Coastal communities to be ‘empowered’ by new structural aid programmeGillian Mills

A “new departure” for structural aid specifically aimed at fisheries

areas was unveiled to stakeholders in marine, maritime and fisheries industries at a launch in Dublin earlier this month.

Axis 4 – Sustainable Development of Fishery Dependent Areas Programme – is an ‘area-based approach’ introduced by the European Fisheries Fund (EEF) which reflects the complex and rapidly changing forces affecting fisheries areas and communities.

Central to the ‘area-based approach’ is the argument that the EU must be able to provide accompanying measures in conjunction with converting areas affected by the restructuring of the fisheries sector.

Axis 4 provides the EEF with such measures while the ‘area-based approach’ means that solutions can be adapted to the different situations and problems that exist in different parts.

The programme will be delivered as part of the National Development Plan and the EEF. Fisheries Local Action Groups or FLAGs will be established in each region to deliver a strategy for their own area on a devolved basis.

LocaL governance“In essence, Axis 4 aims

to empower local fishing communities to use the valuable resource of fishing and aquaculture to create new and sustainable sources of income,” remarked Michael Keatinge, Fisheries Development Manager of BIM – the Implementing Authority for the EEF in Ireland.

Outlining the programme to stakeholders, Keatinge said that projects must have a clearly identifiable marine connection or provide a specific benefit to a fishing region. In many cases, beneficiaries will be required to be either workers in the fisheries sector or persons with a job linked to the sector.

The €2.5m package to 2015 comprises public and private investment. A concern from

the floor said this figure was very small and would not go far amongst the number of projects likely to emerge.

It was explained that under the next EEF post 2015, Axis 4 would continue in another format and that this was just the beginning.

BackgroundUnder Axis 4, the territorial

development approach fundamentally changes the

way in which local areas, partnerships and strategies are perceived and defined.

“It is no longer enough merely to start from fixed administrative boundaries, to consider the needs or problems in deficit terms or to look for someone (usually an outside agency) to fill the gap by distributing public funds. The cycle has to start with a positive vision and strategy for what the area could become.”

Keatinge added that fishing and aquaculture were the “lifeblood of many coastal communities” and that this programme “will provide the tools and resources for local people – who best understand both the problems and aspirations of their own community – to develop solutions to meet their future needs.”

» page 2

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A fine haul of herring alongside mfv Vigilant. The June Council of Fisheries Ministers agreed a landing obligation of all vessels for all quota species, beginning with pelagic fisheries in January 2014. (Story Page 4) Photo John Cunningham

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» from page 1

To allay concerns expressed from the floor, of too many agencies and a lack of joined-up thinking, Keatinge said that the process by its very nature “must be a cross-check amongst agencies and that synergies would emerge beyond traditional ways of operating”.

Whilst acknowledging a similarity with other initiatives such as LEADER, which provides rural communities with a method for involving partners to steer development in their area, the aim of

Axis 4 is to enable fisheries communities to create new and sustainable sources of income and to improve their quality of life.

Ending on a strong note Michael Keatinge stressed that design and implementation of Axis 4 would be as “decentralised as possible” and coordinated by a partnership of public, private and community sectors that have come together to form a FLAG.

“Boundaries will be decided by local communities – not bureaucrats in Dublin,” he said.

John Hickey, BIM FLAG coordinator; Susan Grieve, FARNET(Fisheries Area Network) Geographic Expert for UK & Ireland; Michael Keatinge, BIM Fisheries Development Manager and Seamus Breathnach, BIM FLAG coordinator

BIM FLAG coordinators: Huan Tan (south); Seamus Breathnach (west); Owen Doyle (north), Vera O’Donovan (southwest); Declan Nee (northwest) and John Hickey (east and southeast)

FLAG reGions: North-East (Omeath to Lough Shinny)South-East (Greystones to river at Youghal)South-West (the river at Youghal to Foynes)West (Kilimer to Leenane)North-West (Killary to Easkey)North (Ballyshannon to Muff). Each FLAG will comprise a mix of representatives from State organisations, fishing and marine groups. To qualify for funding, projects must satisfy specific criteria. For example, projects must be based in coastal areas with a population not greater than 15,000 and must be located within 10km of the sea. Once operational, each FLAG will formulate a local development strategy that identifies suitable projects requiring financial or expert assistance. A call will then issue for projects from individuals and local communities.Typical projects will be drawn from the following: »» small-scale fisheries and tourism infrastructure»» skills transfer, particularly, training and up skilling of

fishermen»» diversification into marine eco tourism»» promoting the consumption of sea food»» adding value to local/artisanal fisheries

To facilitate the process a National Implementation Board has been established whose role is to inform the Implementing Authority (BIM) and to ensure consistent implementation of Axis 4.

The first meeting of FLAGs in the west and southeast are due to be held at the end of June.

CentrAL objeCtives »» maintaining economic and social prosperity by

adding value to fisheries and aquaculture sectors

»» retaining and creating employment by supporting diversification, and

»» restructuring areas facing socio-economic difficulties as a direct result of changes in the fisheries sector.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION (Written)

BIM “Responsibly Sourced” Standard for Wild Seafood

BIM has developed a best practice standard for wild seafood, in association with the Irish fishing industry and other interest groups. The standard has been developed in accord-

ance with the internationally recognised accreditation standard, ISO 65 and international, standard-setting guidelines and is part of BIM’s Quality Seafood Programme.

The standard is currently available to Irish fish producers and onshore operators and is a third-party certification of defined levels of quality and traceability of seafood products and

responsible actions which contribute to the sustainable management of fish stocks.

As standard owners, BIM announces a public consultation on all aspects of the standard documents, which are available on the BIM website (www.bim.ie).

The consultation aims to collect comments, ideas and contributions, in written form, in order to shape proposals on the future development of the standard. The period of consultation

will begin on the date of publication of this notice and will end on 31st July 2012.

Written comments, ideas and all other contribution should be sent by post to:

Standard Consultation, BIM, P.O. Box 12, Crofton Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, Ireland.

or by email to: standard@bim.ie

Gery FlynnFeatures Editor

Since Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan announced in April that a new,

independent State-owned company - Irish Water - would take over the provision and supply of water from the country’s 34 local authorities, he appears to be avoiding any further detailed involvement in the often highly-charged debate on domestic water charges and metering.

And apart from declaring early on that there would be no upfront charges for householders when the installation of water meters begins later this year, the minister now seems content to leave it to the Commission for Energy Regulation to devise a funding model.

It would seem therefore that the complex and often controversial challenges surrounding fair and equitable water governance might at last be overcome.

Far from it! In fairness however after just

over a year in office, the Fine Gael-Labour coalition would appear to be addressing the wider issue of water service provision - which is more than any of its predecessors in government did in the past twenty.

The fear now is that with an eye to the next general election they will take a backseat, content to let Irish Water take the flak from an increasingly angry tax-paying electorate.

Minister Hogan needs to keep a dialogue going with the public, and through a public awareness campaign he must show where the money on water services is being spent, and why.

The abolition in 1996 of domestic water and sewerage

charges by a government cynically looking for electoral advantage was inevitably popular. The result however has been a chronic under-investment in services which has left us with a crumbling distribution network that loses at least 40% of its water en route from reservoir to household.

Worse still is that a generation has grown up in the meantime believing that unlike other utilities such as gas and electricity, which are charged on a pay-per-use basis, a sustainable water service should be paid for from general taxation.

How many of us ever consider why Ireland should be so fortunate to be the only OECD country whose citizens do not have to pay for water use - despite the fact that usage here per head is amongst the highest in Europe?

During Dáil debates and media skirmishes that accompanied Minister Hogan’s announcement, the ‘elephant in the room’ is

our obligation to the Water Framework Directive – and it’s here that Minister Hogan should kick-start his public dialogue.

By transposing the WFD into Irish law in 2000, Ireland committed itself to a legal requirement to carry out a far-reaching economic analysis within each of the River Basin Districts under its jurisdiction. Included in this is the obligation to apply the principle of recovering water service costs under the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

The exemption that Ireland applied for and was granted since then has effectively allowed successive governments - for purely selfish political self-interest - to long-finger the introduction of domestic water charges.

The WFD is the roadmap for water governance Europe-wide for the next generation. The truth is, when it comes to water, there really is no such thing as a free lunch.

commen

tWater Framework Directive the ‘elephant in the room’ when it comes to implementing realistic domestic water charges

inshore ireland June/July 2012 3

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Inshore Ireland is published by IIP Ltd

EditorGillian Millsmills@inshore-ireland.com01 235 4804

Features EditorGery Flynnflynn@inshore-ireland.com091 844822

AdvertisingGillian MillsGery Flynn

DesignDurgan Mediainfo@durganmedia.ie074 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.

Ireland’s President attends memorial ceremony for Leading Seaman Michael Quinn

Attending the ceremony on May 27, President Higgins said he

was “honoured” to unveil the memorial plaque to Leading Seaman Michael Quinn who “selflessly gave his life while trying to save the lives of others” 22 years ago.

Leading Seaman Michael Quinn was from Ship Street in Drogheda. He was known for his “excellent knowledge of seamanship, and his small boat handling skills were exceptional. He was one of the most experienced Gemini

coxswains onboard L.E. Deirdre,” President Higgins remarked.

At 2100hrs on the night of January 30, 1990, L.E. Deirdre responded to a MAYDAY by Spanish Fishing Vessel Gardotza which had run aground on rocks off Roan Carrigmore light house to the Northeast of Bere Island in Bantry Bay.

LE Deirdre was at anchor in Lawrence Cove between Bere Island and the mainland and made for the last reported location of the fishing vessel. Just after 2200 hrs LE Deirdre launched an inflatable dinghy

including Leading Seaman Michael Quinn and Able Seaman Paul Kellett in an attempt to rescue the 16 crew.

Weather conditions were extremely poor and it was agreed to abort the attempted rescue by dinghy as it would be impossible. (The Spanish crew were later rescued by an RAF helicopter).Tragically, when trying to return to LE Deirdre, the dinghy was hit by a 40ft wave. Paul Kellett safely reached the LE Deirdre but tragically Michael Quinn’s body was washed ashore the following morning.

Leading Seaman Michael Quinn (posthumously) and Able Seaman Paul Kellett both received Distinguished Service Medals for their efforts that night. The Spanish Authorities also recognised their bravery by awarding both with the ‘Cross of Naval Merit’.

“It is fitting that this memorial should be located in Michael’s home town of Drogheda; a town with a fine seafaring tradition. The people of Drogheda can be proud of Leading Seaman Michael Quinn, for who he was and for his courageous act,” President Higgins noted.

Reopening of Old Mariner’s Church marked by President Higgins

Following extensive and painstaking restoration, the old Mariners Church and home to the National Maritime Museum of Ireland in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, has reopened to the public after a closure of

more than four years.State and private funding of approximately €4m went into project

which was carried out under the supervision of the Office of Public Works.

Officially opening the refurbished 1836 building, President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the late maritime historian Dr John de Courcy Ireland who in 1950s began the important work of gathering maritime artefacts to record and promote Ireland’s maritime history. The President also recognised ‘stalwarts’ of the museum, the late Dr Philip Smyly and Robbie Brennan.

Former museum president Desmond Branigan now in his mid 90s was recognised by the current president, Peadar Ward, for his major involvement in securing State funding.

Exhibitions include: the sinking of the RMS Leinster; how Captain Halpin and The Great Eastern Ship laid the communications cable from Ireland to America; the Titanic disaster; Reconstructed Marconi Communications Room (highlighting the first ever wireless broadcast in 1898); Maritime paintings and artefacts; Video presentations (John Holland, designer of the first submarine; Admiral Brown, founder of the Argentine Navy and John Barry (Wexford) first Commander in Chief, US Navy; Ireland’s maritime wildlife and display garden (to follow). Further details on opening times etc go to www.mariner.ie

Photo J ashmore

Photo tony Healy

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Fisheries Council agrees all-species landing, starting with pelagics in January 2014Gillian Mills

An agreement by the Council of Fisheries Ministers to

a landing obligation of all fishing vessels for all quota species beginning with pelagic fisheries from January 1, 2014, has been described as a “flawed approach” by the Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) as a method to address the complex issue of fish discards.

“This approach is impractical and unworkable,” remarked their chief executive Eibhlín O’Sullivan who added there was agreement throughout the European-wide fishing industry that discarding needed to be reduced “to the lowest level possible”.

AvoIDANCe ApproAChMs O’Sullivan said that the

industry had long advocated

an approach of avoiding discards “in the first instance” by implementing temporary closures in areas where there are large amounts of juveniles and by gradually implementing increasingly selective technical measures and offering incentives to fishermen to adopt these.

“Instead of adopting this effective and practical approach, the Council has bowed to media pressure to implement an outright ban which is both unworkable and unenforceable.”

The chief executive said fishermen were “more than aware” of the importance of eliminating discards.

“We have developed and implemented a number of measures to reduce discards in both whitefish and pelagic fisheries.”

prACtICAL soLutIoNsWhile there is general political

agreement on the overall objective of gradually eliminating discards, Ireland’s marine

minister Simon Coveney said the issue that must be resolved is how to achieve a new policy that involves arrangements that are practical from a fisherman’s perspective.

“In order to find solutions I have tabled a new approach that takes into account the real practical difficulties…of changing practices, economic impacts and other constraints that impact fishermen in mixed fisheries.”

He outlined these to be incentivising changes in fishing behaviour, reducing catches of juvenile fish and allowing fish stocks to grow over a set period.

“I believe this approach stands the best chance of getting ‘buy-in’ from fishermen and in this way effectively delivering more environmentally friendly fishing practices and sustainable fisheries”.

He added that the proposal involves delivering a progressive and phased approach to the obligation to land all catches of quota stocks in a mixed fishery context.

The Fisheries Council also focussed on ironing out outstanding political issues in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) reform package with the aim of achieving a General Council Approach in advance of future talks with the European Parliament.

EU fisheries ministers quash proposed privitisation of fish quotas Gillian Mills

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney has welcomed the Danish Presidency proposal allowing each Member State to implement its own

management arrangement for fish quotas.EU fisheries ministers recently gathered in Luxembourg to

reach a political agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a system of mandatory transferable fishing rights (concessions) which form a central piece in the proposed reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.

Ireland strongly opposes this proposal to privatise national fish quotas and thus opening up free trade on the open market.

“Protecting Ireland’s fishing resources and fishing industry is my top priority. Privatising fish quotas would have been a serious threat to the economic survival of our coastal communities. If fish quotas were traded on the open market they could be bought by international corporations and would no longer be landed into Ireland. This would directly threaten economic activity in our main fishing ports with the loss of jobs, not only in the fleet but also in the vital fish processing sector,” he said.

Minister Coveney added he has “argued consistently that MS should be allowed to determine their own management arrangements for their own particular circumstances.

“In Ireland, fish quotas are a State-owned national asset and can be used to the benefit of our coastal communities and family-owned fishing fleet.”

Widespread supportOCEAN2012* supports Irish opposition to the Commission

proposal for mandatory transferrable fishing concessions (TFCs). “TFCs are neither a conservation tool nor an effective tool

for fleet management. They are only one, very specific, market-based type of allocation scheme. While they can lead to a decrease in the number of active fishing vessels, they are a blunt instrument that does not, on its own, ensure that the remaining fleet operates in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner.

Instead of being obliged to use only one tool, Member States should be able to choose from a range of schemes to meet the specific challenges of individual fisheries on regional levels,” Mike Pew told Inshore Ireland.

The NGOs contends that to prevent overfishing, it is necessary that fishing limits do not exceed scientific advice, so as to restore and maintain populations of harvested species above levels which can produce the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) no later than 2015 where biologically possible.

“For those stocks where this is not possible for biological reasons, fishing pressure has to be reduced immediately to below levels that will restore stocks to levels that can produce MSY. To promote sustainable fishing, environmental and social criteria, awarding those fishing in a way that delivers the best value to society, should be introduced as the basis for allocation of access to resources. This is the best way for the Minister to ensure the social viability of the sector, by incentivising those who fish in the most sustainable ways.

O’Neill in fisheries reform talksAttending the Council talks, Northern Ireland’s Fisheries Minister, Michelle O’Neill, particularly noted discussions on Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) and the priorities for financial assistance under the future European Marine and Fisheries Fund. “Flexibility in needed in each of these areas, and I am particularly concerned that these objectives must be met by 2015 in a mixed fishery like the Irish Sea.”“She added she was “relieved” the Commission had now recognised it will not be possible to move all stocks to the MSY level at the same pace. “In the Irish Sea we will need to gather more data to better understand the measures required to achieve sustainability for all stocks, and the impacts that these measures may have on our fishing fleet. “I also welcome the proposal from the Danish Presidency to allow more flexibility for Member States to manage their own fish quotas. We operate a well established system, and flexibility is necessary so that existing arrangements can be respected.”Reform of the CFP is expected to be concluded during the Irish Presidency in the first six months of 2013.

