation process, the purpose of which is to allow affected stakeholders an opportunity to object to the proposals for opening the wild salmon commercial fishery as recommended by Inland Fisheries Ireland.

The Minister advertised his intention to open a licensed draft net fishery in Castlemaine Harbour, Co Kerry from c. 21 June 2011, depending on the outcome of a statutory public consultation process that commenced on 19 May 2011.

On foot of the results of a detailed pilot study undertaken last year, it has been possible to consider the reopening of a public commercial fishery on a mixed stock without risk to the contributing salmon stocks from individual rivers, each of which is meeting their conservation limits. The additional information leading to the recommendation was gathered from a comprehensive monitoring programme covering all parts of the season, all areas of the Castlemaine harbour and genetic sampling of fish prior to and during 2010.

The materials published, on which the decision to open a fishery is based, fully describe the conduct of the pilot fishery in 2010 and the various analyses (including genetic analysis of fish) undertaken.

It would not be appropriate for the Minister to comment further in advance of receiving all of the expected submissions under the process.

The SSC made three recommendations:

Mr O’Farrell quotes excerpts from the genetic stock identification report and suggests that the Castlemaine Harbour is an indiscriminate mixed stock fishery; however the report actually qualifies this (as emphasized below): Approximately 2% of the fishery appeared to be originating from rivers close to but outside Castlemaine Harbour…..… However, analysis of simulated fishery samples suggests that these apparent contributions from rivers outside Castlemaine Harbour may result from experimental error associated with mis-assignment from correct population of origin.

The reasons the Castlemaine Harbour fishery was closed in the first instance are: that the rivers Emlagh and Behy were adjudicated to be discrete salmon populations in their own right and were below their conservation limit, and the River Maine was assessed as being below its conservation limit.

Based on information accumulated in the interim, the SSC identified a harvestable surplus for the River Maine for 2010, and following the genetic stock identification project, it was concluded that the stock in the Rivers Emlagh and Behy are transient: Analysis of temporal stability in the samples taken from the Behy and Emlagh indicates that these rivers may have low genetic integrity over generations.

Consequently, the management advice reflected this situation and also recommended: ‘that further work on the status of salmon populations in the two rivers be conducted.’

Thus, the contributing stocks to the Castlemaine Harbour fishery: Laune, Maine and Caragh are each above their conservation limits.

Mr O’Farrell likens the situation to the awarding of a try in a rugby match where the refereed asks for a reason not to award the try. In this regard I would direct him to the original instruction from Minister Lenihan.

The IFI contends that a public fishery would be viable once it is operated in accordance with IFI management advice.

Finally, Mr O’ Farrell indicates that the owners of the River Caragh estuary several fishery did not operate the fishery in 2010 and do not plan to do so again in 2011 on fishery conservation grounds. While this is welcomed, and IFI supports any and all conservation initiatives, it should be pointed out that Mr O’ Farrell would appear to have ownership interests in the River Caragh estuary several fishery and also in the private recreational fishery on the River Caragh. As the several fishery owner it is for Mr O’Farrell to decide how the stock is harvested between the recreational and commercial fishery.

8

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

OCEAN ENERGY CONFERENCE

Will Ireland again lose out to foreign investment

– this time on marine energy?

Gery Flynn

A

major conference supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has heard that marine energy harnessed from offshore wind, wave and tidal sources presents Ireland with a potential revenue and employment bonanza; however unless government renews its commitment to the sector the opportunity could be lost.

Delivering Ireland’s Ocean Energy Targets - developing Europe’s Ocean Energy Hub & Securing Ireland’s Energy Future heard from the SEAI’s Eoin Sweeney that marine renewables also addressed the twin challenges facing Europe in terms of climate change and

security of energy supply.

“The fact is that by 2050 Europe has to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by reducing its use of conventional fossil fuel energy, while at the same time increasing its electricitygenerating sources by 100%.

There’s a fantastic opportunity here for which Ireland is well placed” he said.

MAJOR REVENUE POTENTIAL Putting this in the context of a potential revenue generator, he said that when the UK last year attempted to put a monetary and employment value on their wind resource alone they concluded it could be just as valuable as their hydrocarbon reserves. The figures arrived at for installed capacity – under various scenarios – were staggering: ranging from 78GW (at13%

utilization) to 400GW (at 76% utilization) - annually. Such capacities translate to revenues expected to range between Stg£28bn-Stg£164bn.

“I’m not quoting this as a scientific study but as an indication of the type of value that is beginning to be associated with these renewable offshore resources – which, unlike carbon, is environmentally clean and will not run out,” he declared.

Tracing the historical time line of the developing idea of an ocean energy programme for Ireland, Sweeney pointed to 2005 as significant when the then SEI and the Marine Institute produced an initial programme which showed that Ireland should be pro-active in promoting ocean energy – defined then as wave and tidal, but which he said has evolved into the wider term ‘marine energy’ and includes offshore

wind.

“At the time it was a relatively modest programme. It proposed targets for 2020 of 200MW installed capacity. We believed that would eventually create something in the order of 2,000 jobs.”

According to Sweeney, the programme was eventually picked up by the previous government and made an element of the Programme for Government specifically funded with a mechanism to actually implement it – now the Ocean Energy Development Unit (OEDU) at SEAI.

REVISED STRATEGY REQUIRED Fast forwarding to 2011, Sweeney said a revised strategy was now required to “reflect the dynamic context” for marine renewables and for the economy.

“‘The essence of the OEDU strategy is to pull together a whole series of elements: to support technology developers; to work with governments and policy-makers; attract investors; to support technologies and companies; build test and demonstration facilities; complete the environmental legislation required as the context to move forward; and to begin to stimulate work around the analysis of and the building of a supply chain.”

He added that its Steering Committee comprised of individuals representing the Departments of Energy and Environment as well as the SEAI and the Marine Institute to coordinate all government departments and agencies that are mandated to help deliver on ocean energy.

“There’s a whole range of government departments and agencies with mandates to

deliver on ocean energy. And as a small group all we can do is act as a catalyst by bringing all of these together. We have been trying for a long time to get the Department of Trade and Enterprise to come into this process, but we haven’t been able to do that yet,” he said pointedly.

COOPERATION CRUCIAL As for the future, Sweeney is under no illusion that cooperation “across the board will be crucial” and says the process must begin with a radical look at foreshore planning.

“Without this in place one of the critical pieces of the jig-saw is missing. Many of the Foreshore Acts date back seventy to eighty years, and need radical reforming. This is happening - albeit not at the pace people would like – but functions have been transferred to the Department of the Environment, and there is a Marine Spatial Plan in preparation. But I wouldn’t hold my breath over the next decade for this to be delivered,” he said.

He also welcomed the formation of the Marine Renewables Industry Association which he said has

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

9

OCEAN ENERGY CONFERENCE Harvey Appelbe of Tonn Energy, the Irish wave farm development company backed by Vattenfall and Bord Gáis told Inshore Ireland that whilst Vattenfall was increasingly viewing the British Isles as a whole, they see Scotland now as the “best place to do their pilot projects. There is nothing happening in Ireland, and all the best intentions in the world won’t change that until somebody actually does something”, he warned Appelbe pointed to the numerous government departments involved in marine energy here.

“Ireland genuinely has the best wave resource in the world.

The question is now will it be developed – by foreign companies, foreign engineers, foreign vessels – or will Ireland develop a competence to do it through Irish companies? It’s frustrating that this big, natural and renewable resource is just not being used,” he said.

Eoin Sweeney, Head of the SEAI's Ocean Energy Development Unit begun to identify the initial zones where wave energy would happen.

And highlighting the SEAI’s commitment to marine energy, he pointed to its role as both promoter and investor having already committed nearly €5m in grant-funding to around twenty concepts, companies and projects.

As for a growing perception abroad amongst potential utility investors – Swedish giant, Vattenfall in particular – that the pace of ocean energy development here was too slow, he said: “Vattenfall has actually labeled Scotland ‘open for business’ and Ireland ‘closed for maintenance’.

If this is the perception of large industries across Europe, and world-wide then this is something we need to address very urgently,” he stressed.

IRELAND LACKS RESOURCES

Compared to Ireland, Sweeney said that Scotland’s marine energy plan was “heavily resourced and supported at all levels of administration. And they have a leasing round already open and are awarding projects,” he stressed.

“The renewables section of the Department of Energy has only three people to implement all aspects of this massive challenge whereas their counterpart in Scotland has thirty people in their section.

This is a stark illustration of the challenge we face.”

Concluding, Sweeney pointed to the many synergies between what’s happening in offshore wind and what will happen a little later in wave and tidal: “All of these need to be captured – whether it’s in this Unit or in another it doesn’t really matter, but an integrated capability does need to be built.”

Multi-disciplinary, all-island consultancy RPS is Ireland’s leading planning, engineering, environmental and communications consultancy. Over the past three decades, RPS has developed specialist infrastructure expertise to provide fully integrated consultancy services to the maritime, port and harbour industries.

Services range from the delivery of port planning and feasibility studies through to infrastructure design and construction supervision. RPS also provides support services relating to operation and rehabilitation of port and harbour facilities including dredging, navigation and geotechnical advisory and inspection, testing and protection consultancy services.

RPS provides whole life-cycle advisory services relating to marine infrastructure with a multi-disciplinary team of planners, engineers, scientists and architects. RPS is currently providing environmental, planning and port engineering services to the new £200m Vestas/Peel Ports wind turbine manufacturing facility at the Port of Sheerness in Scotland, in addition to working in many ports in Ireland including Dublin, Cork and Belfast.