*OCEAN2012 is an alliance of organisations dedicated to transforming European fisheries policy to ‘stop overfishing, end destructive fishing practices and deliver fair and equitable use of healthy fish stocks’. Irish representation includes An Taisce, BirdWatch Ireland, Coastwatch, Dingle Ocenworld, Donegal Island Fishermen, Galway Atlantaquaria, Irish Bass, Irish Kayak Angling Club, the Irish Seal Sanctuary, Irish Wildlife Trust, Liffey Sound FM, National Sea Life Centre Bray, North West Traditional Fishermen, Scubadive West, Smart Taxes and Vincent Hyland Learning.

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Looking to the United States for innovation and cluster development initiatives

Dr Valerie Cummins has returned to Ireland following a seven-week

programme in the U.S. to investigate ways to improve the maritime economy of Ireland. Dr Cummins was sponsored by the prestigious U.S. Eisenhower Fellowships programme, chaired by General Colin L. Powell, U.S.A (Ret).

An expert in maritime development, coastal zone management, and sustainability science, Dr Cummins directs IMERC – the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster. IMERC unites Ireland’s largest maritime institutions – University College Cork; the Cork Institute of Technology, (including the National Maritime College of Ireland) and the Irish Naval Service – to establish Ireland as a leader in marine energy and maritime industries.

SCIEnCE/tEChnoLoGy moDELS

While on fellowship, Dr Cummins examined models of successful science and technology clusters; developed and strengthened strategic alliances between the marine renewable energy research and industry sectors in Ireland and the U.S., and explored Federal and State approaches to coastal zone management and maritime spatial planning.

Fortuitously, Dr Cummins’ fellowship coincided with two key conferences: Global Marine Renewable Energy Conference – an international event convened annually by the Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition which draws on sector leaders from around the world. In addition to facilitating a panel and presenting two posters, Dr Cummins engaged in events with the Ambassador of Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland’s ICT and Energy Policy director, and engage with key global leaders. Dr Cummins also participated in the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Offshore Energy Knowledge Exchange Workshop organised by the Department of the Interior.

Dr Cummins’ Fellowship travels took her to many coastal areas, site visits and meetings across 11 States, resulting in MOU.S. now under development with the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Centre in Washington State and Florida Atlantic University’s

Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Centre.

She also had opportunities to meet with industry leaders at the cutting edge of hydrokinetic energy; maritime and ICT development, including Schlumberger’s Liquid Robotics, Microsoft’s Layerscope, and EMC’s Innovation Networks.

WhItEhoUSE hIGhLIGhtSAmong the many

programme highlights, of particular interest to Dr Cummins included meetings with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH) and Former Senator Tim Wirth (D-CO). She also met with former Senator Christie Todd Whitman (R-NJ) and State Senator Kevin Ranker (D-WA).

Dr Cummins is now working on hosting a high-level meeting with representatives of the U.S. Department of State to IMERC this autumn, and a bilateral agreement with the Washington State Governor.

Policy outcomes will include a paper by Dr Cummins on marine renewable energy to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind and Water Power Program; a follow-up visit to Cork will be organised with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Policy Director.

Innovation and cluster development was a major fellowship theme for Dr Cummins, involving discussions with U.S. Department of Commerce experts to learn about drivers for regional innovation. Her meetings on this theme generated many ideas for “developing IMERC’s expertise in the areas of technological interfacing coupled with investments and marketing, and developing tools for commercialisation cycles within an innovation ecosystem.”

GLobAL nEtWoRkInGConcluding, Dr Cummins

said the experience “informed the development of an evolved personal worldview about global change, where power and influence lie, and the roles of government, industry, and civil society.”

She noted that that the EF MNP was a “transformational experience at personal level, providing exposure to a new network of friends and colleagues

and ability to open doors at new and exciting levels of influence.

“The experience will undoubtedly have institutional and developmental consequences for IMERC. I anticipate that outcomes from research and industry will result in new ideas, innovation, and job creation of national significance for Ireland.”

bACkGRoUnDEisenhower Fellowship

identifies, empowers and links outstanding leaders from around the world, helping them to achieve consequential outcomes across sectors and borders. EF provides a transformational experience leading to lifetime engagement in a global network, where dialogue and collaboration make the world more prosperous, just and peaceful.

Eisenhower fellows spend two months in the United States to pursue an individually-designed programme in their field of interest. The programme, customised to meet the goals of the Eisenhower fellow, includes meeting with experts and leaders in the Fellow’s field, and general includes cultural site visits and hospitality.

Eisenhower Fellowships is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organisation seeking to foster

international understanding and leadership through exchange of information, ideas and perspectives among emerging leaders throughout the world.

Established in 1953 as a birthday tribute to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the organisation has sponsored more than 1,900 Fellows from 108 countries.

Dr Valerie Cummins with General Colin Powell

‘Our Ocean Wealth’ - Thank You for Your Views

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, and the Marine Coordination Group would like to express their gratitude to all those who took the time to engage with and contribute to the consultation process.

A total of 191 submissions were received and over 4,000 visits to the website were made during the consultation period.

a summary of tHe Breakdown of resPondents is BeLow: » Government / State Organisations: 21 » NGOs: 5 » Private Individuals: 106 » Local Community Groups: 8 » Industry: 21 » Industry/ Trade & Professional

organisations: 17 » Higher Education Institutions /

Research Consortia: 11 » Political Organisations /

representatives: 2Taking your views on board, the Marine Coordination Group is

currently drafting “Actions that will deliver an Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland”.

The objective of the actions will be to move from generating only 1.2% of our GDP from the ocean resources, to get the environment right for investment and use the potential of our marine economy to create jobs in a sustainable manner.

The Plan is due to be launched at the end of July.

YOURVIEW6 inshore ireland June/July 2012

Management of the water environment must not be forgotten in the drive to set up Irish WaterSinead O’Brien, SWAN

In April this year the government announced plans to establish a new public

water utility, Irish Water, which will gradually take over responsibility for drinking water and waste-water services from local authorities between now and 2017.

There’s been significant political impetus behind Irish Water since it was included in Fine Gael’s pre-election Programme for Government in 2011. As part of the establishment of this new semi-State company, water charging will be introduced. Homes will be charged for the cost of providing drinking water and removal of waste through the sewerage system.

Despite public misgivings about water charging, there is broad agreement that the proposed restructuring of currently fragmented water services to provide an efficient, streamlined water system is badly needed. What is missing from this picture of water sector reform however is protection of the wider water environment.

Water services are only part of a much bigger catchment-based water cycle which the government appears to be neglecting in the drive to get Irish Water up and running. Drinking water is drawn from the environment – either from surface water or groundwater – and wastewater eventually ends up back in the environment, through discharges from

sewage treatment plants into rivers and bays. The integrated water services management approach proposed for Irish Water will only work in tandem with an equally integrated system of managing, at river basin level, the full range of pressures on our rivers, lakes, bays and groundwater.

This lack of political interest in the protection of our inland and coastal waters is of serious concern to the Sustainable Water Network of Irish environmental organisations, particularly given commitments to manage and protect them, set out in River Basin Management Plans published in 2010.

EU law requires that these plans be implemented so as to achieve ‘good status’ of our waters by 2015 (or by 2027 with exemptions). These have been in place now for two years and there is little indication that much is being done to implement them.

Since 2010, there has been general agreement at official level that for the Plans to be delivered successfully, a restructuring of the currently fragmented system of water management is urgently needed.

Due to the diversion of political interest to establishing Irish Water however, the necessary reform of, and funding for, wider catchment management has been sidelined, resulting in long delays in implementation.

SWAN is urging political support for reform to address this debilitating lack of coordination between government agencies and Departments. Resulting

integrated structures must have a clear river basin remit and be provided with the resources and statutory power to coordinate, oversee and enforce implementation across all relevant public bodies.

Whatever funding model is decided upon for Irish Water, it is vital that the necessary resources are allocated to implement river basin management plans and for the protection and management of our natural rivers, lakes, bays and ground water.

These are the sources of our drinking water and the final recipients of our waste. They are the ‘bigger picture’ which must not be forgotten in the months ahead as the finer detail of Irish Water establishment is finalised.

Well managed they provide clean, healthy water for people, industry and nature; they support livelihoods and provide enjoyment and recreation for local communities and for many thousands of visitors every year. The same level of political will demonstrated in relation to Irish Water must now be targeted at wider river basin management if these benefits are to be realised.

the sustainable Water network (SWAN) is an umbrella network of twenty-five of Ireland’s leading environmental groups working together to protect Ireland’s waters by participating in the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Ireland.

Do new harbour charges threaten growth in marine leisure sector?David Branigan

The statutory instrument enabling the Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates & Charges) Order 2012 has still to be signed into law by Simon Coveney, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries

& Marine.A wide range of charges were provided for under the Order,

and the inclusion of fees for marine leisure activities attracted a strong response from the Irish Marine Federation which is concerned that development of the sector might be adversely affected.

The fees only affect a small number of the State controlled ports that have facilities for leisure boats; other marinas around the coast are operated under private or county council management.

The IMF submission highlights a number of concerns including the apparent dichotomy between developing marine leisure tourism and the charges that are significantly higher than previous charges enacted in 2003.

Waste disposal charges are included in the draft Order but these are already in wide use around the coast; however, charges for water consumption threaten to add considerably to annual costs for boat owners.

Nor are cost increases limited to permanent berth-holders. The IMF estimates that overnight stays could treble to around €75 per night under the new regime, effectively forcing leisure users to look elsewhere.

According to the submission that is understood to be under active consideration by the department, should the proposed Order come into force, leisure traffic would be effectively excluded from fishery ports entirely.

Concerns that the proposed charges will act as a base for other marina operators to follow appear to be baseless – at least in the current economic climate.

There is spare capacity at marinas around the coast from Cork to Dublin with prime locations still commanding premium rates that are close to double for more rural facilities.

Yet even the higher prices are still below average compared to many of the neighbouring UK marinas, and plans are underway to attract British boat-owners to base themselves in Ireland and to commute to their boats here.

Allowing the market to dictate prices for berths and services is the preferred pricing policy in Ireland; competition is strong between the various operators seeking precious business in the tough business environment at present.

But maintaining a chain of marina options around the coast has been a critical component of developing the sector for more than ten years, and excluding State operated facilities because of higher charges runs contrary to stated tourism policy in many regions, notably Cork.

Where responsibility for marine leisure tourism actually lies, whether between the Department of Transport, Sport & Tourism or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine should hopefully be clearer following publication of the government’s comprehensive Marine Strategic Plan later this summer.

Dingle Harbour is one of the five Fishery Harbour Centres that will be impacted by the increases. Photo G Mills

YOURVIEW inshore ireland June/July 2012 7

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.

As Lough Corrib degrades, who supervises the supervisors?Roderick O’Sullivan

think Lough Corrib is a sea of tranquil beauty? think again. Did

you know that a sizeable percentage of Galway and Mayo’s agricultural wastes and slurries flow into it via its vast web of over-ground and subterranean waterways? or that the lake receives sewage from distant Ballyhaunis, tuam and from neighbouring headford, Moycullen and Claregalway?

Sewage from Ballinrobe and Claremorris also transits Lough Mask into the lough. Many of the catchment’s sewage-treatment-plants are antiquated, spewing pathogenic organisms (Cryptosporidium, Salmonella, E. coli etc) into the lake while bacteria-rich sewage-sludge spread on neighbouring land similarly

percolates into Corrib. This same lake supplies Galway and Tuam’s drinking water.

IrrevoCABLe DAMAGeThese pollutants have degraded

much of the infrastructure on which Lough Corrib’s status as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) depends. Sandy bays silted; weeds proliferating; aquatic-life obliterated. Many parts of the lake are irrevocably damaged.

Responsibility for Lough Corrib is a right old ragbag: Galway County Council (GCC) handles drinking-water and public health concerns; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ‘monitors’ the lake; Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) oversees fish issues.

But GCC never tackles pollution; it reacts to erupting pollution episodes in a knee-jerk way. And because many county councillors have farming connections it won’t enact

by-laws against the agricultural effluents which cause 73% of the lake’s enrichment (EU figures, not mine).

When these pollutants cause algal blooms, GCC simply recommends that everyone boils their water and avoids the lake. And, abracadabra, the rain washes the scum away!

CryptosporIDIuM outBreAk

In 2007, by not bothering to carry out statutory weekly bacteriological analyses on Lough Corrib, GCC ushered in the country’s largest Cryptosporidium epidemic. This hospitalised 200 and sentenced Galway to drinking bottled-water until de-contamination equipment was eventually installed.

Who paid for this negligence? You did, my tax-paying friend – millions and millions of Euro.

Nobody bothers with Lough Corrib provided the pollution

remains invisible; however when masses of the curly-leaved waterweed, Lagarosiphon, became a recent eye-sore, Inland Fisheries Ireland used a variety of methods – including the granular herbicide Dichlobenil – to control it at a number of sites.

Did anyone mention that pollutants from neighbouring State forestry plantations induced the proliferation of Lagarosiphon? Of course not. (Taxpayers also fork out millions to support forestry).

Dichlobenil should never be discharged into waters destined for human consumption because its aquatic use is restricted to sluggish watercourses, ponds and ditches.

Dichlobenil kills insects, birds, shrimp, mussels, snails and worms. It also kills both weed and neighbouring vegetation, thus eradicating the essential web of plant life which provides food, refuge and breeding areas for a host of aquatic organisms.

kNowN toxICItyIt beggars belief that whoever

sanctioned its use in waters destined for everyday drinking, cooking and washing could not have been aware of its well-documented toxicity.

Ireland’s de-greening continues apace. Lough Corrib’s desecration is the latest casualty of myopic environmental policies that indicate a Banana Republic rather than a First-World democracy. The similarities between Ireland’s environmental ‘supervisors’ and those who dragged our country into its current financial morass are obvious – this same gargantuan ignorance coupled with malignant indifference have caused much of Ireland’s environmental ills.

The ancient Romans hit the nail on the head with their question, “Quis ipsos custodes custodiet?” or “Who supervises the supervisors?” God help Lough Corrib.

IFI: We refer you to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Section of our website on which the actual facts relating to Lagarosiphon major control in Lough Corrib are detailed: http://.www.fisheriesireland.ie/FAQ/lagarosiphon-control-in-lough-corrib.html. It is clear that your correspondent has chosen to ignore the considerable information and detail set out at this link.

Dr roderick o’sullivan is a writer, environmental scientist and international authority on salmon farming. In 1996 the Lough Corrib Angling Federation commissioned a water-quality report from him which was the largest ever carried out on an Irish lake.It concluded that sewage from the surrounding towns was combining with gallons of slurry and causing pollution or ‘enrichment’. Untreated or inadequately treated sewage was responsible for 20% of the problem, he found. GCC dismissed the report and O’Sullivan lodged a complaint along with the report to the European Commission. In 2006 the Commission upheld his findings and issued various warnings to the Irish Government over its ‘failure to abide by EU Law and provide clean water supplies for its citizens’.

Agency response: GCC, IFI and EPA were shown extracts of this article and invited to respond. On receipt, corrections were made to the original. Due to space limitations we are unable to include these responses in full. They will appear on our website www.inshore-ireland.com.Gery Flynn, features editor

CorrectionYour View (April/May): Waste not, want not: Should Dublin City Council be allowed to plunder the River Shannon, incorrectly stated: ‘We are told there is no money available, but oddly, €500,000 can be found to construct a pipeline.’ This figure should have read: €500m.

Fishing industry protests against harbour charges increase

The Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) has reacted strongly to some

of the proposed changes outlined in the Fishery Harbour Centre (Rates and Charges) Order 2012 announced in April.

Singling out increasing fuel and other costs combined with decreasing fish prices, the FIF says many of its members are struggling to survive.

‘It seems somewhat disingenuous in the current economic climate that the marine minister is proposing not only to increase a majority of charges but that these increases are so significant.’

Whilst acknowledging that some existing charges (syncrolift and single cargo movement) are adequately addressed, the FIF contends that if adopted in its present form the proposal will be ‘detrimental not only to maintaining existing business but also to attracting new business to the Fishery Harbour Centres. These concerns relate not only to the fishing related charges but also to the other non fishing related charges,’ a statement reads.

cHarges anomaLyThe federation further

contends that as the CPI in 2012 is lower than 2003 when the current charges were brought into force it is ‘at a loss as to the basis for the proposed increases’ and says that some of the charges should in fact be decreased.