RPS has also completed a range of consultancy services to both private and public companies relating to offshore renewable energy. Over the past two decades the company has completed offshore resource studies for marine renewables and has assisted in technology development and deployment across a range of offshore wind, wave and tidal technologies.

The company has designed subsea foundations for several wave and tidal developers, including Open Hydro’s developments in the Orkneys and Nova Scotia. Recently, conceptual design work and site selection studies have been completed for the Australian wave power developer Carnegie Wave Energy Limited.

RPS has also completed feasibility studies relating to the delivery of offshore renewables technologies and infrastructure such as an analysis of infrastructure capacity in Ireland to support the ISLES project, currently being undertaken on behalf of the Irish, Northern Irish and Scottish governments.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland supports the development of Ocean Energy in Ireland.

For more information log on to www.seai.ie/oceanenergy

10 INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

INSHORE FISHERIES

Zero by-catch of cetaceans following lengthy monitoring programme Ronan Cosgrove, BIM Following a 103-day independent observer programme on pelagic trawl fisheries by BIM and UCC, no cetacean bycatch occurred in the waters surveyed from North Biscay to the Celtic Sea and the west coast of Ireland as far as the outer Hebridies.

Limited observations (8 days) were also carried out on gillnet vessels in the Celtic Sea. Since 2005, Ireland has been legally obliged to monitor cetacean bycatch.

The programme studied albacore, mackerel, herring, horse mackerel, blue whiting and sprat pelagic trawl fisheries. These results corroborate observations from 2005-2009 when just four common dolphins were taken as bycatch from a total of 267 days of observations on pelagic trawlers.

CERTIFICATE RETENTION This confirmation will be of enormous benefit to fisheries that have entered the Marine Stewardship Council programme and will

specifically address conditions placed on the retention of MSC certification for Ireland’s mackerel fisheries.

Although Irish pelagic trawl fisheries enjoy a dolphinfriendly reputation, the same cannot be said for the pelagic tuna fishery: the Marine Conservation Society – an influential UK charity that campaigns on marine environmental issues – has placed pelagic trawl-caught tuna from the North Atlantic on the ‘fish to avoid’ list in its consumer guide to sustainable seafood.

EU funded trials carried out in 1998/99 to introduce pelagic trawling as an alternative to drift-netting may be partly to blame. Vessels then new to the fishery often fished as often and for as long as possible, and frequently deployed gear in water that we now know to be too shallow for tuna. This resulted in incidences of cetacean bycatch - an unfortunate side effect of honest efforts to ensure maximum bang for the European buck in the intensive and ultimately successful trials.

TIMELINE Over a decade down the line, things have moved on: the albacore fishery is now targeted by fewer, more efficient and experienced vessels which, with one eye on fuel consumption, tend to restrict gear deployment until tuna marks are clearly visible. Interactions with other species are therefore kept to a minimum, as verified by 74 observer days carried out since 2005 with not a single cetacean bycatch incident observed.

To redress a misguided image of a ‘cetacean unfriendly fishery’, BIM is highlighting the dramatic decline in cetacean bycatch in its annual report to the EC on monitoring cetacean bycatch.

As a major contributor to the ICES working group on bycatch of protected species (WGBYC), BIM will also ensure that the development of the Irish tuna fishery and associated decline in cetacean bycatch is fully documented in the next WGBYC annual report.

ACOUSTIC DETERRENTS Furthermore, data from

BIM would like to correct the following text that appears in the BIM Fisheries Management Chart 2011. The 2011 Fisheries Management Chart can be downloaded from the BIM website at http://www.bim.ie/templates/text_content.asp?node_id=1242

Porcupine Bank Nephrops Closure



14°

12°

13°

VIIc

11°

10°

VIIb

53°

52°

other countries contributing to WGBYC suggest that rare incidences of dolphin bycatch can still occur in tuna pelagic trawl fisheries. Under its Marine Environment Protection Measure, BIM has obtained acoustic dolphin deterrents which have proven to be highly effective in the English Channel bass fishery where similar pelagic gear is employed.

The devices are easy to use, rigged to minimise interference with fishing gear and are available from the BIM Galway office (091 564318) to any Irish tuna fisherman who wants to take a proactive role in improving the image of their fishery.

Armed with scientific reports and hopefully a major uptake of dolphin deterrents, BIM will contact MCS with a view to bumping up Irish tuna on par with other low bycatch fisheries in their guide to sustainable seafood.

BIM and UCC wish to express their sincere gratitude to the skippers who participated in this observer programme without whom this good news story might not he heard.

Review to bring parity of crawfish minimum landing size underway

T

he Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, has asked BIM to review current conservation measures for crawfish by July 29 because the current prohibition on landings below 110mm “present difficulties for Irish inshore fishermen as smaller crawfish are preferred by European markets”.

He added that a range of technical

conservation measures were in use internationally.

“I want to see if we can find a management strategy for this species which will allow Irish inshore fishermen to compete in international markets, while stabilising the stock and ensuring its long-term sustainability and bringing to an end undesirably by-catch.”

The review will be conducted by BIM in conjunction with the Marine Institute and in consultation with crawfish fishermen.

EU law (Regulation 850/98) specifies a minimum landing size (MLS) of 95mm. This Regulation allows Member States to set higher national MLS for conservation purposes. The Irish MLS of 110mm was first set in 2001, replacing an earlier national MLS of 100mm set in 1999.

VIIk

VIIj

During the period periodfrom from11May Maytotothe the31 31July July2011 2011the thehighlighted highlighted area During the area willwill bebe closed closed to all fishing tusk, cod, megrim, anglerfish, whiting, hake, to all fishing for tusk,for cod, megrim, anglerfish, haddock,haddock, whiting, hake, blue ling, blue ling, ling, ling,plaice, prawns, plaice,saithe, pollack, saithe, skates and spurdog. prawns, pollack, skates and rays, and solerays, and sole spurdog.

By way ofBy way of derogation transit through species onboard is allowed. derogation transit through this this areaarea withwith thesethese species onboard is allowed.

Under S.I. 232 of 2006, crawfish below 110mm in length may not be taken or landed by an Irish vessel and must be returned immediately to the sea. The S.I. also prohibits the sale, transport or trans-shipment of such undersize crawfish.

Under S.I. 233 of 2006, fishing for crawfish in certain specified protected areas off the coasts of Galway and Kerry using nets is prohibited. Despite these conservation measures, the decline of the crawfish stock, which commenced in 1990, has continued unabated.

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

11

INSHORE FISHERIES

Guide to compliance for the Irish inshore fleet rules to validate fish catches including the traceability of all fishery products from catch to the consumer’s plate.

T

he Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority’s Guide to Compliance for the Irish Inshore Fleet is a concise guide that summarises the principal requirements applying to Irish fishing vessels under 15 metres operating in Irish inshore waters.

The guide is available in both Irish and English language versions from SFPA port offices, which are located in the Main Fishery Harbour Centres.

Typically the inshore fleet comprises fishing vessels under 15m, representing approximately 87 per cent of the entire Irish fleet in terms of vessel numbers.

The guide was developed through ongoing cooperation between the SFPA and the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation, the Kilmore Quay Harbour Users Group in conjunction with the Ministerial appointed SFPA Consultative Committee and other industry stakeholders.

The aim of the project is to provide inshore fishermen with a clear and concise guide to the various technical regulations that apply to inshore fishing activities in a user-friendly format.

Providing good information to stakeholders is a key element of the SFPA’s compliance strategy and this inshore guide underpins the work undertaken by the agency and the fishing industry in building

Minimum Size: Fish Species

UNDER 10M VESSELS

Photo: Gillian Mills

a culture of compliance.

While the guide does not represent a detailed legal interpretation of the legislation, it does however consolidate the main requirements that apply to Irish vessels fishing in Irish inshore waters, such as: • quota restrictions • boat markings • gear requirements • authorisations • sales notes • transport documents • marine protected areas fishing restrictions • hail requirements • effort recording • effort reporting • minimum sizes • seafood safety This comprehensive guide also helps fishermen with the paperwork that goes with fishing, such as completing the logbook and registering fish after landing.

PARTNERSHIP APPROACH The SFPA would like to gratefully acknowledge the support and input by the fishing industry representatives and the SFPA’s Consultative Committee in drafting the guide. This partnership approach benefits the fishing industry and the SFPA, and supports the day-to-day efforts of fishermen to protect their livelihoods by complying with conservation legislation protecting fish stocks for longterm sustainable exploitation.

The European Union has recently completed

work finalising the detailed implementing rules (Commission Implementing Regulation (EC) No 404/2011) giving effect to the Fisheries Control Regulation (Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009).

These regulations provide a new detailed legislative framework for compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy. The regulations consolidate many existing regulations, some of which have been in place since 1983. This new framework regulation brings in new

Minimum Size: Shellfish Species

The Regulation recognises the particular difficulties for smaller vessels less than 10m in keeping logbooks.

Whilst there is no preclusion from keeping a logbook, the landings of smaller vessels may continue to be managed by means of sales notes or through the introduction of a sampling plan by the SFPA. All catches of more than 30kg that are not for personal consumption but are placed on the market must be first sold to a registered buyer. At the time of first sale, fishery products shall be placed into ‘Lots’ which would normally be completed by the buyer.

For small-scale fisheries, buyers will be able to combine up to 30kg of a single species supplied by a number of vessels, which comes from the same management area into a single ‘Lot’.

Other new requirements include marking static gear such as nets, pots and lines and in particular to mark with durable labels. The SFPA will be producing a series of Fishery Information Notices (FINs) on the SFPA website (www.sfpa.ie) shortly to cover aspects of these new regulations.

Copies of the Guide to Compliance for the Irish Inshore Fleet and further information on the legislation is available on the SFPA website (www. sfpa.ie) and from SFPA port offices located in the Main Fishery Harbour Centres.

SFPA Offices and Contact Details Clonakilty

Cork, Mahon

Oak House, Park Road, Bessboro Road, Clogheen, Clonakilty, Co. Cork. Mahon, Co. Cork.

Dunmore East Harbour Office, Dunmore East, Co. Waterford.

T: 353 23 8859300 F: 353 23 8859720 sfpa_info@ sfpa.ie

T: 353 21 4515100 F: 353 21 4515121 sfpa_info@ sfpa.ie

T: 353 51 383135 F: 353 51 383045 Dunmore@ sfpa.ie

Killybegs

Ros an Mhil

An Daingean,

Fishery Harbour Centre, Lán-Ionad, Killybegs, Ros a Mhil, Co. Donegal.

Co. na Gaillimhe

An Caladh.

An Daingean, Co. Chiarraí.

T: 353 74 9731264 F: 353 74 9731819 Killybegs@ sfpa.ie

T: 353 66 9152122 F: 353 66 9151489 Dingle@ sfpa.ie

T: 353 91 572405 F: 353 91 572585 Rossaveal@ sfpa.ie

Castletownbere Howth Harbour Office, Castletownbere, Co. Cork.

Auction Hall, West Pier, Howth, Co. Dublin

T: 353 1 8321910 T: 353 27 70439 F: 353 1 8321911 F: 353 27 70094 Castletownbere@ sfpa.ie Howth@ sfpa.ie

Greencastle: Contact Killybegs

Kilmore Quay: Contact Dunmore East

Clogherhead: Contact Howth

12 INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

INTERVIEW

Can a new hand on the helm bring much needed impetus to the marine sector?

Gery Flynn and Gillian Mills One of the youngest members of the new government, Simon Coveney displays a genuine interest in his portfolio, and above all for the marine sector, based on personal interest and experience of things maritime.

Whilst only a few short months as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, he brings a sense of urgency that just might see an end to bureaucracy and logjams that have stymied development across many elements of the marine sector.

Inshore Ireland spoke to Minister Coveney to tease out his ambitions for a sector that has long since sought Cabinet recognition to achieve its full potential.

T

here were two things I was determined to do for the marine: one - and which I lobbied for in opposition – was a seat at the cabinet table. And I wanted that portfolio not only to encompass fisheries but also ocean energy; marine leisure; tourism; search & rescue, and so on. The marine industry rightfully demands influence and a voice at the cabinet table, and I want to provide that – and I think we have been successful in doing that.

The Taoiseach made it clear he wanted a marine cabinet minister. He made that commitment in opposition, and he’s followed through on that. I’m delighted he chose me because it’s something I feel very strongly about and have an affinity for given my connection to boats ever since I could walk. I also believe I have a reasonable understanding of the fishing industry.

It’s a job I’m looking forward to, and perhaps my commitment is evident in that I am personally going to chair the Inter-Departmental Marine Coordinating Group.

The Secretariat will be provided by the Department of the Taoiseach – and that’s deliberate because we want the Group to be taken seriously by all departments.

Represented on that group

are the Department of Defence, Naval Service; the Department of Environment (foreshore and planning); the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (offshore energy); my own department, the Marine Institute and the departments of Transport and Tourism.

We’ve already had two very constructive meetings to put in place a set of marine strategy targets that will focus on development – along the lines of Food Harvest 2020.

I hope there’ll be a new focus for developing the marine sector across all areas - whether it’s somebody wanting to establish a marina in the West of Ireland and has problems with foreshore and planning issues having to work with different agencies, or whether it’s someone who wants to establish an offshore wind farm and has issues around foreshore and grid connection etc. Or whether it’s grantaid to different sectors, or developing a licensing system that works on a timelier basis for the aquaculture industry.

There are many barriers to growth and development, and whilst we’re not going to have much capital or current expenditure for the next two to three years, we can do a lot in terms of streamlining processes to make it easier for the private sector to develop and grow.”

The first draft policy for Integrated Coastal

Zone Management was published in 1997, and government since then has been accused of lacking the motivation to develop a policy for Ireland. Fourteen years on and there is still no ICZM policy. What are your intentions to bring about a national initiative?

That’s what the coordinating group is all about; that’s why we are setting targets for ourselves in the same way as we’ve targets in the food sector. Across all of the sectors, whether it’s research; energy; fishing; aquaculture; sport, leisure or tourism.

There are many areas that the broader marine brief touches on – and the challenge will be to coordinate these activities. For example, with ICZM where there are planning and foreshore issues, these will be integrated into a single application that will be handled by one department.

It is widely accepted that the Common Fisheries Policy has many failings. Ireland has its own specific concerns: stakeholder involvement in decision-making; relative stability in Irish waters; methodology of scientific assessments and fisheries management.

Is it realistic to believe Ireland’s concerns will be safeguarded and that its recommendations will form part of the new CFP?

Well certainly it’s my intention to make sure that Irish concerns are part of any new CFP; that is one of the reasons why I believe it’s very important we have a senior minister responsible for fishing and the marine. We need to deliver a very strong signal that the Irish government takes this industry seriously, and that we will rigorously pursue our concerns as part of the negotiation process.

Two issues of concern are already on the table: the concept of a Transferable Quota System which the Commission is pursuing whereby individual boat owners would actually have the capacity to transfer their quota - in other words, sell their quota elsewhere.

I would be fearful that this could result in Ireland’s fishing quota essentially being sold out of Ireland; for example,

by Spanish, French or Dutch interests coming to Ireland, setting up a company and purchasing or leasing quota.

This is why I am happy to be in this portfolio; I have a reasonably good understanding

Photo: David Ruffles

about how Brussels works – being an MEP for three years.

Decisions are taken following lots of consultation, lots of debate, lots of lobbying. And it will be my job to put together alliances that can result in a good deal for Ireland.

The other big issue is fish discards. It is simply not sustainable that we throw between 20-40% of the fish we catch back into the water dead - because they are caught out of quota or because they’re juvenile fish, or are too small, or they’re species that aren’t valuable. This system needs to be changed.

The proposals to date aren’t practical so Ireland is suggesting a pilot study in the Irish Box (waters off the south west coast) because they are very sensitive areas as regards spawning and the development of juvenile fish.

I want to work with the industry to create a proposal that can work in a practical way for fishermen, so that we can show the Commission HOW it can be done.

You are quoted as saying Ireland needs to encourage

landings of non-Irish caught fish for on-shore processing to maximise added-value. Would this not bring attendant problems of scale, continuity, markets, trade agreements, etc? What incentive would there be for the Spanish and French catch to be landed and processed in Ireland?

The incentive actually doesn’t need to be generated by us at all. The incentive is there because of fuel prices.

It’s becoming a more difficult economic proposition for trawlers to steam back with fish to Spain and France from Irish waters. So rather than fish being landed in Irish ports and then trucked back to Europe to be processed and sold onto the markets, I want to see more being landed to Irish processors – to add value to the million tonnes that are caught off the west coast of Ireland.

That’s where the employment is, that’s where the value is.

Most of the employment in the fishing industry is in processing not catching.

Whereas obviously we’ll be

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

13

INTERVIEW

ESE Brussels – the premier seafood show on the calendar

The pelagic fleet in Killybegs

Mussels lines in Killary Harbour fighting for a bigger and fairer share of the quota, we must develop a fish processing sector here that isn’t just reliant on fish caught by Irish trawlers.

So we are now talking to French fishing interests in particular, trying to encourage them to land to Irish processing plants and then import back into their markets.

A recent study suggests that a ‘fully developed’ all-Ireland energy sector could be worth €9bn and create up 52,000 jobs. Is there a willingness by government to realise this potential?

I think there is enormous potential within Irish waters.

Ninety per cent of Ireland’s territory is under water and I am hopeful we will manage

to find and exploit, in an environmentally-responsible way, natural resources beneath the seabed, whether it’s gas or oil. There is potential; however we need to actually realise that potential - which may take time. We need to put the conditions in place that encourage exploratory drilling for oil and gas, and investment in renewable energy offshore whether it’s tidal, wave energy, or wind.

The government is anxious to encourage that potential and to work through State agencies to make it happen, which is why I think it’s very important we resolve issues around foreshore for example, to allow - primarily the private sector but also the State in certain instances (Marine Institute

or Marine Energy Research Centre) those agencies and educational institutions working with the private sector to actually ensure we realise the full potential of our offshore natural resources.

With Mercosur*, budgetary issues and the significant power and size of the agriculture sector, how much time can you afford to give to fisheries and aquaculture?

I am making and prioritising time for the marine sector. It’s an area I’m personally interested in as well as committed to, politically.

I have broad responsibilities around agriculture and the agri-food sector; however I have good people - in terms of advisors - and a good Minister of State in Shane McEntee.

As far as possible I will be taking personal control of the decision-making regarding aquaculture and fisheries and the marine sector generally.