And it questions the non discriminatory nature of the charges when the standard of service provided differs from port to port.

‘For example, in Killybegs during the winter fishing season there is 24/7 staff cover available in the Harbour. If a vessel requires water a hose will be brought to the vessel by harbour staff. However, in Castletownbere Harbour Centre where staff levels are considerably lower, the same level of service cannot be provided and indeed there have been repeated complaints from vessels about the lack of availability of both water hoses, electric outlets and waste facilities.’

The federation also notes that fishing vessels are obliged to pay monthly water and refuse charges which are levied by the first FHC they enter in any given month. But it says that some vessels

especially in the south face double charging in a given month when they also land into non FHCs, such as the Port of Cork.

‘While we appreciate that they are being run by two separate entities ultimately the revenue goes to the same destination, the State, and it therefore appears inequitable…’

Vessels landing into ports outside the State, e.g. Northern Ireland the UK and France however are subject to different regulations. Instead of multiple charges being applied for the one landing, a fixed charge based on the value of the landing is levied and deducted by the sales agent from the amount payable to the vessel.

‘This is a far more straight forward system from both the vessels and the FHC’s perspective as the vessel knows exactly how much is due, and from the FHC’s point of view there is no additional administrative burden..’

The FIF is suggesting a 1% fixed charge of the value of the landings but says a waiver of all harbour charges should also be introduced elderly island residents who must use the facilities out of necessity.

EPA: The use of dichlobenil was one of a number of options in a research programme aimed at getting to grips with Lagarosiphon in Lough Corrib and preventing its spread. The experimental control programme was approved by the management group of the Western River Basin District and by the steering group of the EU LIFE, Control of Aquatic Invasive Species in Ireland (CAISIE), project which includes National Parks and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Galway County Council and Inland Fisheries Ireland.While the use of any herbicide does pose potential risks to the aquatic environment, the proliferation of Lagarosiphon was judged to be a more immediate and dangerous threat to fish populations, in particular, but also to the overall long-term ecological balance of the lake. The subsequent withdrawal of dichlobenil by the EU means that the chemical can no longer be used and complete reliance must now be placed on mechanical means of control.

Galway Co CouncilThere is a statutory requirement for monitoring to be carried out each year for all water supplies. GCC Council has a monitoring programme in place to fulfil this requirement. There is no requirement to carry out cryptosporidium monitoring unless in the event of an incident. However GCC carries out cryptosporidium monitoring at the Luimnagh Water Treatment plant at the high risk times each year. In addition to this the treatment plant at Luimnagh is designed to treat the water to ensure that there is no risk to the public from cryptosporidium.

YOURVIEWInshore 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.

8 inshore ireland June/July 2012

What lies ahead for the seafood development agency?

Compiled by G Mills

The Public Service Reform Plan published on November 17

notes the IMDO and BIM to be: Candidate bodies for critical review by end June 2012.

Inshore Ireland asked Francis O’Donnell, CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) if he thought BIM

should remain a stand-alone agency or should be subsumed into its parent department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Francis O’Donnell: In the current climate tax payers need to see value for money and the streamlining of services where possible and practical. Equally, as an organisation that works closely with BIM it would be easy to be critical that such a review is happening at all. Reviews are what

governments do. We cannot have an ‘a la carte’ approach – it would be disingenuous to say the least.

I believe we need to focus on why BIM should remain as a stand-alone agency. It was established in 1952 and has played a critical role in assisting and helping the Irish fishing industry evolve and adapt to the many difficult challenges it has since had to face.

taiLored skiLLsetsBIM is a dedicated development

agency comprising a highly skilled workforce with tailored skillsets and academic backgrounds reflective of the changing demands of this industry. Its personnel have excellent working relationships with fisherpersons and their families around the coast.

The Irish seafood industry is worth ~€750m annually in both domestic and export sales. More importantly this provides over 11,000 jobs. As someone who hails from a coastal community in west Donegal, I cannot stress enough the importance of this sector. Even during the boom times, peripheral communities did not enjoy the spoils of the Celtic Tiger to same extent as urban areas.

The ‘Harvest 2020 Strategy’ report identifies the potential to increase Irish seafood sales to €1bn and to raise employment to 14,000 full time jobs by 2020.

I believe this to be conservative considering the potential demand from emerging economies such as India and China. Ireland will have difficulty satisfying a tiny portion of this demand. We have therefore to carve out our niche where we can.

cLear strategy required

To rise to this challenge the industry needs a clear strategy and the correct expertise to improve seafood quality and handling. This needs to be coupled with adding value to seafood products prior to export. Naturally a stronger focus on marketing is required in Europe and worldwide. The latter has to be viewed in the context of increasing consumer demand for better labelling and traceability of seafood products.

People want to know where their food is coming from. More importantly consumers are differentiating between seafood products that are sourced responsibly to those that are not. The provenance and journey from net to plate is where we are heading.

Robust certification standards in addition to premium quality products are part of this evolving trend. If Ireland wants to tap into the massive potential offered in emerging economies then a strategy has to be driven by someone, not just anyone. It is my opinion that expertise is required.

BIM operates separately as a development agency to its parent department. This is not a new concept. Bord Bia is a semi-State body with the marketing function for food, operating as a separate agency from its parent department.

Similarly, Enterprise Ireland is a semi-State body with a mandate to foster and develop entrepreneurialism in Ireland. Agencies such as these possess a unique set of skillsets and expertise that can detect trends in the marketplace. This is reflected by BIM’s awareness of brand development and the identity of Irish seafood products for domestic and overseas markets.

Pioneering PrinciPLes

BIM is positioned to respond to such real-time demands and does this because it is focused on doing so. The agency is a pioneer regarding gear technology innovation and design to ensure Ireland is to the forefront of achieving reduced levels of discarding.

As the new Common Fisheries Policy rolls out in 2013, new and more strenuous demands will be placed on the fishing sector to meet technical measure requirements. BIM will be needed more than ever to assist the industry to meet this challenge.

BIM’s parent department is responsible for formulating policy and regulation. This requires a very different set of skillsets, awareness and knowledge base. Such organisational skillsets are equally complex and dynamic, and very important.

BIM’s training role cannot be understated. Since its formation it has prepared thousands of fishers for a life in the marine environment and its training is bespoke in nature, reflecting the latest requirements. As demand grows for seafood globally, coastal communities must position themselves to reap those benefits. The skillsets needed to avail of existing and new opportunities require a dedicated agency with a deep understanding of the sector and the markets that it sells into. BIM is the only agency to possess this tacit knowledge and know-how.

The impact of losing such a dedicated agency is unquantifiable. The IFPO is firmly of the view that BIM needs to remain as a stand-alone agency.

At the time of going to press, DAFM advised Inshore Ireland:

The Review of BIM is one of 46 similar reviews required under the Governments Public Service Reform Programme. The Review is on-going and there is no fixed date for its completion although it is intended to complete it as early as possible.

inshore ireland June/July 2012 9

news from tHe soutHwest

Report is launched to determine job creation in Ireland’s premier whitefish port

A stakeholder group is to deliver on the potential for creating jobs, following the launch of Castletownbere – An Economic Survey to Determine the Level of Seafood Activity and Establish its Economic Importance for the

Region.Speaking on behalf of the Group, Eibhlín O’Sullivan, CEO of

the Irish South and West Producers Organisation Ltd said that whilst the port has “very active and progressive” local community groups there was a need for a specific stakeholder to address the overall economic development of the town.

The Group comprises representatives from local industry, development agencies and the Fishery Harbour Centre.

“The Group has already identified some short-term pilot projects that should create additional employment before the year end and is also working on both a medium and long-term strategy,” she said.

The report was commissioned by Minister Simon Coveney in July of 2011 and was produced by BIM in partnership with the ISWFPO. A copy of the report can be obtained from the BIM website www.bim.ie

Salmon farming company takes delivery of first Irish built vessel

Marine harvest Ireland has taken delivery of

its new work boat Orchid, built by Beara Iron works Castletownbere. this is a significant milestone being the first such vessel to be built in this whitefish port, at a cost of €500,000 to the company.

At 15.6m, this work vessel will be used to service MHI’s aquaculture facilities in the south west.

The boat was named by local schoolboy Darragh Fenner from Castletownbere National School who chose the name as part of a local schools’ competition.

“Beara Iron Works have worked with us since the company’s foundation in 1991 and have always delivered a top quality service. But had never built a boat for us before,” remarked Jan Feenstra, managing director of Marine Harvest Ireland.

He added that the company routinely carried out repairs, maintenance and modifications “and we were happy that this contract was well within their scope. Working with them has also had benefits like securing work locally, being able to get personal touches when required and being able to oversee the work from start to finish.”

IFA Aquaculture executive Richie Flynn congratulated MHI on the “latest vote of confidence through real investment in jobs and exports in the aquaculture sector.”

He added the fact Orchid would be serving sites around the Beara peninsula was a “tremendous and practical incentive” to securing Ireland’s place in the world’s fastest growing food sector – fish farming.

BACkGrouNDMHI has been farming salmon

in Ireland since 1979 when it was founded as Fanad Fisheries. Today the company is part of the Marine Harvest Group, the world’s leading seafood company and largest producer of farmed salmon.

MHI was the first salmon farm worldwide to achieve organic certification and now produces organic salmon and premium salmon under the brands: The Organic Salmon Co and Donegal Silver. As well as in Fanad, Co Donegal, MHI produces organic Atlantic salmon at Clare Island and in Bantry and Kenmare Bays.

The company employs over 270 people here in Ireland and works with more than 800 local suppliers across its coastal locations with an annual spend worth in excess of €15m to these local economies.

A new guiding light for mariners in the southwestAfter 165 years of

service, the old lighthouse on Roancarrigmore

at the eastern entrance to Castletownbere has been replaced by a state-of-the-art stainless steel tower. With LED light and 12 x 50W solar panels it takes over from the masonry tower, dwellings, diesel generators and 100 Volt, 1,500W filament lamp.

Officially lit by Simon Coveney TD, minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the new station sets the Commissioners of Irish Lights as international leaders in the development of this new generation of lighthouses.

it wiLL Provide: » improved service for the mariner » low voltage LED lights provide a clearer quality of light and are more reliable than traditional

filament lamps » the sectored light will be supplemented and monitored by Automatic Identification System (AIS) functionality which advises the mariner directly on their bridge of the status and position of the light. (AIS is a key component of the International Maritime Organisation e-Navigation project and will ensure Roancarrig is equipped to take advantage of this initiative · Significant cost savings as the new lighthouse will operate with very low maintenance.

» Environment benefits from the replacement of diesel generation by renewable energy and the ending of waste water and refuse disposal.

» Historical continuity has been further preserved through the fact that Limerick companies built both the original 1847 tower and fabricated its stainless steel replacement. Howards in 1847 and Shortt Stainless Steel in 2011.

Further information: Robert Mc Cabe – Tel: 087 9682537. Email robert.mccabe@cil.ie

CIL chief executive Yvonne Shields with marine minister Simon Coveney Photo: Niall Duffy

Marine Harvest MD Jan Feenstra with Darragh Fenner and the boat which he proudly named Orchid.

marleanetmaritime learning network

The European passportto maritime skills

Investing in our common future

Co-financed with the support of the European Union ERDFAtlantic Area Programme

ATLANTIC AREA Transnational ProgrammeESPACIO ATLÁNTICO Programa Transnacional ESPACE ATLANTIQUE Programme Transnational

INVESTING IN OUR COMMON FUTURE

European Union

European RegionalDevelopment Fund

ESPAÇO ATLÂNTICO Programa Transnacional

For further information please contact Gráinne Lynch

Research Development | National Maritime College of IrelandE: grainne.lynch@nmci.ie

T: +353 21 433 5716W: www.nmci.ie or www.imerc.ie

10 inshore ireland June/July 2012

fresHwater focus

Shad magic in MayBrendan Connolly

St Mullins is a beauty spot and ancient ecclesiastical site where the Barrow

River forms the boundary between counties Carlow and Kilkenny. Here the river valley is steep sided and covered in mature woods. Despite being more than 50 km from the sea the tide reaches St. Mullins. It is this last section of tidal water that is the best known shad fishing stretch in Ireland.

Twaite Shad (Alosa fallax) is a member of the herring and sprat family; however unlike its smaller cousins, it enters freshwater via a number of rivers along the south coast to spawn from the end of April and during May. This ‘anadromous’ migration (from sea to freshwater) makes St Mullins the hotspot in Ireland for shad fishing.

genetic anaLysisThe specimen weight for

Twaite Shad is currently 1.2 kg (Irish record 1.54 kg), and year-on-year, most Irish specimens are caught at St Mullins. Twaite Shad are a species under pressure, so returning them alive is important.

To claim a specimen you take three scales from the fish for genetic analysis, put them in a paper envelope and allow to dry before sending off accompanied by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee claim form (www.irish-trophy-fish.com).

Genetic analysis has shown that the Twaite is not the only shad to come as far as St Mullins. Allis Shad (Alosa fallax) is also caught at this spot. Previously you could only tell them apart by counting the gill rakers; however from the genetic analysis is seems that not only do Allis Shad occur at St. Mullins, the Twaite and Allis Shads can interbreed to give hybrids.

tHe sHad exPerienceDriving through the

picturesque village of St Mullins, the road turns steeply down to the river with yew trees creating an archway. As the river Barrow comes into view, you see the quay side, neat and well maintained. The towpath towards the lock has concrete stands on the bank for fishing.

Most specimen shad are caught on the Tasmanian Devil, but one angler planned to try the blue and white Parson Tom seatrout fly.

Twaite Shad are predatory fish that will snap at lures such as silver spoons, Tasmanian Devils and the like. The best shad fishing is generally around high tide; however that particular evening the tide was low. Nevertheless, a blue and silver ‘Tas’ was chosen and fishing commenced.

Shad were seen swirling at the surface but no fish was hooked, so the fly rod was rigged up with the Parson Tom. A sinking fly line was cast across the river, reaching about half way. Giving the line time to sink the fly was

then retrieved with fast resolute pulls to imitate a small fish.

Five casts in, a sudden sharp pull stopped the line in the water and a solid thumping force was felt at the end of the line. Raising the tip of the flyrod, the fish came closer to the surface, and the flash of a deep silver side could be seen.

The power of the shad was impressive, indicating a bigger fish than it actually was as it dived out of view again, bending the flyrod into a strong arch. Once more it surfaced, shaking its head and sending spray into the air, and turned down again.

Then, suddenly, the fish was gone, and the Parson Tom fly came effortlessly to the surface. Twaite Shad have a hard mouth, and loosing them because the hook comes out is not unusual.

This was promising however, and the fly fishing resumed. Different seatrout flies were tried, and a tandem Peter Ross enticed a shad to follow it to the surface and taking a careful nip, just a pluck was felt but it was not hooked. By this time the light was failing and fishing stopped.

The next day high-tide was shortly after midday, and the rising tide was fished during the morning with Tasmanian Devils as well as the Parson Tom seatrout fly. The occasional fish was seen swirling at the surface but none was hooked.

Another angler had caught a shad earlier and halfway through the morning, delighted shouts accompanied the netting of his second fish.

Photos were quickly taken before the fine 1 kg Twaite Shad was returned live to the water. As the tide rose, no more fish were hooked and the fishing was stopped.

St Mullins and its mysterious shad is certainly one angling spot that warrants a repeat visit; it’s just a pity that the shad season coincides with the mayfly.

Congratulations to Joanne Black, Manorhamilton, Co Donegal, winner of 2 days fishing for 2 on the Drowse Salmon Fishery, Co Leitrim.

Brian Lowth with a fine 1kg Twaite Shad caught at St Mullins

Lack of rainfall and low level lakes fail to dampen angling festival Over two hundred fishermen including one female angler endured weather of all seasons in the annual Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival.

Reiner Jager from Germany – a regular at the competition won the competition with a total weight of 57kg 340g, netting him the top prize of £5,000 and a crystal chalice. Reiner’s first-day catch of 43kg 250g from the fancied Rossahilly section put him in a very strong position for the overall honours.

Second overall was Birkenshaw angler Paul Clark whose total catch of 45kg 930g earned him £2,000 and a crystal trophy. In third place was Phil Bardell from Milton Keynes who received £1,500 and a crystal trophy for his total catch of 35kg 310g.

Suzan Bendall from Newent won the ladies prize and a section prize on Monday. Top junior was Cameron Hartford from Liverpoolwith an overall catch of 7kg 740g.