That’s a choice I’ve made, and it means increasing my workload, but I’m comfortable with that.

Have you had discussions yet with Minister Deenihan to expedite the pace of work by the NPWS in setting conservation

objectives for designated SACs and SPAs? This is going to take time but I don’t accept it’s going to take the time frame that’s suggested.

I would hope the industry will see the progression of new and expanded licences shortly. We do however need to go through a process - otherwise we threaten the industry in a very serious way if the Commission takes legal action against the State.

Fine Gael’s Programme for Government under the heading: Coastal Communities, Fisheries and the Marine Environment states, inter alia: ‘We will support the development of sustainable aquaculture and fish farms by streamlining the licensing process and reducing associated bureaucracy’ What is meant by this and what is the timetable for such streamlining?

I’ve just come back from the biggest seafood fair in the world in Brussels. Many of the nineteen Irish companies were in the aquaculture sector.

They’re very frustrated as there’s a market out there that wants to buy Irish fish.

It’s one of the few markets

Photo: David Ruffles

in the economy to which we actually can’t provide enough raw material. We need to expand our aquaculture industry - whether it is shellfish or farmed salmon, there’s a real appetite to buy Irish product, and it’s got a very good reputation abroad.

I’m determined to try and do everything we can to fast track the decisions that we need to make on licensing. But this isn’t a simple process. The reality is we have to introduce a licensing mechanism that is legally sound and doesn’t result in the Commission taking court challenges against us.

An awful lot of the bays that want to see aquaculture expansion are NATURA areas or Special Areas of Conservation, and when you develop aquaculture in these areas there is a process to be gone through.

Between the National Parks and Wildlife Service which is in Jimmy Deenihan’s department and my own department, we collectively have responsibility to assess these bays and therefore need to increase resources where necessary to get this done as quickly as possible.

We need to fast track this process and work with the

Commission to ensure the flexibility required to get the assessments carried out as quickly as possible, to enable the aquaculture industry to grow and expand and take advantage of the potential that’s out there.

Looking at salmon farming alone we produce between 8-9,000 tonnes; in Scotland it’s 150,000 tonnes; in Norway it’s 800,000 tonnes. So, there’s huge growth potential here - not just in salmon but in all sorts of farmed marine products.

We need to allow this industry to breath and grow and expand - but obviously in a way that’s consistent with protecting the environment.

And I will be insistent on that.

This isn’t a case for cutting corners. *MERcado COmún del SUR. Customs union of four Southerncone countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) established under the 1991 Treaty Of Asunción. Formed on the pattern of European Community’s Treaty Of Rome, it allows duty free interMercosur trade and levies a common external-tariff (0-20%) on nonmember countries. In 1996, Bolivia and Chile joined it as its associate members.

14 INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

Photos: Niall Duffy

AQUACULTURE NEWS

Positioning of aquaculture on global markets hangs in the balance Gery Flynn

M

arine Harvest Southwest, the

Castletownbere-based subsidiary of Marine Harvest Ireland – the country’s largest salmon farmers and processors of organic and premium eco-label salmon is on track to achieving its 2011 production target but could double sales of organic farmed salmon in line with demand abroad if aquaculture licensing * was resolved.

Speaking to Inshore Ireland, operations manager John Power says the industry is looking to Minister Coveney to “get to grips” with the issue

that has dogged aquaculture for the past decade.

“Like everyone involved in the aquaculture industry, I’m hopeful that the new marine minister will have enough clout at the cabinet table and will act quickly to sort out this ten year log-jam. With his background knowledge of Ireland’s marine sector, Minister Coveney is well aware there are real jobs in aquaculture, with real people and real expertise. And there’s no doubt given a fair chance, we can produce the goods and create employment where it really counts – in the remoter parts of the country,” Power declares.

He says it’s a “shame” to see Ireland “playing second fiddle” as a farmed salmon producer to Scotland and Norway whose industries have expanded steadily since the 1980s.

“All the reports on the Irish salmon farming industry that I’ve read over the years suggest we should now be producing at least 50,000 tones a year. The reality is different, however, it’s only about 15,000 tonnes.

And for the past few years the entire industry has been going backwards. I blame the licensing mess for that.”

BACKGROUND Power’s involvement with the company’s three production sites in Beara goes back to 2003 when he and business partner, Sean Doran, bought out the assets of Murpet Beara Atlantic Salmon soon after that company went into receivership.

“The Murpet assets included its three production sites at Deenish Island, off the Derrynane coast in Kerry;

Inis Farnard, formerly known as Kealincha Salmon near Eyeries village and the Roancarraig site in Bantry Bay, near Castltownbere.

With these came the sea cages and moorings, and all the associated nets, workboats, feed barges and automated feeding systems”.

The new venture - SilverKing Seafoods Ltd - began operating in Spring 2008, and though relishing the challenges ahead, Power reveals he never had any doubt that to compete internationally as a farmed salmon producer he would eventually require a link-up with a partner that would bring in extra investment and, if possible, essential expertise.

“With salmon farming in particular it’s pretty much down to money at the end of the day,” he explains,

“Cash flow dictates the size and the speed at which you develop – and obviously you’re a lot more vulnerable as a small operator. While our key goal from the outset was to have all three sites fully operational as quickly as possible, and that’s what we set out to do, we also knew that down the road more investment would be required for expansion.”

As for venture capital investment, Power says that he ruled out going down that road, believing it “comes at a very high price”.

POTENTIAL RECOGNISED He reveals that several companies recognised the potential offered by SilverKing Seafood’s three sites –including multi-nationals, a French

supermarket chain, as well as some of the companies that had already bought into the Scottish scene.

“About eight individuals definitely showed an interest; however for one reason or another it never went beyond that. But when Marine Harvest Ireland’s Managing Director, Jan Fenestra talked to me about developing a business relationship, I knew instinctively this was the right way to go,” he says.

Power acknowledges it took a while to get it off the ground but eventually agreement was reached between himself and Feenstra: “In the end a deal was agreed in late 2008 which saw Marine Harvest Ireland buying outright SilverKing Seafoods as a going concern. Everything was included: assets, debts,

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

15

AQUACULTURE NEWS

John Power comments: Licensing is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to expanding Ireland’s aquaculture industry. It’s holding up development in the entire sector - not only in tonnage terms but also in the job creation that comes with it. To be fair, the department has been working to solve this issue and has proposals on the table to amend or rewrite the licensing protocol for aquaculture operations around the coast. Unfortunately however, it has been a very long road, and we’re not there yet.

We need a government that will support - through the proper criteria –, the proper application process. We’re not looking for any special concessions. We will go through the application process to the letter of the law because we are a very proud industry. We do not flaunt the law regarding the environment issues or other ways, and we have nothing to hide.

In Marine Harvest Ireland we are very, very strong on environmental issues, and we work and strive to sustain a pristine environment in the areas we operate. Everything we do as salmon farmers is traceable through the organic accreditations that we have successfully attained.

Now is an extremely advantageous time for our salmon farming industry to move forward. We are in a situation where this country needs jobs urgently. From Marine Harvest’s point of view we are profitable, and have been profitable over many years.

We have a highly-developed niche market for our organic salmon for which the demand is doubling and outstripping our ability to supply. We have a very strong mother company who can see our success and will back us financially on any of the projects we want to develop.

So, from a jobs and industry and a government point-of-view, all we need are licences - through the proper channels - to develop our industry to produce more jobs and more revenue in an export-driven industry.

liabilities as well as our tax breaks, and we became Marine Harvest Southwest.”

SEAMLESS TRANSITION Another essential part of the agreement was that John Power would “stay on board” as Operations Manager for the south-west to complete the transition that would see all three sites becoming more efficient farmed salmon production units.

Power is in no doubt that being a fully-integrated production unit of Marine Harvest Ireland has freed him from being “a jack-of-alltrades” as he says he was at SilverKing, and enables him to “focus entirely on the job I am supposed to be doing”.

Not only has Marine Harvest Southwest installed fourteen brand new, fully-decked, three-

ring Triton cages from Fusion Marine, Scotland, they have also re-vamped their highlyautomated fish-feeding system to include in-cage underwater cameras which allow both fish and environment to be observed during daylight hours.

It’s clear that Power is particularly proud that all of this new investment has seen staff numbers more than double over the past two years to thirty-six.

“These are real full-time PAYE jobs; and we also have six contract divers as well as other technical contractors for maintenance and engineering. These jobs are really important for an area like Beara where job opportunities are not that plentiful, and it proves again that aquaculture can and does provide sustainable employment,” he states.

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16 INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

AQUACULTURE NEWS

A vision for aquaculture in the southwest I

Mussel farming in Bantry Bay, West Cork

David Millard, BIM southwest regional development officer think finally there is recognition of the worth that aquaculture can bring – not only to rural communities – but to Ireland as a whole. Here in the southwest there has always been a general acceptance that any employment, even in aquaculture, is good for the region, supporting local families and small businesses.

AQuA NOr

2011

International exhibition 16 - 19 August 2011 • Trondheim • Norway

Meet the future!

Follow the latest development of aquaculture research, technology, feed, fish health, education, financing, environmental protection etc.

Visitors from more than 50 nations will be present.

International conferences and seminars in connection with Aqua Nor will focus on research and challenges of the aquaculture industry.

Exhibitor, visitor or conference participant?

For more information: www.nor-fishing.no

AQuA NOr – the most important international venue for

the aquaculture industry.