The four-man team event trophy went to Clarke’s Clingons, who amassed a total catch of 89kg 330g, landing them cash prizes and trophies.

Local anglers did not fare as well in 2012. Dave Slater, Enniskillen, was placed 22nd overall with Nick Seddon, Derrygonnelly, in 25th place. Last year’s Classic winner, John Potters and Dave Ensor both from Lisbellaw came 28th and 30th respectively.

Reiner Jager, 2012 overall winner with total weight of 57kg 340g

The famous shad stretch at St Mullins.

inshore ireland June/July 2012 11

fresHwater focus

International trade having major impact on ‘water footprint’Gery Fynn

A study by the Water Footprint Network (WFN) analysing the

quantity and distribution of global water use (1996-2005), calculates the water footprints of individual countries based on their production and consumption, and uses visually-striking graphics to display the pathways of the world’s largest virtual water movements.

First introduced in 2002 at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, the water footprint concept is a measure of ecological impact comparable to the better-known carbon footprint but focusing on freshwater.

WFN is a not-for-profit foundation under Dutch law whose stated aim is ‘To promote the transition towards sustainable, fair and efficient use of freshwater resources worldwide by advancing the concept of the water footprint as an explicit indicator of the direct and indirect use of water by consumers and producers.’

It also seeks ‘to increase awareness and understanding’ of how the consumption of goods and services and production chains relate to water, and impact on freshwater systems globally.

metHodoLogyAccording to the WFN, the

water footprint represents the total volume of freshwater used to produce the commodities, goods and services consumed by an individual, company or nation. It may be

calculated for any product or well-defined group of consumers or producers, public organisation, private enterprise or economic sector and used as a geographically explicit indicator, not only showing volumes of water use and pollution, but also locations.

This study goes further than previous reports by the WFM in explaining global water movements by breaking down the different ways we use water to show the three components of the water footprint: » volume of rainwater

consumed (green) » volume of ground and

surface water depleted (blue), and

» the volume of freshwater required to assimilate the pollution load based on current water quality standards (grey)

As for virtual water – sometimes referred to as embedded or hidden water – the study notes that international virtual water flows in relation to trade in agriculture and industrial products averaged 2,320 billion m3 per year in the decade 1996 to 2005.

It lists the major gross virtual water exporters as the USA, China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Australia, Indonesia, France and Germany.

And it finds that the USA, Japan, Germany, China, Italy, Mexico, France, the UK and the Netherlands are the main importers of gross virtual water. .

gLoBaL water footPrint

With these findings the study

argues that for water-scarce countries it can sometimes be attractive to import virtual water thus relieving the pressure on the domestic water resources.

‘This happens for example in Mediterranean countries, the Middle East and Mexico. Also Northern European countries import a lot of water in virtual form (more than they export), but this is not driven by water scarcity. International trade patterns can only be understood from a multitude of factors; water scarcity is merely one of them,’ the study declares.

Significantly, the study points out that between 1996 and 2005, 20% of the global water footprint did not relate to domestic consumption but to export. And it finds that global savings from international trade in agricultural products was equivalent to 4% of the footprint for agricultural production.

‘The relatively large volume of international virtual water flows and the associated national water savings and

external water dependencies strengthen the argument to consider issues of local water scarcity in a global context,” it states.

The study finds also that two factors determine the magnitude of the water footprint of national consumption - the volume and pattern of consumption, coupled with the water footprint per tonne of consumed products which, in the case of agricultural products depends on climate, irrigation, fertilisation policy and crop yield.

some key findings: » The global water footprint

in the period 1996-2005 was 9,087 Gm3/yr (74% green; 11% blue; 15% grey)

» Agricultural production contributes 92% to this total footprint

» About one fifth of the global water footprint relates to production for export

» Mexico and Spain are the two countries with the largest national blue water

savings as a result of trade » International trade in

industrial products can be associated with an increased global water footprint equivalent to 4% of the global water footprint related to industrial production

» The water footprint of the global average consumer in the period was 1,385 m3/yr

» About 92% of the water footprint relates to the consumption of agricultural products; 5% to the consumption of industrial goods, and 4% to domestic water use

» The average US consumer has a water footprint of 2,842 m3/yr while the average citizens in China and India have water footprints of 1,071m3/yr and 1,089 m3/yr respectively

» Consumption of cereal products gives the largest contribution to the water footprint of the average consumer of 27% followed by meat (22%) and milk products (7%)

Lough Corrib gives up its largest brown trout in over a century

Trolling in Lough Corrib using a ‘roach deadbait’ has put Welsh angler Ceri Jones into the record books after landing a brown trout weighing almost 24lbs.

The lake is renowned as one of the best wild brown trout fisheries in the world.

The specimen fish, unofficially the second largest on record, was in deep water near the lake’s biggest island, Inchagoill. If ratified by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee, the fish will go down as a record for Lough Corrib, and the largest trout caught in Ireland in 118 years.

It took Jones one hour to play the monster trout on a 14lb breaking strain line. The Welsh angler is no stranger to landing these Ferox Trout. In June 2011 he landed a 19lb 8oz which will now have to make space for this latest catch on the wall in Burke’s Pub in the village of Clonbur nestled between Loughs Mask and Corrib.

The Irish trout record is held by William Mears who landed a brown trout of 26lb 2oz from Lough Ennell, Co Westmeath, in 1894.

Virtual water balance per country related to trade in agricultural and industrial products over the period 1996-2005. Net exporters are shown in green and net importers in red. The arrows show the biggest gross international virtual water flows (> 15 Gm3/yr); the fatter the arrow, the bigger the virtual water flow. Source: Mekonnen and Hoeksrta, 2011.

12 inshore ireland June/July 2012

fresHwater focus

Why is fracking under the spotlight when it has been practiced here for over thirty years?Gery Flynn

Now that exploration licences have been issued

to several companies to explore for shale gas throughout Ireland, the debate is hotting up on the process that could be used to extract it - hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

To find out more about this controversial hydrocarbon extraction process Inshore Ireland spoke to Gareth LI Jones of Conodate, a geological consultancy that specialises in biostratography, petrographic analysis, karst interpretation and geothermal energy. Mr Jones is also professionally accredited by the Institute of Geologists of Ireland and by the European Federation of Geologists

wHat is fracking?The term fracking derives

from hydraulic fracturing, a process to extract gas from rock formations where it doesn’t flow out of the ground easily. It’s worth saying here that 2012 is the 50th anniversary of the discovery of gas onshore in Ireland, in Dowra Co Cavan in 1962. And it’s thirty-one years since the first fracking here. So there’s nothing new about any of this; development of this resource does not involve new technologies but the refinement of old ones.

It involves drilling a deep well down from the surface up to 1.5 kilometres deep to reach the layer in which the gas is trapped. Then what was a vertical well is turned into a horizontal well and drilled sideways for up to a kilometre along the shale bed. Water is then pumped down under pressure into the shale bed to break it up and cause it to crack. Sand included in the water keeps these cracks open and the gas can then flow out.

wHy Has tHere Been sucH oPPosition to fracking - in tHe us in ParticuLar?

I’m not sure why it causes so much extreme concern. The reasons probably break down into three generally: The large volumes of water required to carry out this process -millions of litres. In arid parts of America the problem of getting water is significant. But here in Ireland it probably isn’t such a problem.

Another aspect is the possibility of contamination - the escape of methane up to the surface or into groundwater. This is a very confused area however. There’s a classic scene in the documentary film Gasland where water coming out of a tap is set alight. That gas is in fact methane from a natural source close to the surface and is not due to the gas wells that have been drilled in the area.

The locals have been setting fire to their water for decades - long before fracking was developed there. It’s crucial that drilling companies test what is in the water already before they start work. There’s a difference between the biogenic methane that occurs near the surface and the thermogenic methane deep down which is what they want to extract. A lot of the scare stories were not true, and those that were, are due to bad practice in the well-drilling system.

does ireLand Have significant reserves of metHane gas?

It’s impossible to know that until somebody starts drilling and producing gas. That will then give a good idea of what is likely to be present. We do know there is some gas because it was found as far back as 1962. Gas was re-found in 1981, and again in 2002, so we know it’s there.

Tamboran, one of the exploration companies already here, estimates there may be 2.5 trillion cubic feet of gas present. Others say it could be more. If that is proved correct it would probably provide Ireland with forty years of gas supply. But again, we won’t know until somebody actually gets in there and finds out.

wHat imPact wouLd a discovery Have on our nationaL economy?

Ireland is extremely dependent on imported energy in the form of oil, gas, coal and electricity - some of it nuclear. We import over €5bn worth of energy each year – that’s a major outflow of money. Of that, €1.35bn is for gas. So anything we can do to reduce that figure is going to be very important.

But there are other opportunities as well. The fracking process itself obviously would spend a lot of money locally, and there certainly would be local jobs.

Also, the supply of water, although a problem, is also an opportunity.

Then there’s the issue of disposal and cleaning of processed water which is often sub-contracted and offer great opportunities. And there’s the requirement for sand. In the US for example, stock values of companies supplying water and sand for fracking are currently rocketing up the stock exchange.

How can we ensure tHat fracking wiLL not contaminate groundwater?

There are different parts to this question. First, regarding surface water there are examples in the US where surface pits used to contain and recycle processed water have not been properly constructed and lined, and that has caused problems.

The companies involved here however say if they used pits they would line

them properly but that they would probably use tankers instead of pits. Another issue to consider is possible contamination of the aquifers that contain drinking water.

This is a question of good drilling practice. It will be absolutely essential that wells are drilled and cemented properly as they go through these aquifers, to avoid any contamination whatsoever. We are quite fortunate in Ireland compared to the US because we have many regulations already in place – derived from national and EU regulations. The Water Framework Directive is one of the most powerful pieces of EU legislation and there are others that would also apply.

does fracking require using many different cHemicaLs?

Control is really in the hands of the EPA, and they have some very powerful tools at

their disposal. A figure of six hundred chemicals is often quoted but in practice it’s more usually around five or six.

The five most commonly-quoted chemicals are things like hydrochloric acid; glutaraldehydes; dimethyl formaldehyde; polyacrilamide and citric acid. These are all commonly-used to clean swimming pool water and as disinfectants in medical and dental laboratories and clinics. And citric acid is what you put your in your gin and tonic.

So the commonly-used ones are usually reasonably harmless. Tamboran say that as they’re looking at relatively shallow depths they will require practically no chemicals.

Diagram shows one

of either 8 or 16 wellbores

which will originate from each pad

Graphics courtesy of Tamboran

inshore ireland June/July 2012 13

worLd Biodiversity day

Glengarrif Nature Reserve honoured on World Biodiversity DayThe title of

BioBlitz 2012 winner was awarded to

Glengarriff Nature Reserve for recording 1020 species over the 24-hour period. This is just short of the number of

species recorded by last year’s winner, Killarney National Park, which was a much larger and more varied site.

Following close behind were Crawfordsburn Country Park and Lough Boora, with 984 and

940 species recorded respectively, and Phoenix Park with 528 species. The survey at the Phoenix Park was significant, however, as there were important findings of new mosses and some plants that haven’t been recorded for over 100

years at the site.BioBlitz is a scientific

race against time. The aim of event is to find as many species as possible within a park over a 24-hour period. This is a unique event where scientists, students and the general public

come together and learn how scientists and recorders use their skills to study the wildlife of an area. It also introduces the non-specialist to the wealth of biodiversity that occurs all around us.

Ecosystem approach must be central for good fisheries management

The marine biodiversity seminar held on May 22, the

International Day of Biodiversity, was attended by around 40 delegates from government agencies, industry, third level institutions, the environmental NGO sector and the general public. The half-day event was jointly organised by the Marine Group of the Environmental Pillar and the Marine Institute.

Following a brief introduction by Barbara Nolan – Head of the European Commission Representation in Ireland – Dr Paul Connolly, MI, presented the new Atlas of Irish Groundfish Trawl Surveys (available on www.marine.ie). The Atlas shows how survey data can be used to both support the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and to inform stock assessment and advice. (see sidebar)

The first session, chaired by Dr Connolly focused on the ecosystem approach and fisheries and aquaculture activities in sites that are protected under the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (Natura 2000 sites).

Professor David Reid, principal investigator of the Beaufort Ecosystem Project, Dr Oliver Tully, MI and Siobhan Egan, Birdwatch Ireland, presented papers on the ecosystem approach to fisheries management; what the approach means in theory and the difficulties of applying it in practice.

Measures aimed at reducing discards and the Fisheries Natura Plan for the Cockle Fisheries in Dundalk Bay were discussed as case studies. The need for meaningful stakeholder involvement and an integrated marine plan using marine spatial planning was emphasised.

During the second session, chaired by Padraic Fogarty, Irish Wildlife Trust, Dr David Lyons (National Parks and Wildlife Service) and Dr Jade Berman (Ulster Wildlife Trust) gave presentations on the designation and distribution of Marine Protected Areas in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland respectively.

Problems arising from inadequate management plans and lack of enforcement were highlighted and further illustrated by Dr Michael Gunn (Coastwatch) who presented management challenges in the Boyne Estuary Natura 2000 site associated with Drogheda Port activities.

Brendan Price, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, recalled the declaration of Ireland as a whale and dolphin sanctuary over 20 years ago, and promoted the establishment of a pan-European sanctuary.

The meeting concluded with a lively discussion on the feasibility and effectiveness of various marine conservation methods.

Glengarrif Nature Reserve – BioBlitz 2012 winnersPresident Michael D Higgins presenting the awards

Launch of Atlas of Irish Groundfish Trawl Surveys

The Atlas shows the key results from the Irish scientific

surveys of the whitefish and deepwater fish stocks in Ireland’s 200 mile Exclusive Fisheries Zone. It also provides an overview of the distribution and abundance of adult and juvenile fish species in the waters around Ireland.

Thirty two species are described, including the main whitefish, midwater fish (herring, mackerel) and shark species caught during the Marine Institute’s Groundfish Survey programme. Each species is summarized (distribution, biological characteristics and temporal changes in abundance).

Launching the Atlas, Minister Coveney said that Irish scientists have presented the data in a “visual and non technical format” that enables a wider audience to understand the biodiversity of fish in Irish waters.

“This publication has made great strides in illustrating how

scientific data can be used to examine the health of our marine ecosystem. Mapping our fish community enables us to have a better understanding of their role in the marine ecosystem.”