AQUANOR FORUM 17th -18th AUgUst 2011 tRONdheiM NORwAy

Organiser: The Nor-Fishing Foundation Klostergata 90, NO-7030 Trondheim, Tel +47 73 56 86 40, Fax +47 73 56 86 41, mailbox@nor-fishing.no

We are good at primary production here – be it salmon, mussels, oysters, urchins, abalone and seaweeds. The quality produced is always of the highest standards, and many companies have invested in the acquisition of quality marks to underpin this in the market place.

It must be hoped that this growing recognition will lead to the industry not only securing its current foothold but expanding, bringing increased employment and foreign earnings as nearly all production is exported.

We are good at what we do down here in the southwest corner; we have the natural resources to achieve this aim, producing high value eminently saleable products.

DEVELOPMENT LOGJAM Much has been said about the problems with aquaculture licensing with fingers pointing to a logjam in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for holding up development. In my view as a regionally-based development officer working at the coal face every day, this blame game is too easy to play and the accusations are too simplistic.

BIM has been working closely with the aquaculture farmers, the licensing and engineering staff of DAFM and other bodies (Marine Institute, National Parks and Wildlife etc) to see if we can

assist in the process.

Although it can be hard to see from the outside, huge progress has been made and all of the hard work will start to bear fruit shortly. A positive atmosphere is now evident from the ground staff within DAFM, and many aquaculture farmers who are dealing with the department have commented on this.

One of the main questions is: how will the newly reconstituted regulator begin to deal with an industry that has a lot of attendant regulation but like many aspects of Irish life, was not uniformly regulated in the past?

Because of this lack of consistency, requests for expansion from the industry have tended to be looked on with a somewhat jaundiced eye by the environmental NGOs and other pressure groups.

COMPLIANCE It is my experience that the industry wants to be compliant, as this is one of its great selling points. Well practiced aquaculture is a low polluting industry, working in harmony, using abundant, natural, sustainable resources to produce valuable revenue for Ireland.

All our production is from the highest quality waters, fed with the highest quality feed; organic salmon from fishmeal produced from sustainable fish stocks mussels and oysters

from abundant natural phytoplankton, abalone and urchins from naturally grown seaweeds and seaweed from water borne nutrients and sunlight.

WORLD-CLASS QUALITY In my view we need the country to be proud of this industry; in terms of quality, it is one of the best in the world – but we can produce a lot more quantity. We need the governing bodies to really get behind this industry, taking urgent practical steps to enable this industry to flourish.

We need a common-sense approach to the development of this industry, with straight forward regulation, working in tandem with all other users of the marine environment, producing high-value quality products that we can enjoy here and sell abroad.

I would like to see everybody who cares for our coastal communities getting behind this industry. The aquaculture farmers are proud of their industry and want it to succeed – not only for themselves but also for the entire of the Irish people.

I can see a day when everyone could be proud of this home-grown industry and I believe that the heads of the governing bodies should also be proud, constantly striving to assist with development, which has the potential to deliver real export growth for this country.

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

17

AQUACULTURE NEWS

Seaweeds:

the answer to the future of global aquaculture feed? shifted and is more and more fixed on alternative protein resources.

PROTEIN EXTRACTION

Stefan Kraan, scientific directory, Ocean Harvest Technology

T

he evergrowing global aquaculture industry currently produces about 50% of all seafood consumed of which 6% represents marine fish farming. Coupled with a steadily rising world population to more than seven billion this year and expected to rise to nine billion by 2050, we are heading for major problems regarding feed production to sustain and indeed increase aquaculture output.

Fishmeal – a commodity that is more and more in short supply – is becoming expensive as a protein source to feed farmed fish. Alternative resources other than plant protein sources derived from food crops are therefore urgently needed. Seaweeds – with protein values ranging from 10% for certain brown and green algae up to 40% in certain types of red algae – might very well be a part of the answer.

BIOACTIVE MOLOCULES With a growing interest in micro and macroalgae (seaweeds) as a novel feedstock for biofuels and also as platform chemicals for the plastics industry, it is highly likely that one of the protein by-products may well be of interest to the fed aquaculture industry. This by-product alone

would justify the development of a vibrant algae cultivation industry. Besides, algae can contribute other interesting bioactive molecules to the table that could be applied in fed aquaculture to replace certain chemical ingredients such as colorants, preservatives and pre-mixes.

Ocean Harvest Technology, based in Milltown Co Galway has already advanced this concept and has trialled different seaweed formulas on salmon with considerable success, resulting in lower Food Conversion Ratios (FCR), higher weight gain and a strong reduction in sea lice.

The final end product (fresh and smoked salmon) has been exhaustively taste-tested by independent panels, retailers, consumers and Michelin Chefs who have deemed highly it acceptable in terms of taste and texture, while also reducing environmental impact and increasing wild fish sustainability.

These seaweed-fed salmon are currently produced in Canada. With these results to hand, the OHT team recently finished shrimp trials with similar results and success, and have also begun trials with an Irish pig research farm. In comparison, the salmon feed industry globally produced close to 2.8 million tonnes of feed whilst the global pig feed industry produces around 128 million tonnes of feed.

Nevertheless, the focus has

An Irish company, Oceanfuel Ltd, has developed a scalable protein extraction process that concentrates the carbohydrates. The residual carbohydrate slurry can be used for the biofuels industry.

Analysis of the amino acid profiles of the protein fraction shows very comparable or better profiles compared to fishmeal, with the advantage that seaweed protein is about 90% of the extracted product while fishmeal contains about 60-70% protein. By using seaweeds and seaweed proteins it will help reduce the pressure and reliance on wild fish stocks and other traditional ingredients, and will soon play an important role in feed and food production.

In contrast to microalgae, seaweed has been cultivated in large quantities for hundreds of years, mainly in Asia and other tropical areas. This has been done largely for food production; however over the last 60 years, it has been used to produce alginates, carrageenans and agars which are widely used as thickeners, binders and stabilizers in the food industry.

According to the latest FAO figures about 15.5 million tonnes of seaweeds are cultivated globally (worth about $US 6.5 billion) per annum of which 98% takes place in Asia. Around 10% of the total cultivation is used for the phycolloid industry.

EASTERN STABLE DIET Therefore, the concept of cultivating seaweeds is not new, but to apply the concept to the western world will be difficult as there is little knowledge and understanding of seaweeds. In contrast, in Japan, it is part of the staple diet, with an average daily consumption of 7-10 grams consumed.

Notwithstanding, increasing

1

2 1. Gigartina has been found effective for skin ailments such as psoriasis, eczema, and herpes.

2. Alaria esculenta a brown seaweed known for its food value grown on long-line systems.

3. The final product.

4. Formulating Oceanfeed from different seaweed powders. interest in biofuels and calls by Governments for a reduction in CO 2 levels to 1990 levels while promising that 20% of all EU transport fuels must come from sustainable biofuels by 2020, will enhance the cultivation of seaweeds for a wide variety of purposes.

As labour is very costly in this part of the world it means that the whole process from seed to harvesting has to be mechanised as much as possible. This will be the ultimate challenge for the next 10 years if we want to make seaweeds an accepted mainstream product – be it for fuel, food or other ingredients.

3

4

18 INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

MARINE INSTITUTE

Prince Albert learns about climate change activity at the Marine Institute

T

he Oceanographic and Marine Chemistry teams provide a number of services related to climate change both within the Institute and externally to industry, third level partners and the public.

Dr Glenn Nolan, a section manager in the Ocean Science Services team explained a number of these to HSH Prince Albert II during his visit to Galway, including the operation and maintenance of the National Weather Buoy Network around the Irish coast. Positioned outside the MI, the Monaco delegation were able to see one of the weather buoys used to monitor climate variables in Irish waters including temperature, salinity and wave height, as well as general weather conditions for forecasting.

“Ocean modelling aims to examine the likely changes to the ocean surrounding Ireland in the coming decades. This

work will help predict the ocean’s behaviour, including waves, tides, temperature and salinity as well as looking at how these changes will affect the living resources within the ocean – a crucial part of climate change research,” explained Dr Nolan.

The team had reviewed and analysed extensive marine databanks – some of it extending over five decades - on oceanography, plankton and primary productivity, marine fisheries and migratory species such as salmon, trout and eels.

“Observations from the research show that there have been increases in sea surface temperature; increased wave heights off the south west coast and an increase in the number of warm-water species in Irish waters, ranging from microscopic plankton to swarms of jellyfish,” he said.

The Marine Institute continues to work with wider climate programmes, such as providing

annual oceanographic data to ICES and participating in working group activity and formulation of a position paper on climate change.

Report cards are also produced on climate change impacts in the UK and Ireland for the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership. The team are also involved in the European element of the ARGO float programme where the Institute commits floats and other resources to the global ARGO array.

In 2009, the MI produced the Irish Ocean Climate and Ecosystem Status Report, which detailed a number of significant changes in the marine ecosystem around Ireland in recent years. This report is one of the three projects funded as part of the Marine NDP Research Programme under the Sea Change Marine Knowledge, Research and Innovation Strategy for Ireland 2007-2013.

Dr Glenn Nolan of the Marine Institute shows the marine weather buoys to Prince Albert of Monaco.

Smart technologies that monitor bottlenose dolphin acoustics

H

Compiled by Cushla Dromgool-Regan, Marine Institute

SH Prince Albert II of Monaco was shown how next generation technologies are making Ireland an ideal location for cutting edge marine research and innovation and playing a key role in the sustainable development of global marine resources.

In 2007 the SmartBay national research facility was established to provide a test and demonstration

platform for the development of information and communication technologies for the maritime sector, including innovative products and services that can be applied to environmental monitoring.

As part of this project, Biospheric Engineering Ltd in conjunction with the MI, IBM and Intel, developed and demonstrated the first use of a WiMax network to record bottlenose dolphin acoustics in real-time in the open ocean

and to relay the data from an offshore buoy at Mace Head to the MI server in Oranmore.

REAL-TIME MONITORING “The use of WiMax broadband technology makes real-time cost effective acoustic monitoring of the open ocean possible where until recently expensive undersea cabling was required. This innovative use of broadband technology is being further developed to monitor marine mammals

and to quantify underwater noise emissions from wave energy devices, shipping and marine construction activity,” explained Eugene McKeown, managing director of Biospheric Ltd. The demonstration included the acoustic ‘signatures’ of seven species of whale and dolphins. This illustrated how the acoustic signature can be used to identify which species are present and a prototype underwater noise recorder designed for measuring

underwater noise levels in the marine environment.

“The Monaco delegation was very interested in how the SmartBay research test and demonstration platform in Galway Bay was used by Irish companies and multinationals, such as Intel and IBM, as a focal point for innovation in the development of advanced marine technologies.

Initiatives such as SmartBay will enable Ireland to become a significant player in the development of new advanced

marine technologies into the future,” remarked SmartBay project coordinator Paul Gaughan.

“The leadership and support provided by the Marine Institute to small industries has been vital to enable us develop this technology.

The access to marine infrastructure and resources, their business focus and professionalism is an excellent model of State Agency support for innovation,” Mr McKeown added.

Ocean energy development in Ireland

M

onaco was one of Europe’s first nations to adopt an environmentally conscious attitude towards the ocean. So it was no surprise that Prince Albert II showed a particular interest in the key milestones achieved in Ireland’s research and development of ocean energy during his visit to the Marine Institute.

In line with the National Ocean Energy Strategy (2005) and the Irish Government’s renewable energy policy, the Marine Institute and Sustainable Energy

Authority Ireland (SEAI) actively promote research and development of wave and tidal energy.

“Both wave and tidal energy have a role to play in meeting longer-term targets for electricity consumption in Europe, and initiatives have increased the capacity for both academic and commercial entities to research and develop devices,” explained Eoin Sweeney, head of the Ocean Energy Development Unit, SEAI. Since the establishment of the Galway Bay Wave Energy Test Site in 2006, the MI has worked closely with developers such as

Wavebob Ltd and Ocean Energy Ltd. During the extensive testing of quarter-scale wave energy prototypes, real -time data of wave conditions and predictive wave forecasts are available, as well as administrative and information services.

“SEAI is developing a national wave energy test site west of Belmullet to provide a location for the temporary mooring and deploymentof full-scale wave energy machines. Connected to the national grid they will be tested for their performance in generating electricity in open ocean conditions,” Eoin Sweeney outlined.

Eoin Sweeney, SEAI, discusses ocean energy with Prince Albert II of Monaco

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

19

MARINE INSTITUTE

Historic Bio-discovery Memorandum of programme Understanding outlined to Prince Albert

T

The MOU between Monaco and Ireland was signed in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney T.D. by Marine Institute CEO Dr Peter Heffernan and the Chief Executive of the Institut Océanographique of Monaco Mr Robert Calcagno

T

he Marine Institute recently welcomed His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco to its headquarters in Galway where a joint Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Institut Océanographique of Monaco.

Signed by Marine Institute CEO Dr Peter Heffernan and the Chief Executive of the Institut Océanographique of Monaco Mr Robert Calcagno, the agreement aims to foster an interchange of ideas in the areas of marine education; environmental protection; renewable ocean energy and the ecosystem approach to fisheries management.

MARINE INNOVATION Ongoing projects in some of these areas were demonstrated to Prince Albert and his party by the Marine Institute and its research partners with displays highlighting Ireland’s expertise in marine innovation involving the ocean data buoy network; climate change; SmartBay; marine energy and biodiscovery.

“It is a great honour to build a relationship with an organisation that was founded in 1910 by Prince Albert’s Great grandfather to appreciate, understand and protect the oceans.

Today, the internationally recognised Institut

Océanographique continues to educate the world about the global issues facing the sustainable development of the oceans,” remarked Dr Peter Heffernan.

“The Institut is a dynamic, determined player, actively engaged in international cooperation. This is why we are particularly pleased to start this partnership with the renowned Marine Institute in Galway. We hope to gain insights into the cutting edge technologies developed by Ireland which aim to solve the challenges of sustainably developing its vast undersea territory,” said Mr Robert Calcagno.

Progress under the Memorandum of Understanding, which will be in force for five years from the date of signing, will be monitored by Mr Calcagno and Dr Heffernan jointly with senior management in both the Marine Institute and the Institut Océanographique of Monaco.

“The development of energy from the sea is an extremely promising subject for cooperation. For proof, the Principality of Monaco obtains 17% of the country’s overall energy from the sea, by using heat pumps in particular. Single Buoy Moorings Offshore – an energy engineering company based in Monaco and working all over the world – is currently developing very innovative wave-energy conversion technology,” Mr Calcagno added.

raditionally, medicines have been derived from land-based plants and animals, mainly due to their accessibility, but as marine science advances and aquatic organisms become more and more available, many medical companies are now looking to the marine environment in search of new and novel molecules that can fight human diseases.

Through marine biodiscovery, scientists are increasingly involved in exploring the marine environment to discover new molecules, materials and processes that may be beneficial to humankind, whilst respecting the unique environment.

Ireland’s flagship biodiscovery programme under the Beaufort Marine Biodiscovery Research Programme aims to develop an overall research capacity in Ireland in five priority areas of marine research as outlined in Sea Change A Marine Knowledge, Research and Innovation Strategy for Ireland 2007-2013.

The programme involves four partners: Marine Institute; NUI-Galway (Ryan Institute for Environment, Marine and Energy Research); UCC (Marine Biotechnology Centre and Environmental Research Institute) and Queen’s University Belfast (QUB).

IN-HOUSE BIOAASSAYS During Prince Albert II of Monaco’s visit to the Marine Institute, Dr Margaret Rae showcased the work being conducted in the under the programme and explained how samples of marine specimens taken from Ireland’s coast and deep sea have been processed to discover biologically active compounds that can be used as biomaterials, biomimetics, drugs, and medical devices.

Displaying a selection of freeze-dried marine algae, sponges and coral, Dr Rae explained that laboratory takes the marine specimens supplied by NUIG researchers and processes them into extracts and then stores both bulk material and extracts in a repository.

“The extracts produced are sent to partner researchers at NUI Galway, UCC and QUB for extensive human disease bioactivity screens.

The laboratory also conducts its own in-house bioassays as well,” she added.

RICH MARINE DIVERSITY The marine environment is an extremely rich source of both biological and chemical diversity in which there are many more forms of life than occurs on land.

Internationally, scientific discoveries are leading to new drugs which either have already been approved or are in the process of being approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. These include Yondelis – an antitumour drug and Ziconitide – a neuropathic pain-blocker discovered from a Caribbean sea-squirt and a sea-cone snail respectively.

“One of the most famous marine specimens in biotechnology terms is the jelly fish, Aequorea victoria from which the revolutionary Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was

discovered,” explained Dr. Rae. “This protein is in constant use in the life sciences, enabling scientists to see structures, chemicals and watch processes inside living cells. In fact, the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to its discoverer Dr Osamu Shimomura and to the researchers Dr M. Chalfie and Dr R.Y. Shien who demonstrated the value of GFP and the understanding of how it fluoresces as well as extending the colour range beyond green,” she added.

Since the establishment of the Marine Biodiscovery Laboratory in 2009, the laboratory has doubled in size. It is now separated into a reparation/ chemical extraction suite and a bioassay suite.

“The emergence of drug resistant human diseases makes it vitally important that we find new medicines and better treatments for human diseases. From a curiositydriven perspective it is also very satisfying to work in an area that is so far virtually unexplored,” Dr Rae noted.

Dr Margaret Rae discusses marine bio-discovery with Prince Albert of Monaco and Dr. Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute.

20 INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

MARINE R&D

INFOMAR Waterford survey

Ronan O’Toole, GSI

I

NFOMAR began its 2011 survey season in Waterford, focusing near-shore mapping efforts on the River Suir and Waterford Harbour.

The RV Keary left Dun Laoghaire on April 11, transiting to Waterford where it was joined a few days later by the RV Geo. The simultaneous use of both vessels for the first time on an INFOMAR operation represented a new challenge for the survey team and also enabled an unprecedented ability to map areas that would have previously been left uncovered due to time and safety considerations.

The survey area concentrated on an area just west of Rice Bridge in Waterford City, extending south east to the mouth of Waterford Harbour.

Here, the survey ground would merge with data from a previous INFOMAR survey, giving complete coverage from inshore to offshore environments.

With the arrival of tall ships to Waterford for the stopover leg of the festival at the end of June, a detailed survey of the main shipping channel was deemed to be the priority, with outlying areas to be surveyed to normal INFOMAR standards. The channel starts near Duncannon, splits at Cheekpoint to allow traffic to progress up the River Barrow and continues up to Waterford City.