Previously published atlases include:

Commercial Fisheries around Ireland (2009);

Atlas of demersal Discarding (2011) and

The North Western Waters Atlas (2011)

Available for download on: www. marine.ie

Minister Simon Coveney receiving a copy of the Atlas of Irish Groundfish Trawl Surveys presented by Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO Marine Institute

14 inshore ireland June/July 2012

news

BLUE FLAG 2012BEACHES & MARINAS IN IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

2

1

7

8

9

1011

56

18 1716

2019

28

24 2321

2627

22

32

29

30

34 33

3536

37

42

45

43

40

38

41

54

53

4950

56 46

48

73

61

55

52

60

5857

47

72

62

68

71

70

69

74

75

81

78

8384

77

DONEGAL

CAVAN

SLIGO

LEITRIM

MAYO

MONAGHAN

LOUTH

MEATH

LONGFORD

WESTMEATH

ROSCOMMON

GALWAY

OFFALYKILDARE

DUBLIN

WICKLOWLAOIS

CLARE

CARLOW

TIPPERARY

LIMERICK

CORK

WATERFORD

WEXFORD

KERRY

KILKENNY

FERMANAGHARMAGH

DOWN

ANTRIM

DERRY

TYRONE

12

14

15

25

31

39

44

51

59

6364

656667

76

79 80 82

13

1

2

1

910

11

8

3

4

2 3

5

4

6 7

1

2

3

LOUTHCARLINGFORD1. Templetown

CLOGHERHEAD2. Port3. Clogherhead

DUBLINSKERRIES4. Skerries South Beach

PORTRANE5. The Brook Beach

DONABATE6. Donabate

PORTMARNOCK7. The Velvet Strand

DUBLIN CITY8. Dollymount

WICKLOWNORTH WICKLOW9. Greystones

ARKLOW10. Brittas Bay North11. Brittas Bay South

WEXFORDCOURTOWN12. Courtown

KILMUCKRIDGE13. Morriscastle

CURRACLOE14. Curracloe

ROSSLARE15. Rosslare

WATERFORDTRAMORE16. Tramore

WATERFORD17. Bunmahon

DUNGARVAN18. Clonea

CORKCORK19. Redbarn

SHANAGARRY20. Garryvoe

BALLINSPITTLE21. Garrylucas22. Garretstown

CLONAKILTY23. Inchydoney

ROSSCARBERY24. The Warren25. Owenahincha

SKIBBEREEN26. Tragumna

CROOKHAVEN27. Barleycove

KERRYCAHERDANIEL28. Derrynane

BALLINSKELLIGS29. Ballinskelligs

CAHERCIVEEN30. White Strand31. Kells

KERRY (Continued)ROSSBEIGH32. Rossbeigh

INCH33. Inch

VENTRY34. Ventry

CASTLEGREGORY35. Magherabeg

FENIT36. Fenit

ARDFERT37. Banna

BALLYHEIGUE38. Ballyheigue

BALLYBUNION39. Ballybunion South40. Ballybunion North

CLAREKILRUSH41. Cappa Pier

KILKEE42. Kilkee

DOONBEG43. Doonbeg

MILTOWN MALBAY44. White Strand

LAHINCH45. Lahinch

BALLYVAUGHAN46. Fanore

KILLALOE47. Ballycuggeran

MOUNTSHANNON48. Mountshannon

GALWAYLOUGHREA49. Loughrea Lake

KINVARA50. Traught

GALWAY CITY51. Salthill52. Silver Strand

SPIDDAL53. Ceibh an Spidéal

INDREABHAN54. Trá Mhór

AN CEATHRU RUA55. Trá an Dóilin

CILL RONAN, ARAN56. Cill Mhuirbhigh

MAYOLOUISBURGH57. Carrowmore58. Old Head

MURRISK59. Bertra

MULRANNY60. Mulranny

CLARE ISLAND61. The Harbour

ACHILL62. Dooega63. Keel64. Keem65. Dugort66. Golden Strand

MAYO (Continued)BELMULLET67. Mullaghroe68. Elly Bay

KILLALA69. Ross Killala

SLIGOENNISCRONE70. Enniscrone

SLIGO71. Rosses Point

DONEGALBUNDORAN72. Bundoran

ROSSNOWLAGH73. Rossnowlagh

LAGHY74. Murvagh

KILLYBEGS75. Fintra

NARAN76. Naran/Portnoo

ANAGARY77. Carrickfinn

DONEGAL (Continued)DUNFANAGHY78. Killahoey79. Marblehill

FANAD80. Downings81. Portsalon

FAHAN82. Lisfannon

CULDAFF83. Culdaff

STROOVE84. Stroove

MARINAS

WEXFORD1. Kilmore Quay

Marina

2. New Ross ‘ThreeSisters’ Marina

WESTMEATH3. Killinure Point

Marina

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND NORTHERN IRELAND

DOWN CRAWFORDSBURN8. Crawfordsburn

DOWNPATRICK9. Tyrella

NEWCASTLE10. Murlough Beach

KILKEEL11. Cranfield West

MARINAS

ANTRIMBALLYCASTLE1. Ballycastle Marina

DERRYMAGHERAFELT2. Ballyronan Marina

DERRYLIMAVADY1. Magilligan (Benone)

CASTLEROCK2. Magilligan (Downhill)3. Castlerock

PORTSTEWART4. Portstewart

ANTRIMPORTRUSH5. Portrush (Mill) West6. Portrush (Curran) East7. Portrush (Whiterocks)

KEY

COUNTYNEAREST TOWN00. Beach/Marina Name

Blue Flag BeachBlue Flag Marinas

The Blue Flag programme in Ireland is funded by the Department ofthe Environment, Community & Local Government.

inshore ireland June/July 2012 15

news

Learning new skills

As part of its Serious about Seafood programme, BIM is hosting a series of fish handling and filleting workshops in its seafood Development Centre in Clonakilty, aimed at seafood processors and

retailers.To ensure all participants received the maximum return from these

practical workshops, only seven places per workshop were available.Topics covered by Hal Dawson, an experienced trainer and filleter

included species identification; causes and control of spoilage; quality assessment; hygiene and safety; workstation preparation; safe knife handling; filleting techniques; handling and packing techniques.

The next workshop is scheduled for July 9 & 10. Further details from www.bim.ie

Record number of Irish beaches awarded the Blue Flag in 2012

The number of Blue Flags awarded in Ireland has increased by three, making 2012 an all-time record year. The 25th anniversary Blue Flags awards and the National Green Coast Award recipients were recently announced by An Taisce at a ceremony in Dublin.

From the spectacular beaches of Donegal in the northwest to the welcoming beaches of Wexford in the sunny south east, Ireland’s award-winning beaches offer excellent water quality; lifeguarded swimming areas; world renowned surf and long sandy shores. In all, 143 beaches were recognised.

The Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised eco-labels. The 84 beaches and 3 marinas that achieved this accolade had to meet a specific set of criteria relating to water quality; information provision; environmental education and beach management.

“We’re delighted in this, the 25th anniversary year of Blue Flag, to announce a record 87 Irish Blue Flag sites. The continuing high standards of our beaches are testament to the hard work carried out by local authorities throughout the year to improve water quality and provide clean, safe beaches for everyone to enjoy.

Announcement of 56 Green Coast Awards is also fantastic and I would like to commend the many Coastcare groups that care for Ireland’s wonderful beaches, through actions such as community beach cleans and marram grass planting,” remarked Patricia Oliver, An Taisce.

Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment said that the increased number of Blue Flags awarded was “very welcome” and congratulated the local authorities, coastal communities as well as those in the wider catchment.

Jan Eriksen, president of FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) said that Blue Flags was proud to look back on years of quality, safety and responsibility. Its growth is a sign that this programme still has a bright future. We look forward to many more positive years for Blue Flag in Ireland and around the world. To further its innovation, Blue Flag has just launched its worldwide Blue Flag phone application for androids and iPhones,” he said.

Back row - Left to right: Johnny Phair – SDC, Sean Spillane – Moonfish, Cian O’Mahony – Fastnet Catch, Niall Murphy – Fastnet Catch, Sergejs Ivanovs – Moonfish & Hal Dawson, trainer. front row - Left to right: Geraldine Lane – BIM, Teresa Noonan – Garvey’s SuperValu & Frank Burke – Keane’s SuperValu

the highlightsGains. Dollymount in Dublin City regained its Blue Flag after losing it in 2011 and Downings in Donegal was awarded for the first time since 1999. On the east coast, Skerries South and Donabate in Fingal were awarded for the first time since 1995 and 2007 respectively. The Three Sisters Marina in New Ross, Wexford was awarded the Blue Flag for the first time.Losses. Some beaches however lost their status: Claycastle and Youghal front strand in Cork both lost their flags after failing to meet the water quality criteria. Mullaghmore in Sligo was also not awarded the Blue Flag due to ongoing issues of livestock roaming on the main beach area creating an unsafe environment for beach users. On the east coast, Rush South was also not awarded because of non-compliance with water quality criteria, nor was Malahide beach because of safety concerns.

The Green Coast AwardGreen Coast Awards go to beaches for their

clean environment, excellent water quality and good beach management. They may not have the necessary built infrastructure required to meet the criteria set for Blue Flag status however they are exceptional places to visit and enjoy our rich coastal heritage and diversity.

GainsRenvyle, Co Galway; Guillamene Cove, Co

Waterford; Arklow South, Co Wicklow and Dollymount, Dublin City after losing out in 2011. Fountainstown, Co Cork achieved Green Coast Award status for the first time.

LossesBallycastle Co Mayo; Claycastle and Red

Strand, Co Cork; Annestown and Newtown Cove, Co Waterford; Cullenstown Co Wexford and Rush South, Co Dublin.

Further information from:www.blueflag.org and for water quality results, visit www.bathingwater.ie

Donegal 13 flags

You’ll find all this and more if You jump aboard gosailing.ie!

As well as experiencing our boat trip; learning how sails work; sailing terminology and some of the basic skills required to crew an ocean-going yacht, why not try your hand at steering the 54-foot yacht through a number of manoeuvres while you enjoy sightseeing on this Dublin Bay boat tour.

Departures are from Dun Laoghaire Marina – just 20 minutes by DART from Dublin city centre. Sailings vary between 2 - 3 hours. Group activities, company and private charter is welcome.

Contact Bref or Aaron on 087 092 2913 or on info@gosailing.ie for details.

Are you Adventurous?do you wAnt to chAllenge yourself? do you wAnt A fun dublin bAy sAiling experience?

Sailings Times Ticket Price

Morning Sail 11:00-1:00 €35

Afternoon Sail 2:00-4:00 €40

Evening Sail 6:00-8:00 €40

16 inshore ireland June/July 2012

aquacuLture & seafood desk

NutraMara: Food Research & Development targeting societal challenges in EuropeDr Maria Hayes,Teagasc Food Research Programme

the Marine environment represents an almost

inexhaustible source of bioactive compounds and molecules for use in a myriad of applications including food, chemical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and bioengineering.

Functional foods are foods that impart health benefits to the consumer that go beyond those of basic, human and animal

nutrition. The Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative, also known as the NutraMara programme, was established by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Marine Institute (MI).

FuNCtIoNAL FooDsNutraMara aims to drive the

development of the marine sector and assist food companies by identifying functional food and bioactive ingredients from Irish marine resources. These include seaweeds, microalgae, marine processing co-products and aquaculture materials.

NutraMara researchers have developed procedures for the

isolation, characterisation and quantification of many bioactive marine-derived ingredients including antioxidants; heart beneficial compounds such as bioactive peptides; carbohydrates and lipids, using state-of-the-art technologies including high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). These technologies are available at the Teagasc Nutraceutical Research Facility, which was opened by the EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation & Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn in 2010.

Complete identification of isolated marine bioactive compounds is necessary for Irish food companies to make EFSA health claims. NutraMara researchers have isolated and characterised marine bioactive compounds that have potential beneficial health effects against diseases important in Irish, European and World societies today. These include obesity, diabetes, heart health, cancer and inflammatory diseases.

For example, novel, peptidic inhibitors of rennin – an enzyme important in the regulation of blood pressure and salt-water

balance in the human body – were isolated by NutraMara researchers from the red seaweed Palmaria palmata, commonly known as Dulse. This work was published in the Journal of Agriculture, Food and Chemistry. Other successes include the characterisation of valuable carbohydrates such as laminaran, fucoidan and chitin.

Once characterised, these marine ingredients may be incorporated into suitable food vehicles; for example: cereal snack and bread products and dairy products such as yoghurts and cheese.

BIoACtIve CoMpoNeNtsNutraMara also looks at

understanding the role and mechanisms of marine-derived bioactive compounds with identified beneficial effects on human health by looking at physiologically relevant end-points. For example, Dr Bojlul Bahar is working on the effects of chitosan generated at Teagasc from marine shellfisheries co-products and its effects on the leptin gene.

NutraMara research is contributing to developing novel food ingredients and products for uptake by Irish and European

companies with potential for the development and sale of functional foods targeted at disease prevention rather than treatment. NutraMara is therefore assisting in tackling the major societal challenges of obesity and the diseases associated with metabolic syndrome in Europe.

Overfishing is a persistent ecological problem. NutraMara research is also developing innovative methods for using the whole fish catch, thereby reducing the ecological footprint of fish and shellfish processing on the marine ecosystem.

Due to the specific targets set under EU Council Directive 1999/21/EC, 1999 and laws governing dumping of by-product at sea, it is no longer economically feasible or environmentally acceptable for marine processors to dispose of by-products at landfill, or at sea.

NutraMara is helping to tackle this problem by developing isolation and characterisation methods for valuable proteins such as collagen and gelatine and carbohydrates such as chitin, chitosan and chitosanoligosaccharides from by-products.

€15.5m investment in seafood processing sector

Twenty-one seafood processing companies are to invest almost €16m in their industry, supported by €3.2m grant aid from the EU co-funded Seafood Processing Business Investment

Scheme. Increased sales reaching €44m of value-added products and the

creation of 142 jobs are projected by 2015 in companies based in Wexford, Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Louth and Kerry.

Announcing the package, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine outlined the positive effect of the announcement:

“This is a very sizeable investment by any standards and particularly so when combined with investment under this scheme over the past two years. It demonstrates the confidence in the seafood sector as a high growth area of our economy and of our food industry.”

Minister Coveney added that these SMEs represented “the future of the seafood industry” and that growth and diversification would lead to increased profitability and increased employment. The scheme is administered by BIM. Further details from www.bim.ie.

The Seafood Processing Business Investment Scheme is implemented as part of the Irish Seafood Development Programme 2007-2013. Grant aid is a maximum of 25% of eligible expenditure and is co-funded on a 50/50 basis by the Exchequer and the European Fisheries Fund.

The Scheme is implemented by BIM and Údarás na Gaeltachta, with Enterprise Ireland assisting in commercial evaluation of proposals. Proposals are assessed by BIM for compliance with EU and national law and project selection criteria approved for the Scheme by the EU mandated Monitoring Committee for the operational programme.

Successful projects are selected for grant aid by a selection board comprising the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, BIM, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Enterprise Ireland, the Marine Institute, the South and East Regional Assembly and the BMW Regional Assembly.

Find out at john-west.ie

WE KNOW EXACTLY

WHERE YOUR WILD

TUNA CAME FROM.

DO YOU?

Dr Maria Hayes, talking to Simon Coveney, TD Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle (background)

inshore ireland June/July 2012 17

aquacuLture

Marine biomass to play major role in supplementing world energy requirments?

Declan Hanniffy,Research Coordinator, OceanFuel Ltd

Today around 90% of the world’s energy consumption

derives from the combustion of fossil fuels, i.e. coal, oil and natural gas are in limited supply and will one day run out. As a result, the quest for renewable energies – energies generated from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides, etc and from industrial or urban waste and biomass – started decades ago. Induced by numerous studies and energy conferences, the 27 Member States of the EU decided in 2007 that 20% of energy should come from renewable sources by 2020 (Lisbon Treaty).

There is a need to fulfil our energy consumption in a renewable and sustainable way, and aquatic biomass could be one source of this energy. Since

the available area for cultivation at sea is so much larger than on land (70% of the earth’s surface is ocean) and growth rates of macroalgae (also commonly known as seaweed) are much higher than for conventional land crops, the potential for biomass production at sea is enormous.

Aquaculture for energy production can also avoid discussions and debate around food crops for fuel (the food-energy nexus); sustainability; fresh-water usage pesticides and land use change.

Also, fertilisation (adding nutrients to improve crop growth), which has a major effect on greenhouse gas balances of crops on land, can be altered or even be diminished when cultivating in an aquatic environment.

The reduction of greenhouse gases achieved by using aquatic biomass for energy and fuel purposes is therefore, in most cases, greater than for the more conventional biofuels produced from crops (e.g. sugarcane, corn) on land.

oPen sea cuLtivationToday, aquatic biomass

cultivation in Europe is a logistically complex multistep process with onshore hatcheries and early grow-out stages and offshore farms where the plants grow to maturity and are harvested. It is mainly based on small volume production using long ropes and manual harvesting. As a result, production costs per biomass unit are much too high.

AT~SEA (Advanced Textiles for Open Sea Biomass Cultivation) is a three-year European funded project involving a consortium of 11 partners (six SMEs and four RTDs – Research and Technical development). It is coordinated by a large enterprise, Sioen Industries. The partners are from Norway in the north down to Morocco in the south, along with Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland.

The aim of AT~SEA is to develop and apply advanced textiles to facilitate open sea cultivation of seaweed species

which have high-potential as a source for renewable energy and fuels. The idea is to cultivate seaweed onto advanced textile substrates that are installed below the water surface (typically 1-5 m depth) as a kind of secondary sea bottom.

The surrounding infrastructure (mooring system, floatation tubes, storage, cleaning, and regeneration and transportation tanks) will also be based on advanced textiles.

OceanFuel Limited will work closely with the project partners to advise on seaweed cultivation and system requirements which will all feed into a final system design. OceanFuel will also take the lead in demonstrating the usage of onshore facilities at the Inagh Valley Trust facility in Connemara, and offshore facilities in a 10ha site in Cleggan Bay as a testing ground for the system. Trials will also be carried out on products designed by the project partners before the best products are combined in a final proof of concept design.

18 inshore ireland June/July 2012

mayday aPPeaL

MAYDAY appeal across IrelandThe first ever RNLI

Mayday Appeal took place on May

1 in challenging weather conditions that would be familiar to Ireland’s lifeboat crews who took to Dublin’s Grafton Street to launch the campaign in Ireland which is proudly supported by John West.

The charity asked the public to get behind its Irish lifeboat crews by donating or holding their own fundraising event. The response was overwhelming with over €40,000 raised to date. Funds will go towards training volunteer lifeboat crews and operating RNLI lifeboats across Ireland.