The survey area by its nature would prove itself to be challenging for data acquisition. Where the River Suir joins the River Barrow at Cheekpoint, just off the main shipping channel, the flow of both rivers is fully influenced by the tide. The resultant mixing of these water bodies is a turbulent and constantly varying water column. The survey area is also affected by strong tidal currents and conditions can quickly become marginal with adverse weather.

The container port at Belview maintains a regular stream of shipping along the main channel and due vigilance must be maintained when working in the channel especially in poor visibility.

Waterford marina provides a convenient base of operations

with good facilities nearby while the option of moving operations to Dunmore East at short notice allowed the survey team to exploit good weather windows and survey efficiently in the outer parts of Waterford Harbour.

THE SURVEY VESSELS For inshore and shallow water survey operations, INFOMAR uses the RV Keary and RV Geo for data acquisition. Both vessels are fitted out with complementary sensors that allow the survey team to effectively map up to the zero metre contour LAT, while meeting all necessary hydrographic standards.

The RV Keary is a 15.5m catamaran with a draft of just over 2m. The vessel is equipped with a dual head Kongsberg EM3002D Multibeam Echosounder which provides detailed bathymetry (depth soundings) in high resolution. The vessel’s mapping capabilities are supplemented by a SIMRAD EA400 Singlebeam Echosounder and a Chirp sub-bottom profiler which can accurately determine marine sediment thickness down to bedrock.

Navigation, heading and motion reference information is acquired using a Applanix POS-MV system, which allows positions and depths to be calculated to centimetre accuracy. The system also

allows the survey team to calculate the effects of tide using GPS, making for seamless integrated datasets fully levelled to LAT (Lowest Astronomical Tide) The vessel typically operates in to about five meters water depth depending on conditions. Data from the vessel’s multibeam echosounder is used to compile charts of depth and ground hardness which are then provided to the Admiralty to update their data for safety of navigation.

RV Geo is a 7.5 m RIB also equipped with an Applanix POS-MV system; however it carries out bathymetric surveys using a SEA SWATH interferometric mapping system. This allows for wider swath coverage in shallow water than can be achieved with a multibeam system (typically 60m coverage across in 5m water depth as opposed to 30m across in 5m with a multibeam). This makes for a safer and more efficient mapping tool for very shallow areas; however RV Geo is limited by weather conditions, crew and system endurance and deterioration in data quality with increasing depth.

Together, both vessels form a highly complementary survey unit, giving INFOMAR full capability to map into the intertidal zone, with data from both vessels managed, quality checked and processed

The River Suir in 3D from Belview Container Port to the ferry at Passage East. onboard the RV Keary. Final data processing takes place back in the GSI’s headquarters before being delivered to stakeholders and the public over the web.

METHODOLOGY The survey in Waterford introduced changes in methodologies as a result of the experience gained from the previous two seasons.

Due to the estuarine nature of the Waterford area, the survey would prove to be an ideal testing ground for new methods which saw increasing attention being paid to quality at the data acquisition stage

with a view to reducing the complexity at the processing end, which has the potential to hold up final delivery of datasets by weeks and months.

One of the major challenges for a team carrying out inshore bathymetric surveys using swath mapping systems (interferometric or multibeam) is refraction due to the speed of sound in water. Simply put, these systems calculate depths by measuring the time it takes a sound wave to travel through the water column and back (albeit hundreds of soundingsseveral times a second!) The time it takes for a sounding to travel to the seabed and back

INFOMAR sets new record in 2011

The RV Geo showing the sonar equipment retracted above the fore deck for speedy transit.

The aft deck of the RV Keary is a safe working platform for seabed sampling and towing other sonar systems.

Koen Verbruggen,

to the approaches. Operating with a crew of three and two respectively, this is the first year of operations for RV Geo and the first time it has worked in conjunction with its larger sister vessel.

GSI The INFOMAR programme got off to a hectic start of its 2011 operations and set a new record with all four Irish research vessels

in operation.

The two vessels managed by the Geological Survey of Ireland, RV Keary and RV Geo were mobilised to Waterford in April and commenced mapping the Waterford Estuary from the city

INFOMAR commenced a four-week programme on the Marine Institute managed Celtic Voyager on April 20, mobilising from Galway Bay. An initial survey was carried out to expand the Atlantic Marine

Energy Test Site off Belmullet, in conjunction with Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland. In addition to hydrographic mapping, sampling, coring, magnetometer, side-scan surveys were carried out as part of a thorough site investigation.

This site is used to evaluate the development of renewable energy devices and is one of the most energetic and challenging offshore environments in the world.

The second part of the Celtic Voyager leg continued on from last year’s mapping off Arklow in the Irish Sea While stormy weather and high seas disrupted operations, considerable progress was made and included mapping four ship wrecks, two of which were previously uncharted.

On May 10, INFOMAR

commenced a ground truthing survey on board the Celtic Explorer, Ireland’s largest research vessel. The cruise involved scientists from five Irish Universities: DCU, UCD, NUIG, NUIM and TCD, working together on core and grab samples, underwater video and geophysical data. Battling against tough conditions and high seas, the vessel worked between Dunmanus and Bantry Bays and the Porcupine Ridge, acquiring over 20 cores and 60 samples.

On May 20 both the Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer demobilised side by side in Cork city, bringing to an end a unique period in Irish marine operations when for the first time a single programme had successfully utilised every research vessel available.

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

21

MARINE R&D

Ronan O’Toole and Niall Finn quality check the data in real-time.

Visual representation of the ‘fan’ of depth readings collected by R.V. Keary during survey operations. The impact of the vessels motion, tidal conditions and position are also recorded by a suite of ancillary sensors – enabling their removal to form the recorded depths

A day in the life of R.V. Keary

The form of a wrecked trading schooner is evident in this scour formed by the strong currents in the river.

David Hardy,

to the vessel is affected by the composition of the water column as sound will travel at different speeds in freshwater and salt water.

This effect becomes more pronounced when you have a turbid mixed water column.

Soundings at the outer edge of a swath often experience refraction as a result of this.

To counter the effect, regular profiles of the speed of sound through the water column are made at key positions.

Maximum angles for soundings on the outer edge of a swath are reduced, while the level of overlap between lines is slightly increased.

By increasing the amount of Sound Velocity Profiles (SVPs) taken throughout a day of data acquisition and by focusing acquisition on small survey blocks, the team is able to significantly reduce the amount of processing necessary to bring a dataset to final delivery.

The RV Keary is a 15m aluminium catamaran, built for and operated by the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) [www. gsi.ie]. Its primary function is to provide an inshore survey capability for the national INFOMAR programme (INtegrated Mapping FOr the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s MArine Resource) [www.infomar.ie].

As a small inshore survey vessel, she normally operates with a crew of three: two serving as scientists/ deckhands, while the third is the vessel’s skipper. For extended operations, a fourth crew member serves as a relief watch officer.

The boat has two cabins with two bunks in each; a toilet/shower area and a small compact galley. Most of the internal space is dedicated to the precision depth finding equipment, high resolution GPS system, ancillary sensors and related IT infrastructure.

SURVEY OPERATIONS IN WATERFORD Survey operations in Waterford primarily focused on mapping the main river and shipping channel to IHO Special Order. Areas outside the main channel such as Queen’s Channel around Little Island were designated as RV Geo work. In the early part of the operation however, a window of calm weather allowed the vessel to operate in the outer parts of

Waterford Harbour and both vessels worked side by side out of Dunmore East. With worsening weather conditions towards the end of April, the focus moved further up the channel using Waterford Marina as a base of operations.

From here the RV Keary completed mapping the river channel to Special Order Standards (basically each area of seafloor has been sounded twice). Survey work along the banks of the Suir was also carried out by the RV Geo until deteriorating weather conditions prevented further work from being carried out between Cheekpoint and Kilcullen. Faced with several periods of weather downtime, the crew remained on standby onboard the RV Keary for training and routine maintenance.

Results have been excellent for such a challenging environment and data from both vessels have been combined to provide the seamless data. A large wreck opposite Waterford Marina is buried in the bank of a deep scour. The strong tidal currents are constantly sculpting the estuarine seabed, giving rise to swirling eddies and numerous sand banks.

The fishing harbour in Dunmore East has silted up considerably and not surprisingly, given the volumes of sediment constantly on the move.

Fish traps in the shallows of the river only emerge as the tide goes out.

GSI

INITIALISATION During normal working days, the scientific instruments are started up 30 minutes before surveying to allow time for them to initialise and reach operational state. During this time, the crew grab a brief breakfast, collect any food supplies needed and check over the engines and safety equipment.

Once all systems are operational, the vessel moves to the area to be surveyed.

Before survey operations can commence, visual checks are performed for marine mammals (dolphins, whales etc) and a ‘soft-start’ is instigated on the depth-finding equipment (the instruments are started at a low power and are gradually increased to operational levels) to ensure that no marine mammals are startled or distressed by the acoustic systems in keeping with international and national

guidelines.

Survey operations are performed by running a series of parallel track lines. While underway, the vessels scientific equipment collects a ‘fan’ of depth readings, oriented across the vessels width. The area covered is a function of water depth – normally the ‘fan’ covers approximately six times the water depth. Each set of readings provides the water depth at 508 points – with 15 sets of readings being observed every second.

3D REPRESENTATION All of these depth measurements are combined to generate a 3D representation of the seafloor. Gradually the survey area is ‘painted in’ to achieve 100% coverage of the seafloor, with adequate overlap allowing identification of shoals, wrecks or other features in an area.

In addition to collecting depth readings, the systems identify composition and relative hardness of the seafloor. This additional information assists in geological mapping, habitat assessments and fisheries research.

During survey operations, one crewmember is responsible for safe pilotage of the vessel and serves as the skipper. A second crewmember operates the ‘real-time’ collection of data, and assesses the quality and extent and makes any necessary adjustments. This person also assists the skipper primarily by keeping a lookout for fishing gear. If marine mammals are spotted they are recorded and forwarded to the relevant authorities.

The third crewmember processes the data. The depth readings acquired must be corrected for a range of factors; the vessel’s motion and positioning; local variations in water temperature and salinity; the influence of tides; erroneous readings etc before a 3D surface or chart can be created . This processing is

quite lengthy but is started onboard so that any errors can be identified and corrected. As this work does not need to be done in real-time, this person is free to prepare meals and generally maintain the vessel.

SEABED SAMPLES On suitable days a break from ‘painting in’ a survey area can be spent taking physical samples of the seabed with equipment deployed from the vessels A-frame. Side Scan Sonar equipment can also be utilised to image wrecks or shoals to determine if there are any masts that can be

missed by the echo-sounder equipment. Occasionally a small ROV is used to inspect the seabed or objects detected by the sonar.

Under ideal conditions, survey operations would cover 10 hours per day and a further two hours for preparation, system start-up/shutdown and vessel maintenance. When working in shallow, near-shore waters, however, weather and tidal conditions might call for a shorter day. At the end of each survey day, the data is backed up to the onboard computer system as the vessel returns ashore.

22

INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Inshore Ireland is a marine and freshwater bi-monthly newspaper produced by Gillian Mills and Gery Flynn and is available six times a year in newsagents throughout the island of Ireland (11,000 copies circulated in the RoI and NI). In news, feature and advertorial format, Inshore Ireland reports from the coastal rim and inland waterways under the headings:

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INSHORE IRELAND June/July 2011

23

COASTLINE NEWS

Comhdháil Oileáin A chance to win a week sailing na hÉireann to around the Greek isles hold AGM on Clare Island Wendy Scott

Rhoda Twombly, CoE

T

he AGM of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann will take place on Clare Island, Co Mayo on June 10-11. In conjunction with the AGM will be presentations and discussions on farming, grant aid, the Aran/Burren project and other topics of interest to islanders.

Discussions and presentations by members of the IFA on the Friday night will be of particular interest to island farmers. Tom Turley (chairman of the IFA Rural Development Committee); Gerry Gunning (executive secretary of the Rural Development Committee); Tom Fadian (chairman of the Hill Farming Committee) and Martin Gavin (chairman of the Mayo Sheep farming Committee) will meet with island farmers to discuss possible solutions to problems particular to them; funding issues, alternative farming methods and other issues.

On the Saturday, Cliona O’Brien, wildlife officer with the Heritage Council, will give a presentation on the Aran

Island/Burren Project with a view to exploring the extension of this project to other islands.

Representatives of CoE will then give presentations on grant-aid available under the Rural Development Programme, 2007-2013.

Majella Ni Chriochain will discuss the possibilities of diversification into nonagricultural activities for farm families; Máire Uí Mhaoláin will outline grant appropriate projects aimed at conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage and Mary Lavelle will discuss the programme’s measures that seek to promote tourism.

Minister Dinny McGinley of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (or a departmental representative to be confirmed) will address the gathering. A question and answer session to follow will be a unique opportunity for islanders to directly question the minister on issues relevant to island life.

The Q&A session will be followed by the AGM of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann.

This is an open meeting and islanders are encouraged to attend.

I

n these times of austerity, fledgling companies have to think outside the box to compete for business and three young entrepreneurs have done just that: by working together they have added value to their individual brands. Sailing Jollies (www.sailingjollies.co.uk) offers a variety of sailing experiences: bareboat and skippered charters, milebuilders, deliveries, RYA courses and racing; Omegasail a family-run luxury yacht charter company based in Greece (www.omegasail.com) and Totally Sporty (www. totallysporty.com) who provides sports activity solutions for like-minded people.

To promote their joint venture, they ran a competition for a week sailing around the Greek islands on board an Omegasail 51ft Bavaria yacht, skippered by Richard Rowe of Sailing Jollies.

Four winners were selected who in turn brought a partner and Inshore Ireland was also invited to join. On board were two Americans; four English; one Scottish, two Irish and a Malaysian Prince! The crew was of mixed sailing abilities;

some had never sailed, others had sailed a bit; however Richard’s instruction and patience soon had everyone at ease.

The week began in the Port of Gouvia on the island of Corfu and continued around the islands in the Ionian Sea, visiting small bays and ports to swim in the aqua green water, sight-see or moor up to sample the local food. Despite it being early in the season, the locals were glad to see us and offered great hospitality. The weather was fantastic, the group amazing and as they say in Ireland ‘the craic was mighty’!

The overwhelming opinion from the crew was that they would definitely recommend any of the companies as their service from start to finish was impeccable.

As Inshore Ireland reported previously, the start of the next Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2011/12 (www. clipperroundtheworld.com) begins on the July 31. Not only is the race coming to Derry/ Londonderry in 2012, but a vessel of the same name will be heading off around the world championing the city as the first UK City of Culture, 2013.

To celebrate, Inshore Ireland in association with Ocean Event Management (www. oceaneventmanagement. com); Sailing Jollies (www. sailingjollies.co.uk) and Omegasail (www.omegasail.

Ballybunion to host a celebration of seafood

T

here’s an energy emanating from the town of Ballybunion on the north Kerry coast as business owners gather to discuss the next step to bring a plan they have been hatching to fruition. So what is this plan?

Well really it’s quite simple: all of the food service businesses have come to together to achieve a common goal that will benefit the entire town rather than the individual business; in accounting, the term is synergy – a mathematical equation where two plus two equals five.

And the goal – the Ballybunion Seafood Celebration, June 17-19.

Business is tough in the food service sector these days and can lead to price wars, undercutting and poaching of business ideas, customers – any tactic to survive and maintain

market share. Ballybunion however has chosen a more pro-active, positive approach.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, Jimmy Deenihane, considers Ballybunion his spiritual home, and has given his time to chair meetings and to keep the Ballybunion Seafood Celebration 2011 on a forward trajectory.

He has brought people together with a promise of nothing more than making this event a success and creating pride to his hometown.

Three different food service outlets were identified: Fast food outlets: Seafood options from sustainable sources All day dining: Along with the regular daily menu, a specifically designed seafood celebration menu will be on offer in each of the establishments Evening offering: 80%

of the seafood on offer in each establishment will be from sustainable stocks and landed locally Other activities (subject to change/confirmation) Saturday seafood market: suppliers of seafood to SuperValu are going to engage and support this event through a promotion or demonstration of how to prepare tasty seafood at home as well as in the foodservice outlets Saturday and Sunday: educational ‘Fishy tails’ supported by Dingle Aquarium.

A unique opportunity for children to learn about fishing (fish being land, talks, look at different species). Also on Saturday, fishermen will land lobster pots and salmon to the Cashen shore. Cookery demonstrations for children are also planned at the Ballybunion Leisure centre

Sea angling, sea swim and golf events organised by local businesses to help promote and expand the reach of the Ballybunion Seafood Celebration 2011.

Further details on Facebook: destinationballybunion, or read about the various activities in on www.Ballybunionnews.ie

co.uk) are giving you the chance to win a berth on a luxury yacht, sailing around the Greek Islands. During the week, the winner and other guests will have the chance to learn how to sail, or improve their skills in a fun, relaxed environment. Previous sailing experience is not necessary, as a fully qualified skipper from Sailing Jollies will be at the helm.

For your chance to win, answer the following question: What was the name of the yacht in which Sir Robin Knox-Johnston completed

the first ever non-stop solo circumnavigation of the globe in 1969.

Send your answers to sean@ oceaneventmanagement.com before 4pm on Friday July 1 2011.

The prize does not include flights, (low cost airlines fly to Corfu) food or other incidentals which will be confirmed beforehand.

Certain dates apply and will be confirmed when winner is announced. The prize is not transferable nor can it be exchanged for its monetary equivalent.

Good Luck!

Sun downers after a day’s tuition of learning to sail

Seascapes is broadcasting LIVE from Tall Ships Waterford on Friday July 1 to coincide with the visit of these magnificent craft to the city with a distinguished maritime heritage dating from the Vikings.

Seascapes will be on Merchants Quay with other RTÉ Radio programming coming from the location.

You can see the image of Ireland’s Tall Ships which is available as a postcard from Seascapes, the image was taken by Dave Osborn and is reproduced by kind permission of the JFK Trust in New Ross.

On July 8 on Seascapes we bring together the entire series of profiles by Michael Smith of Ireland’s Forgotten Explorers featuring Edward Bransfield; Francis Crozier; Patsy Keohane; Robert Forde; Tim and Mortimer McCarthy from Kinsale.

Seascapes will also be at the Topper World Sailing Championships at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire with a full report on Friday July 22.

Seascapes is broadcast every Friday night on RTÉ Radio 1 @ 10.30pm and on the digital service RTÉ Choice @ 12.30 every Saturday and is repeated on RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday mornings @ 5.02am.

Presented and Produced by Marcus Connaughton.

Photo Sean Cullen, GSI

News from the coast and inlan

d waterways

RE-LAUNCHING IN BRAND NEW FORMAT

ON JULY 30

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