Lifeboat crews comprise 1,500 male and female members in Ireland. A further 500 members work as shore crew and 2,000 people are dedicated to fundraising for the 43 lifeboat stations throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland and inland stations at Enniskillen and Lough Derg.

Lifeboat crew and their

D-class inshore lifeboat received a warm reception from the public on Grafton Street. Crewmembers Sharon Pollock from Newcastle, Co Down; Joss Walsh; Luke Malcolm and Ian Martin from Howth all volunteer for the RNLI.

Being a lifeboat volunteer means they must wear a pager fulltime to alert them of a Mayday emergency call, night or day. It means dropping everything, leaving the workplace, their families or the comfort of their beds to launch the lifeboat and assist those in trouble at sea, whatever the conditions.

Sharon Pollock has been a lifeboat crewmember for the past eleven years.

“I’ve wanted to join the lifeboat crew since I was a little girl. Every Mayday call is different. Saving a life at sea is hugely rewarding, as it’s often carried out in challenging conditions. Sadly we are faced with tragedies too and returning a loved one to their family is important part of the work the RNLI does.”

Acknowledging John West, RNLI corporate partnerships manager, Michelle Noone, said they were delighted with their support.

“John West knows firsthand the reality of the power of the sea, and fully supports and appreciates the work the RNLI does in saving lives every day throughout the island of Ireland. We would like to thank them very much for their wonderful support.”

John West MD Brendan Murphy said: We have worked closely with the RNLI fundraising team to come up with the Mayday initiative. We are hoping that 1 May will become synonymous with Irish people playing their part in saving lives at sea. We appreciate any donations that are made to the RNLI, no matter how small.’

“Bravery, crew mentality and respect are at the heart of John West values – so we’re very proud to support and be associated with such an amazing organisation!” Brendan Murphy commented.

Ogie ‘OK’ with lifeboat soapbox win! 18 year-old Christopher

mcGloin, driving the Roguey Rocket soapbox for ogie o’kelly’s ok Cabs clinched the title of ‘bundoran Lifeboat Soapbox Race Champion 2012.’

A 2000 strong crowd gathered at Astoria Road in Bundoran, to see McGloin battle for first place with Ashley Ward driving his soapbox on behalf of Ward

Automation. The nail-biting final race of the day saw the two drivers neck and neck for some seconds before the Roguey Rocket took the lead and claimed the victory.

Almost 30 soapboxes were entered by businesses and individuals in Bundoran. “A lot of effort was put into building the carts and overall we

were very impressed by the standard,” remarked Cormac McGurren, event organiser.

“We were thrilled with the day. The rain stayed off and the atmosphere was electric. A big thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a great success,” said Shane Smyth, Bundoran Lifeboat press offer.

RNLI and John West staff with Áine and Orlaith Moriarty - 5 year old twins from Santry

Photo Lorcan Brereton

Brendan Murphy Managing Director, John West - ISI Ltd and staff with RNLI crewmember Sharon Pollack, Newscastle Co Down. Photo Margaret Brown

inshore ireland June/July 2012 19

mayday aPPeaL

Volunteerism honoured at Dublin and Belfast ceremoniesThe annual

presentation of awards by the RNLI is a ‘thank

you’ to the numerous individuals, clubs and associations who volunteer to collect funds for this charity.

In 2011, lifeboat volunteer crews launched 980 times last year and rescued 905 people. “But today I want to single out our fundraisers. Thanks to them, income raised reached €65.2 million across Ireland and the UK in 2011,” remarked Peter Crowley, RNLI council member.

“Legacies reached €122m in 2011, thanks to those who remembered the RNLI in their wills. We estimate that six out of every 10 lifeboat launches are made possible through this,” he said.

The guest of honour at the Dublin event was RTÉ’s Bryan Dobson who presented the bronze, silver and gold badges, service awards and supporter awards, including one to the Howth Angling Centre.

This was the first time Howth AC received this award for a generous box collection and boat competition proceeds. On behalf of the centre, Derek Evans and Nicky Byrne accepted the award.

Awards in Belfast were presented by singer Frances Black whose family has a strong connection with Rathlin Island and knows the Red Bay crew well.

“The RNLI is an extremely dedicated organisation, not just its volunteer crews but the wider network of support that surrounds it,” she said.

Bob Donaldson Ringsend and East Wall Branch Silver Badge

Bob was a much-loved and dedicated lifelong RNLI supporter and volunteer who passed away in 2010. Bob organised his friends and family to collect on O’Connell Bridge every Dublin Flag

day along with members of the Poolbeg Yacht and Boat club. He organised “raffles” and selling of Christmas cards in the club along with emptying of boxes in the area. He was also a volunteer at the RNLI shops in Dublin and helped in collecting stock to sell. His family have now taken on the collection on the bridge for which we are very grateful. We miss Bob greatly and he is thourghly deserving of this award and his son Robert will collect the award on behalf of his family.

The community of Inishbofin Island were presented with a coveted RNLI award by the Duke of Gloucester in London recently in recognition of their long-term support for the lifesaving charity. Funds raised over the years have exceeded €50,000. Photo Nigel Millard

All photos Colin Watson unless stated otherwise

20 inshore ireland June/July 2012

voLvo ocean race

All eyes on the City of Tribes for a world-class maritime event

The final leg of the 2012 Volvo Ocean Race starts from Lorient on July 1 and will take the fleet of six boats on a predominantly coastal course northwards along the shores of western Brittany, across the English Channel and westward to the finish line in Galway.

Compiled by Gillian Mills

Despite its short distance of 485 nautical miles, this final

passage is fraught with obstacles to be negotiated: commercial shipping lanes, rocky outcrops, headlands and major tidal gates.

As the boats sprint for the finish line, the stage is set for a grand finale to welcome the boats, the teams and tens of thousands of visitors to this week-long maritime festival.

Central to the festival is Global Village 2012 – a business-to-business initiative based on a trading post concept of open and free showcasing and trading of goods and services to a global audience.

The 17 acre site will comprise conferences, seminars, exhibition space and networking hubs under four themes: Marine, Green, Food and Innovation.

An interactive showcase of marine resources will focus on seafood; marine environment; ecosystems & water quality; marine technology; marine research; education and training; shipping; tourism and leisure and ocean energy.

Ocean Wealth ShowcaseThe weeklong event will include exhibits demonstrating the scale and

diversity of Ireland’s ocean resources and their economic, social and environmental value to our island nation.

» find out about the status of our fisheries and their importance to our coastal communities; developments in the fishing, processing and aquaculture industries and the major potential of seafood as part of our thriving Irish food sector internationally.

» developments in the shipping industry: training, new technologies, e-navigation, safety.

» the latest technology being used to manage and monitor our ocean resources; why and how do we monitor our marine environment and can we improve?

» INFOMAR – The world’s first survey to target total coverage of the seabed. What have we learned and how much more have we left to do? Research Vessel, RV Keary will be in the harbour to give a hands-on demonstration of the mapping techniques and systems to visitors.

» Ireland has the best ocean energy resources in the world and some of the most innovative technologies are being developed and tested here. Is this the next big industry of the future?

» Weather and climate change: what is happening in our oceans and how will it affect our lives as an island nation?

» We have the most spectacular coasts, beaches, rivers and lakes - all very much in demand by nature lovers, adventurers, anglers, sailors, watersports enthusiasts and international tourists. How can we ensure that these valuable resources are developed and protected for the enjoyment of all?

Ocean Wealth Events Programme

June 30-July 1: family fun: Earn a Pirates Higher Diploma (PHD) at Black John Cartoon Workshops where the secrets of the ocean will be revealed; learn about the BIM Lobster V-notching conservation scheme and other marine creatures; Follow the Fleet – and come and see a world premier animated children’s film; captain your own ship and lots more for kids of all ages…

July 2: 3rd annual smartocean conference: ‘Getting more from our Marine Resources through Technology’ will take place in the Marine Institute, Oranmore. Over 120 national and international delegates will gather to hear presentations from the marine and ICT sector; State Agencies and Research Institutes.

The discussion will focus on the challenges and lead opportunities to translate innovative technologies into business solutions focused on developing aquaculture, security and logistics and offshore energy. Details: www.smartocean.org

tuesday 3rd July: smartocean innovation exchange: The central objective of this inaugural event is to support companies to innovate in the marine sector & excite the investment community and the public about the potential of new technologies and opportunities now opening in emerging or established marine sectors. The Innovation Exchange is open to companies (Irish and international) to demonstrate both their technology solutions and their ability to successfully exploit marine resources in a commercial and sustainable manner. An expert panel of judges will short-list 15-20 companies against innovation criteria and three winners will be selected for recognition awards sponsored by multinationals who are members of the SmartOcean Cluster. To nominate a company visit www.smartocean.org

July 4: smartocean innovators: SMEs and multinationals will continue to exhibit alongside their R&D partners in the third level and State agency sector.

July 5&6: Marine careers & recruitment. Two day recruitment drive (see Oceans of Opportunity on opposite page). Alternatively if you’re interested in training or research opportunities in the third level sector, BIM’s Coastal Training Unit will be on site to advise on available courses in the seafood sector.

July 6: deep sea: Focus on the marine environment, deep-s ecosystems and climate change.

The oceans cover 70% of the earth’s surface and our very survival depends on them. Over the past 20 years, Ireland has taken its place among international leaders in the field of ocean science and has produced exciting and revealing research on our marine environment.

Presentations:Mapping Ireland’s Seabed – Why & How? Koen

Verbruggen, Geological Survey of Ireland

How Climate Change is Bringing About Amazing Changes In Our Marine Life; Dr Ken Whelan, author, international researcher and lecturer with UCD

Deep Water Coral Reefs: Ireland’s Hidden Treasures. Dr Anthony Grehan, NUIG

The Challenges Of Managing and Protecting Ireland’s Water. Michéal Ó Cinnéide, Director of Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Protection Agency.

July 7&8: stay safe at sea: Safety is a key consideration for anyone involved in sailing or working at sea and in order to highlight the importance of staying safe at sea, Ocean Wealth showcase exhibitors will be offering safety talks and advice to visitors including ‘lifejacket health checks’ and stay safe at sea practical workshops.

keep m-informed: Keeping a close watch and reporting on all things marine will be the Galway twitter Buoy located in Galway Bay for all Volvo Race, Ocean Wealth Showcase, navigation, environmental and metocean information. Details: www.twitter.com/GalwayBuoy or www.facebook.com/GalwayBuoy.

in-port racing during the 2009 galway stopover Photo: G Mills

A MeteoGroup Division

MeteoGroup O�shore

inshore ireland June/July 2012 21

voLvo ocean race

A busy schedule ahead for the INFOMAR team

InFomAR began its 2012 survey season in April with RV keary and RV Geo being mobilised from Clogherhead and working simultaneously in the Dundalk bay area. the vessels, which are managed by the Geological

Survey of Ireland, were acquiring data from 2m-30m depth as part of the InIS-hydro project which is funded under the IntERREG IVa programme.

May saw the Marine Institute managed vessel RV Celtic Voyager being deployed on May 17 for a three week survey. The survey focused on acquiring data near the Codling Bank; East and South of the Arklow Bank – all of which form part of the Eastern Priority Area.

DEEP WAtER GRAb SAmPLESOperating in waters ranging from 16m-80m a total of 10

shipwrecks were mapped as well as large sandwaves with amplitudes of up to 15m. During this leg, grab samples were taken which will be analysed as part of the Water Framework Directive.

Over the coming months, in addition to the areas that will be surveyed as part of the INFOMAR 2012 plan, the team will provide support in various formats to other projects. These include work off the Copper Coast GeoPark as part of the Atlanterra project and finalising assistance on deep water aquaculture projects at Inisbofin and Inisturk.

Following on from the successful collaboration last year with the National Monuments Service in Donegal, RV Keary will again provide vessel support for the Underwater Archaeology Unit for shipwreck diving and surveying off Burtonport, Co Donegal.

VoLVo AnD tALL ShIPS FEStIVALSINFOMAR will also have a strong presence at the finale of the Volvo Ocean Race 2012, and will

welcome visitors onboard R.V. Keary in Galway Harbour where she’ll be berthed throughout the festival.

INFOMAR will also be exhibiting at the Ocean Wealth Showcase in the Global Village to provide more details on their work programme, as well as displaying some of the survey results from the programme. The team will also give a presentation on July 7: Mapping Ireland’s Seabed -How & Why?

Back in Dublin, INFOMAR survey vessels will be in the city during the Tall Ships Race finale August 23-26, when the public will be welcomed on board to see how the technical operations of a typical survey work. Up to 100 vessels are expected in Dublin for this spectacle of sail.

Further plans for 2012 will see the survey vessels continue to survey in the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and further mapping in Cork Harbour.

The project’s annual seminar takes place in University College Cork, running back to back with the EC FP7 GeoSeas Project final conference. This project, involving INFOMAR staff, has linked Irish marine data centres to their equivalents across Europe. The INFOMAR seminar will showcase both the work completed to date and future plans, as well as associated projects and research supported and funded by the programme.

Oceans of Opportunity

SmartOcean Ireland and the Marine Institute are hosting ‘Oceans of Opportunity’

– a marine careers, education and training event as part of the Ocean Wealth Showcase on July 5&6.

Many marine jobs will be on offer as well as information on opportunities for training in the marine sector. A range of companies across shipping, technology, research, energy sectors will be actively recruiting on July 5 with experienced HR specialists on hand to provide advice on preparing for a career in the marine sector.

The Marine Institute and the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) will also be offering marine career advice, job opportunities, CV workshops and clinics to support and advise job seekers looking to work in the marine sector.

A series of short talks will also run throughout Thursday on ‘a day in the

life’ to provide insight into the variety of careers available in the marine sector. Visit www.marinejobs.ie for details of the opportunities on offer.

The Marine Institute is the national agency responsible for Marine Research, Technology Development and Innovation (RTDI). It seeks to assess and realise the economic potential of Ireland’s 220 million acre marine resource; promote the sustainable development of marine industry through strategic funding programmes and essential scientific services; and safeguard our marine environment through research and environmental monitoring.

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) is an office of the Marine Institute dedicated to the development, promotion and marketing of the shipping services sector.

SmartOcean Ireland is a cluster of SMEs, multinational companies and research organisations working together to apply new and developing technology to create products and services for the marine sectors.

Saving lives 24/7RNLI Galway is served by three lifeboat stations at the Galway

docks; the Aran Islands and at Clifden. But with the expected huge number of visitors to the city, the RNLI will provide an additional Atlantic class lifeboat, available 24/7 in case of emergency.

The RNLI will also have a shop in the Global Village and the charity will have a special Flag Day collection in Salt Hill on July6.

RNLI lifeboat lying at anchor at Achill. Photo G Mills

INFOMAR mapping in south Irish Sea, apart from the ‘U shaped’ area in the SE which was mapped by a previous project but verified during current mapping.

inFoMAr – the facts The INFOMAR (INtegrated Mapping FOr the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s MARine Resource)

programme is a joint venture between the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Marine Institute and is the successor to the Irish National Seabed Survey (INSS).

INFOMAR is producing integrated mapping products covering the physical, chemical and physical habitat features of the seabed. The surveys are carried using a range of platforms, including the MI’s RV Celtic Explorer and RV Celtic Voyager; the GSI’s inshore launches RV KEARY and RV GEO, and airborne LIDAR.

The programme uses ship-mounted acoustic multibeam sonar and geophysical technology to provide vital information on water depth for safe shipping, as well as analysing the properties of the seabed for information that can guide fishing, ocean renewable development, environmental protection, and marine archaeology. Further information: www.infomar.ie; www.gsi.ie and www.marine.ie

RV Keary and RV Geo sheltering in Clogherhead during a recent summer storm

22 inshore ireland June/July 2012

comPany ProfiLe

Leading provider to the European offshore wind-farm sector, Fastnet Shipping is poised for Irish take-off

Leading Irish marine plant and wind farm support vessel operator, Fastnet

Shipping Limited, has taken delivery of its third windfarm, survey and dive support vessel, Fastnet Skua, which went straight to work on a 75 turbine, 270MW windfarm 8 kilometers off the Lincolnshire coast at Skegness. A fourth sister vessel, Fastnet Puffin, will be launched and operational in Q3, 2012 for work in the UK/ European offshore

windfarm market.Based in Waterford, this

fifth-generation family company has more than 50 years experience operating and chartering vessels and marine plant for dredging; harbour and coastal towage; crew transfer; transport and offshore logistics. During the busy summer months, the company would employ up to 30 staff who would be active in the UK and Western Europe in Belgium, France and The Netherlands.

“Our staff comprises

experienced sea-going personnel (masters; skippers; barge masters and crew; marine contractors and coordinators). All our personnel are trained to exceed regulatory requirements; training in our industry is pretty intensive, stringent and must be always up to date,” company directors Martin and Trevor O’Hanlon explained to Inshore Ireland.

“We’ve also implemented an integrated quality, environmental and health and safety management system to meet the requirements of ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001 and are confident of full certification later this year.”

Fastnet can also provide combifloats, unifloats tugs, pontoons and barges – comprising a 22 vessel strong fleet that can be tailored to meet client’s bespoke requirements.

BackgroundThe company began in the

early 1960s providing vessels and undertaking maintenance works in harbours and piers along the southeast coast. In the early 1980s, Fastnet moved into the dredging market and was involved in large-scale projects throughout Ireland while also trading as an aggregate merchant.

By the end of the decade, Fastnet had upgraded its fleet to include larger trailer suction and aggregate dredgers and was soon consulting in the export market – primarily for land reclamation in Bahrain and the construction market in Portugal and Madeira

“This was long before land reclamation had even being thought about for major schemes in the Arabian Gulf,” they added.

On the domestic market however due to a slump in dredging “and the dominance of large conglomerates and

the unwillingness of the Irish Government to license aggregate extraction, we diversified to provide towage and marine plant services to an emerging and growing sector,” the O’Hanlon’s explained.

tHe fLeetFastnet currently operates

the largest private fleet of tugs within Ireland and provides more than 99.9% of all required towage within Waterford Harbour and along the southeast coast. The company has six different tugs, ranging in size from 5-45 ton bollard pull.

In 2010 the company entered the offshore windfarm/turbine transfer market when it took delivery of two bespoke vessels: Fastnet Swift and Fastnet Tern for work in the UK.

“The vessels were very well received by our clients – so much so we’ve ordered two

inshore ireland June/July 2012 23

comPany ProfiLe

further vessels from Blyth Workcats, the fourth of which we’ll be launching later this year.”

Internal and external layout is designed with passenger comfort and safety in mind without losing performance or durability.

“All of these vessels are built to exceed certification requirements by the Marine Survey Office (MSO) in Ireland and the Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) in the UK,” they added.

ProJectsTo date, Fastnet’s

involvement in the offshore renewable energy sector has included operating and chartering various vessels on projects that include: Barrow Offshore Windfarm; Arklow Banks; the Kish Bray and Codling Windpark; Robin Rigg; Sheringham Shoal; Greater Gabbard; The Galloper; London Array,

Lincolnshire Offshore.“But that’s just the beginning.

We’re open to investing in innovative ideas to provide a broad service range to existing and new clients,” the O’Hanlons explained.

Fastnet is also the largest independent operator of jack-up barges – both modular and mono hull in Ireland – and is the only operator of Voith Schneider bed levelling tugs in Ireland.

“These tugs offer clients unrivalled maneuverability and very high production rates when compared to conventional units,” he explained.

Typical projects would include: piling, pier/marina construction; over-water drilling and blasting or site investigations; offshore windfarms; bridges; outfalls, cable conduits and pipeline installations. Other activities include overwater horizontal directional drilling; cable

conduit installation; outfall installation and navigation beacon installation.

tHe futureDespite the current economic

climate, Fastnet is confident of a bright future and since 2007 has seen year-on-year and above-average growth.

“The marine sector is in a growth phase. We’re fully committed to growth in the offshore renewables market in Irish waters by investing in new, bespoke service vessels and workboats, providing jobs and training – and broadening our skill and knowledgebase.

“We anticipate that our forward thinking and advance investment will put us in the excellent position of being able offer and provide each and every potential investor who enters this sector with highly experienced crews and proven vessels from a company with a proven track record.” the O’Hanlons emphasised.

Fastnet Skua Fastnet Skua is a 12-passenger bespoke 14m x 5m

multi-role vessel, powered by twin Cummins QSC

8.3 500hp engines which reached 28 knots during

sea trials.

statistics: » LOA: 14 m

» Beam: 5.0 m

» Draft: 1.0m

» Propulsion: Fixed props

» Generator: 6kw Diesel A/C Generator

» +3.5kw Inverter

» Fuel Capacity: 900 Gallons

the Bridge: » 2 x SIMRAD LVR880 – Fixed DSC VHFs – Both with load hailers and foghorns. (Independent GMDSS installations)

» 1 x ICOM M505 – Fixed DSC VHF (Independent GMDSS installations)

» 2 x ICOM M33 Handheld Waterproof VHFs

» 1x Simrad 6kw Open Array Radar

» 1 x 4kw SIMRAD 3G Radome

» 2 x Simrad NSO Multifunction Chart Plotters

» 1x Simrad 0.6kw Standard Dual Frequency Sounder / Transducer

» 1x Simrad 1kw Structure Side scan Sonar / Sounder / Transducer

» 1x Simrad AP35 Autopilot

» 1x Simrad IS20 Wind Sensor + Display

» 1x Simrad IMO Class A AIS Navigation System

» Simrad MX575 Satellite Compass, Simrad Standalone IMO GPS System

» Sea Marshall SAR finder 1003 Mk II MOB locating unit

» Full Vessel CCTV System

» 750mm x 750mm moon pool , gas suspension seating for all passengers

» A proven and interchangeable turbine nose fender docking connection and hydraulic power pack

» Fastnet Skua can also carry up to 3000kgs of cargo and has large forward and aft cargo and laydown areas.

24 inshore ireland June/July 2012

water, cLimate & energy congress

Global representation at water, climate and energy congressRay Earle, Project Manager of the Eastern River Basin District

The International Water Association (IWA) is the global leader

in advocacy for policy coherence in the inextricably linked natural and anthropogenic cycles of water, energy and other vital resources to support all forms of life on earth.

Dublin was awarded the hosting of the IWA inaugural World Congress on Water, Climate and Energy which took place at the Convention Centre Dublin, May 13-18. The Congress, which was officially opened by Mairéad McGuinness MEP, was themed Building a Sustainable Global Future with particular emphasis on the water, climate and energy nexus.

Almost 1,200 delegates from more than 60 countries

attended the CCD. Including plenary speakers, the opening ceremony main speaker and the lunchtime lectures, more than 370 papers and presentations were delivered.

The Scientific Committee, chaired by Professor Michael Bruen of UCD and the Local Organising Committee, had overall responsibility for the content of the Technical Programme. Much work was done in advance of the Congress to ensure that as many areas relevant to the main theme were covered in a coherent and timely manner.

Breakout sessionsFollowing each plenary

session, six parallel breakout sessions occurred daily to ensure that the maximum number of topics was covered. These sessions took the form of oral presentations, workshops and panel discussions and covered a wide range of diverse topics including the economics of water; climate adaptation;

water resources management; environmental sustainability; the water energy nexus; utility efficiency; climate change and water resources; developing country issues; water quality trading; GHG mitigation and renewable energy; water and wastewater management; planning and sustainable development.

‘Hot topic’ sessions covered areas such as utility metering and charging; ‘fracking’ and onsite wastewater treatment systems.

Enterprise Ireland hosted the industry day which was attended by Minister of State for Research & Innovation, Sean Sherlock. The plenary session that day took the form of an industry panel debate which was moderated by IWA President Glen Daigger and involved five panelists: Tom Leahy of Dublin City Council; John Shaw, Mainstream Renewable Power; Martin Curley, Intel Ireland; Khoo Teng Chye, Centre for Liveable Cities

and Cor Merks, PWN Technologies.

The debate was a lively discussion among the panellists and was deemed to be one of the highlights of the Congress.

exHiBition eLementApproximately 200 posters

were displayed and generated a lot of interest among delegates as they represented a large cross-section of the research that is being undertaken in the areas of water; climate, energy and food security in countries all over the world.

More than 30 companies and organisations were represented, with 20 stands in the main exhibition area on the ground floor. All refreshment breaks were held there to facilitate interaction between the delegates, the exhibitors and the poster presenters.

Through the support of the bursary fund, 13 delegates from lower-income and least-

developed countries were able to attend.

The countries they represented included: Bangladesh; Brazil; Burkina Faso; India; Malawi; Nepal; Nigeria; Tanzania; Thailand and Uganda. Many of these delegates spoke about the impacts that climate change, food security issues and poor water management were having on their local communities.

networking oPPortunities

The delegates were unanimous in their view that the Congress had provided them not only with a chance to deliver their oral or poster presentations, but also with valuable networking opportunities with colleagues working and researching in similar areas around the globe.

Throughout the Congress, the author as chair and some of the plenary speakers and senior IWA staff gave

Glen T. Daigger leads the industry panel debate at the IWA-WCE Congress in Dublin

inshore ireland June/July 2012 25

water, cLimate & energy congress

interviews to various media outlets, including RTE Six-One News, Newstalk and the Irish Times.

Throughout the Congress, members of the Scientific Committee were adjudicating on both oral and poster presentations. Awards were also presented at the Gala Dinner in various categories, going to the following:

» Best Oral Presentation: Matthijs Bonte, KWR Watercycle Research Institute, Netherlands

» Best Poster Presentation (kindly sponsored by Codema): Anne-Celine Chevremont, Cnrs Imbe, France

» Runner-up Oral presentation: Bruce Rhodes, Melbourne Water, Australia

» Runner-up Poster Presentation: - Ted McCormack, Trinity College Dublin

» Best Young Water Professional: Lars Willuweit, Urban InstituteIreland

» Best Overall Innovative Award: Sanderine van Odijk , Utrecht University, Netherlands

Two technical tours were arranged for the final day, to Waterford to visit the Integrated Constructed Wetlands and Restoration of Annestown Stream in Anne Valley, and to Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant, Flood Defences and Shanganagh Treatment Works.

Feedback has been extremely positive about the value of the Congress. The declaration, as drafted in Dublin by the IWA’s Water, Climate & Energy Task Group, following a very successful workshop and meeting during the Congress, is currently being reviewed by the Task Group Director.

Once finalised, it will be put before the IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition in Busan, Korea in September for consideration.

The most up-to-date version of the declaration is due to be published shortly on the IWA-WCE Dublin Congress website. The output from the Dublin Congress is also being reviewed by the IWA’s Strategic Council in the context of other task groups such as Cities of the Future and specialist group clusters.

Sponsors and supportersThe IWA publishing

organisation in London has agreed the appointment of an editor and sub-editors, to review all applications for the publication of oral and poster papers presented at the Dublin Congress. These are all of a very high standard having already been peer reviewed by the Scientific Committee members, but will be examined further for potential publication in appropriate IWAP journals.

The Congress could not have taken place without the generous support of its sponsors. The primary sponsors were Dublin City

Council; Interreg Fund IV and FloodResillientCities. The supporting sponsors were CDMSmith; IBM; RPS Group; Veolia Environment; Enterprise Ireland; the Environmental Protection Agency; Intel; Science Foundation of Ireland and www.irelandinspires.com.

The general sponsors were CH2MHILL; Pobal; Ernst & Young; ESB International; Borg Gáis; Bord na Móna and Engineers Ireland. It should be noted that the estimated value to Dublin City in terms of exhibitor and delegates’ spend, is believed to be well in excess of €1m.

ThE PlENARY SPEAkERS NuMbERED 16 IN TOTAl, AND INCluDED: » Paul Reiter, Executive Director of IWA and PJ Rudden, President of Engineers Ireland, spoke about the context of the congress in terms of Water, Climate and Energy

» Theo Schmitz, CEO of Vewin and Martin Curley, Director of Intel labs Europe, covered the theme of utility Efficiency

» Mary Robinson, President of MRFCJ and kevin Parris, Economist OECD, both spoke about climate justice

» Paul R. brown, Executive Vice-President of CDM Smith and Christian Clauss & Mike kehoe, both of IbM, all spoke about the theme of Smart liveable Cities

» khoo Teng Chye, Centre for liveable Cities, Singapore and Genevieve Ferone, Veolia Water, covered the areas of Infrastructure & Governance

» Einari kisel, Senior Fellow World Energy Council and Peter heiland, (SIC adapt!) spoke about global sustainability

» James l. barnard, black & Veatch and Cor Merks, PWN Technologies, covered the themes of Technology & Innovation

The Enterprise Ireland/Dublin City stand at the congress

Ray Earle, IWA-WCE Congress organiser and former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson (Mary Robinson Foundation - Climate Justice) Glen Daigger and Mairéad McGuinness, MEP

Delegates can continue to follow ongoing progress and outputs by checking the IWA-WCE Congress website http://iwa-wcedublin.org/

26 inshore ireland June/July 2012

marine r&d

GeoSeas implements e-infrastructure of marine geological and geophysical data centres

Koen Verbrugggen, GSI

the Geoseas Full Network meeting took place on April 18-19 in

santorini, organised by NoA – oceanographic Agency of Greece.the Geo-seas project is implementing an e-infrastructure of 26 marine geological and geophysical data centres located in

17 european maritime countries.

Users are enabled to identify, locate and access pan-European, harmonised and federated marine geological and geophysical datasets and derived data products held by the data centres through a single common data portal.

Representing the GSI on day 1 were Maria Judge, Ali Robinson and Grainne O’Shea who presented their current progress report which highlighted the GSI’s involvement and successful completion of work packages including:• WP 9 Installation and testing

of Geo-seas components at data centres

• WP 10.2 Developing viewing services for seabed maps & geological logs

• WP 10.3 Standardisation & Harmonisation of seabed habitat mapping

• WP 11.1 Viewing Service High Resolution Seismic Data

• WP 11.2 Development & Demonstration of DTM & Viewing Services

In addition to the progress

report, the GSI also had the opportunity to present on their new Global Map Viewer initiative which allows partner countries to view their data via web services. The mapping system is unique to those currently developed for European SDI data initiative as the coverage area is the extent of the world using WGS84 reference system.

This will enable the integration of standardised services form Australia, Africa and the Americas and potentially positions the GSI to become involved with future transnational and global marine geosciesnce data initiatives.

Day 2 focused on a summary from each of the partners and reviewed project performance to date by the GeoSeas Advisory Board. The advisory board recommended an approach to delivering the final project report to the European Commission, and highlighted the need to reinforce validation and quality in the data components of the project.

GSI extended an invitation to all partners to participate in the INFOMAR Annual Seminar

in University College Cork on October 11- 12 which has been purposely scheduled to coincide with the GeoSeas Final Project meeting in UCC the same week.

eMoDNet – GeoLoGyThe final meeting of the

European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODNET) Geology Project http://www.emodnet-geology.eu/ was hosted by the Polish Geological Institute in Gdansk over two days 22-23 May 2012. The GSI was one of the 14 partners in attendance, with all partners having compiled marine geological data layers for the Baltic Sea, Great North Sea and the Celtic Sea.

Day one saw the work package leaders present updates on the individual data themes with data compiled over the course of the project to include new information on; seafloor geology; seafloor sediments; geological events and probability; aggregate and hydrocarbon resources.

The data layers have been integrated into the One-Geology

Europe (1GE) portal http://onegeology-europe.brgm.fr/geoportal/viewer.jsp and are INSPIRE compliant. The 1GE portal currently holds maps of sea-bed sediments; sea-floor geology (lithology and stratigraphy); geological boundaries and major faults and a coastal behaviour layer. The map layers for geological events and minerals will be added as soon as they are complete.

GSI also presented a new Global Map Viewer displaying all GSI data layers compiled as part of EMODNET-Geology. Further development of the web viewer is proposed as part of the new call for the next phase of the EMODNET Geology Lot in collaboration with project partners at the French and British Geological Surveys.

The final EMODNET-Geology report has been submitted and accepted by the EC Marine Directorate. Any outstanding data additions will be included to the project up to end of July.

EMODNET Project. Final maps of seafloor substrate, bathymetry and seafloor lithology

inshore ireland June/July 2012 27

marine r&d

Summer of marine science & technologyLisa Fitzpatrick

All eyes will be on Irish marine science this summer during

two prominent events. The first will be held in Galway at the Ocean Wealth Showcase in the Volvo Ocean Race Global Village, June 30-July 8. The second takes place the following week at the European Science Open Forum (ESOF) 2012, Convention Centre Dublin from July 11-15.

The Ocean Wealth Showcase opens with fun activities for the family scheduled for the weekend. The focus then shifts to marine information and communications technology (ICT) and how we can get the most from our marine resource through marine technology.

There will also be an emphasis on maritime career opportunities with new job opportunities and a careers clinic. Talks on the marine environment will centre on climate change impacts and Ireland’s deep water corals.

marine innovation at tHe voLvo gLoBaL viLLage

The SmartOcean Cluster together with the Marine Institute will host the 3rd Annual SmartOcean Workshop and Innovation Exchange on July 2-3 under the theme of ‘Getting more from our Marine Resources through Technology’.

Already established as a key annual event for companies and research centres engaged in the marine ICT sector, it is a forum for critical debate on the key development challenges that face marine-related sectors.

As a new sector, Marine/ICT offers new solutions to sector specific challenges and through this workshop will broaden the understanding of those challenges while giving valuable input to the policies

necessary to support this growing sector.

The workshop provides an opportunity to hear international perspectives from leaders across the marine and ICT sector, State agencies and research institutes. It is designed to stimulate discussion on the challenges, and lead opportunities for translation of innovative technologies into solutions for the global marine sector. Discussions will focus on specific opportunities relating to aquaculture, security and logistics and offshore energy.

The workshop opens July 2nd at the Marine Institute Headquarters in Oranmore, Co Galway and will move to the Ocean Wealth Showcase on Tuesday afternoon for a public showing of the SmartOcean Innovation Exchange.

Sponsored by SmartBay Ireland, the Innovation Exchange will profile a selection of leading SMEs actively engaged in the development and translation of technology- enabled products and services into marine related sectors.

For more information on the SmartOcean Conference/Innovation Exchange visit www.smartocean.org

For a full programme of events at the Ocean Wealth Showcase, visit http://www.volvooceanracegalway.ie/globalvillage/marinepillar.aspx.

euroPean city of science... and tHe sea

The European Science Open Forum is the largest convergence of the sciences, humanities and culture in Europe 2012 and will be hosted by Dublin, Europe’s City of Science 2012.

ESOF 2012 takes place at the Convention Centre Dublin and the programme includes sessions of interest to the marine science community, including ESOF Symposium, The Atlantic – A Shared Resource, at 4pm on July 12.

In this session Professor John Delaney, University of

Washington will take a look at what once divided and now unites the USA and Europe by highlighting historical, cultural and scientific links between the two continents and the challenges/ opportunities that require a united approach.

Robert-Jan Smits, Director General, research and Innovation, European Commission will talk about exploring the opportunities and benefits of cooperation across the Atlantic in the areas of science, technology and innovation.

Keynote addresses will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO Marine Institute.

Other sessions of interest include a presentation on communicating marine science entitled: Atlantic Ocean Literacy: A Grand Challenge at 1.30pm on July 12 This will look at ocean literacy efforts in the

USA and Europe, and will work to define concepts and issues that are important for everyone connected to the Atlantic Ocean to know and understand.

The event will also provide an opportunity to showcase Irish marine science with spectacular deep-sea video footage of a major discovery of a field of hydrothermal vents along the mid-Atlantic ridge filmed onboard the RV Celtic Explorer last August.

The discovery of rust coloured chimney structures bellowing super heated (350˚C) sulphur enriched seawater more than 3000m below sea level was made by team of scientists led by Dr Andy Wheeler, UCC, with the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway; Geological Survey of Ireland and University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre in the UK. Holland 1 ROV (remotely operated

vehicle) was deployed diving to depths of 3000 meters taking video footage and grabbing samples of the strange sea creatures that live on the vents, such as a shrimp that sees in infrared with a third eye.

The footage of the Moytirra Vent field, named after a mythological Irish battlefield (meaning plain of pillars) was filmed by National Geographic and the documentary, Alien Deep, will be premiered at the ESOF event.

Attendance at ESOF 2012 is by registration only. Full programme and registration details at http://esof2012.org/

The Dublin City of Science Festival is a year-long celebration of science with over 160 events that will showcase the best of Irish culture, arts and science.

For info visit http://www.dublinscience2012.ie

The RV Celtic Explorer will be involved with a number of events held in Dublin during ESOF 2012. Left to Right: Dr. Peter Heffernan, CEO Marine Institute; David Fahy, Director ESOF 2012; Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD; Ciara Backwell; An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Jim Fennell, Marine Institute Chairman. Front: Lydie Dieval.

The Moytirra vent field. Picture shows chimneys of metal sulphides (black and rust coloured) formed at 3,000 metres below sea level. Image copyright Marine Institute.

28 inshore ireland June/July 2012

marine r&d

News from the seabed…

Dr Anuschka Miller (SAMS) & André Cocuccio (MCA)

Since January 2011 a European Union funded project has been surveying

areas including Dundrum bay and SE mourne Coast, Carlingford Lough and approaches and Dundalk bay, to gather information on the depth, shape and sediment type of the seabed. the project is also responsible for gathering data off the west coast of Scotland (see Figure 1).

With first results beginning to emerge, a previously unknown shipwreck has just been discovered in Dundalk Bay (see Figure 2). So far, researchers have been unable to find any records relating to the wreck, which appears to lie upside down. Comprising a bulky rectangular object with a flat top surface and a long mast-like structure protruding from it, the wreck looks like a giant spade sitting on the seabed.

Why WE nEED SEAbED InFoRmAtIon

Whilst modern terrestrial maps are largely highly accurate, seabed maps are often much less so, with some of the data used to construct them originating from 19th century lead-line measurements.

Nowadays, state-of-the-art survey vessels employ high-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES) technology to record seabed information in detail. This works by simultaneously emitting hundreds of sound beams beneath the survey vessel, whilst onboard computers ‘listen’ for and record the return echoes or ‘soundings’ to be reflected back from the seabed, or a wreck sitting on it.

As the survey vessel continues along its pre-defined survey line-plan, the MBES system compiles and stores all the soundings it receives, building up a picture of the seabed as it goes. Once completed, the compiled soundings or ‘bathymetry’ can be used to produce a highly detailed, three-dimensional model of

the seafloor and any objects located on it.

Many people benefit from this kind of information: in particular the data are used to improve nautical charts and provide environmental planners and developers with an accurate picture of the types of seabed habitats around our coast. Furthermore, reliable maps of the seabed are a prerequisite for safe shipping and for the effective management and conservation of the marine environment.

This kind of high-resolution data may also help the authorities to identify both appropriate sites for developing marine renewables and areas that may deserve particular protection measures.

thE InIS hyDRo PRoJECtThe INIS Hydro project,

which receives £3.2m from the European Union’s INTERREG IVA Programme, brings together seven partner organisations from the Republic of Ireland and the UK to generate high-resolution bathymetric

datasets for over 1400 km2 of key coastal seabed areas off the coasts of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland to the most rigorous of international standards (IHO Order 1a).

The project fosters close working relationships between the partner organisations through the development and implementation of a standardised seabed survey specification, as well as the sharing of good practice between the partners.

INIS Hydro is led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and delivered by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, the Geological Survey of Ireland, the Marine Institute, the Northern Lighthouse Board and the Scottish Association for Marine Science. The UK Hydrographic Office is the seventh partner providing quality assurance of the acquired data.

On completion of the project by September 2013, all data will be made freely available to the public.

For more information visit www.inis-hydro.eu

Map of the areas that the INIS Hydro partnership surveys during the project lifetime between January 2011 and September 2013. Image courtesy Martime and Coastguard Agency

Multibeam echosounder image of a newly discovered 113 m long and 1-3 m high shipwreck lying in Dundalk Bay (550 55.4309 N / 006o05.38W) at a minimum depth of 17.9 m. Image courtesy of Chris Martin, Marine Institute

inshore ireland June/July 2012 29

marine r&d

Connecting marine industry with educational institutes

Gery Flynn

A comprehensive STCW10 education and training package

aimed at seafarers in diverse sectors of the marine industry and operating worldwide is now available via an e-learning platform in the EU MarLeaNet Programme, a workshop has heard.

Gráinne Lynch who is responsible for research development at the National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy - the outreach college for MarLeaNet in Ireland, which hosted the workshop - explains that because maritime training centres generally exist independently of one another – reporting solely to their own authorities – there is often no connection between what the maritime industry needs and what educational institutes are providing.

e-Learning PLatformAccording to Ms Lynch,

the MarLeaNet e-learning platform is beginning to play a key role in the education and training of seafarers, and includes inputs from all six of the partner institutes in France, Spain, Portugal and Ireland.

“The e-learning platform itself is being created by the Unversité De Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) in France but we at the Cork Institute of Technology, hence the NMCI, are actually responsible for putting courses on line and having them evaluated by students both with our own education system and in the other maritime centres,” she told Inshore Ireland.

She says the idea behind this initiative is to ensure that there is standardisation and a direct connection between the institutes that are delivering courses in maritime education and vocational educational training across three sectors: fisheries; merchant navy; and naval services.

“For example, if I’m based in Ireland and want to

undertake particular training that will further my career and step it up, I should have access to information about those courses which have a shared standard between them,” she explains.

reaL-time information

Lynch says that networking between the six centres will continue to be an essential element of the e-learning process and that seafarers will have all the information they require to make up their minds about which courses to take as well as when these will be available.

“We understand that seafarers today have very busy lives and that they may be ashore for only short periods of time. But once they register with the programme they will be able to access courses and information from home or from anywhere in the world,” she declares.

For Captain Michael McCarthy, commercial manager at the Port of Cork who also chaired the NMCI workshop, safety is paramount - especially in a workplace where large vessels operate in a relatively confined space.

He believes that recent high-profile maritime accidents where lives were lost undermine the public’s confidence in marine travel.

“At the Port of Cork, as a commercial company, obviously we are very interested in the wider area of the training of seafarers for vessels entering and departing our port. We have to ensure that the link between our pilots and the professional mariners on board is a seamless one and not broken in any way. Our pilots are highly trained as it is; nevertheless, we send them on the NMCI’s Bridge Resource Management Course,” he says.

“We’re also very interested in the standardisation that MarLeaNet brings to the table. And as a former President of the Irish Institute of Master Mariners which represents sea-going mariners - master mariners in particular - I am always very, very conscious that the standard of the junior officers coming

through the various training establishments should not slacken in any way.”

essentiaL safety training

And now as the newly-appointed chairman of Cruise Europe which represents ports from Lisbon right up to the north and through the Baltic and Iceland, Captain McCarthy speaks regularly on subject of safety and officer training.

“So, certainly the MarLeaNet Conference was very appropriate at a very appropriate time,” he says.

MarLeaNet also receives strong backing from Gerry Greenway, Maritime Operations Manager with the Revenue Customs Service who believes the training of seafarers is an essential area of interest for all organisations sending personnel and vessels to sea.

He added that STCW 10 sets out the requirements for refresher training for validation of ancillary certificates for seafarers:

“The Marleanet STCW 10 workshop provided an opportunity for interested parties, from a variety of European countries, to discuss and get an insight into how the regulatory bodies in different countries are interpreting and proposing to implement the requirements of STCW 10.”

From the commercial sea-fisheries perspective too, Shane Begley, principal of BIM’s Regional Fisheries Centre in CastletownBere praises MarLeaNet. He argues that “disparate standards” throughout the marine industry are having a real effect by preventing the movement of labour on fishing vessels within the EU. He believes however that the project’s ability to create networking within the fishing industry will be a “win-win situation” for the fishing industry in Northwest Europe especially.

“By networking all the training institutions, MarLeaNet is bound to lead to a standardisation of training in various disciplines like basic sea survival, elementary first-aid and so forth. Other important training that should take place then would be basic stability training. But at least if you have a common standard across Europe it will be easier to effect this type of training,” Begley concludes.

MarLeaNet 2010-2013 - the MARitime LEArning NETwork - is an EU-sponsored programme designed to forge co-operation through a network of maritime training centers in France, Portugal, Spain and Ireland. It is led by the European Maritime Training Center (CEFCM) in Concarneau, and aims to develop a new and challenging network along the Atlantic area based on cooperation and the transfer of ideas, skills- sharing, dissemination of good practices, experience-sharing in real time and co-production of teaching tools.The 6 partner institutes hope to create a finely-harmonized training - taking into account the rapid changes in the maritime world - and leading the whole system to a new level by exceeding current international standards.MARlEANET aims at developing training courses to meet the changing maritime activities through the creation of a training network in the fishing, shipping, offshore, sailing industries and in the Navy, by:Coordinating a transnational maritime training network with training institutions and stakeholders from the shipping industryExchanging good practices and staff to develop shared and quality trainingCreating a common E-learning tool to all members of the network for distance/online training (aboard ships as well as in training centres) Promoting skilled human resources in the Atlantic Area for more competitive shipping and port industriesCONTACTS1. CENTRE EuROPÉEN DE FORMATION CONTINuE MARITIME

EuROPEAN MARITIME TRAINING CENTER (FRANCE) - 1, rue des Pins – bP 229 – 29182 Concarneau Cedex

2. NATIONAl MARITIME COllEGE OF IRElAND – NMCI (IRElAND) - Ringaskiddy, Co Cork

3. MÚTuA DOS PESCADORES - MÚTuA DE SEGuROS, C.R.l (PORTuGAl) - Av Santos Dumont, 57 - 6º, 7º, 8º - 1050-202 lisboa

4. CENTRO TECNOlÓGICO DEl MAR - CETMAR (SPAIN) - Area de Formación- rua Eduardo Cabello, s/n - E-36208 bouzas-Vigo

5. ESCOlA SuPERIOR NÁuTICA INFANTE D. hENRIQuE (PORTuGAl) - Avenida. Eng°. bonneville Franco - 2770-058 Paço de Arcos

6. uNIVERSITÉ DE bRETAGNE OCCIDENTAlE (FRANCE) - Service universitaire de Formation Continue et d’Education Permanente, 20, avenue le Gorgeu – CS 93837 – 29238 brest Cedex 3

Mr Michael Delaney, Acting Head, National Maritime College of Ireland (l.); Capt Robert Towner, Marine Coastguard Agency, UK

Capt Michael McCarthy, Commercial Manager Port of Cork who chaired the STCW 10 Workshop; Capt Bill Kavanagh, Lecturer NMCI; Alison Kay, Researcher Trinity College Dublin; and Dr Trevor Dobbins, High Speed Craft, UK

Mr Shane Begley, Principal, Bord Iascaigh Mhara Regional Fisheries Centre, Castletownbere

30 inshore ireland June/July 2012

marine r&d

www.marine.ie

Ireland's National Agency for Marine Research and Innovation

Marine InstituteForas na Mara

Our Ocean A Shared Resource

Simple model ensures Norwegians retain lion’s share of ‘oil’ spoilsGery Flynn

An oireachtas all-party committee is to consider adopting norway

as a role model to follow in the development of oil and gas finds, after a senior expert from that country revealed that its success was founded on some simple basic values established at the start and which have hardly changed in almost fifty years.

Ms Mette Karine Gravdahl Agerup, Assistant Director General of Norway’s Ministry of Petroleum and Energy who was addressing the Joint Committee on Communications, Natural Resources and Agriculture (JCCNRA).

REtAInInG oWnERShIP“We established a basic

law, only a few paragraphs long, allowing the government to permit oil companies to carry out oil and gas activities. And as we had no domestic expertise then we invited in foreign

companies and decided we would do all we could to create our own oil and gas expertise.

“We set out simple basic aims for the sector in 1965 which remain the same today. Simply put, we wanted the oil companies to help us maximise the value created from our activities; we wanted to be at the forefront environmentally and regarding safety, and after we built up our expertise we wanted our industry to be international.”

She added that despite lacking experience with hydrocarbon exploration, the Norwegian authorities at the time nevertheless displayed considerable wisdom and foresight by not immediately signing away the rights to the resource, which today employs up to 200,000 people and is credited with providing Norway with a petroleum pension fund topping €600 billion, the largest in the world, and no foreign debt.

“In 1962 Phillips Petroleum offered Norway $1m for the exclusive rights to all oil

and gas resources on the continental shelf for the following 40 years. Luckily some wise people in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not agree” she said.

GooD mAnAGEmEntAt the heart of the

Norwegian model, according to Ms Gravdahl Agerup, is an adherence to good resource management and the belief that the country’s hydrocarbon reserves should be managed so as to benefit society as a whole.

“This has been the red thread in our activities and in the actions of our authorities since 1965. The international oil companies contribute with capital, competence and the most modern technology. In our experience this is important,” she said.

Another early key decision was a determination that Norway should retain control of all phases of the activities, including seismic data; drilling expression wells; developing oil and gas fields; shutting down fields and removing platforms and installations.

“Our law has been structured so that each important activity is subject to approval or consent by the authorities, in most cases the Minister of Petroleum and Energy. This has been the case since the beginning and is key to our success story.

“We’ve maintained the same system for 40 years without making many changes. We’ve also had political consensus throughout, on petroleum policy. We try to ensure competition between the oil companies when we award permits and we’ve tried to create a fiscal regime that ensures the State gets the biggest share of the revenue while leaving enough to attract companies to remain.”

PUbLIC PARtICPAtIonResponding to a committee

question as to whether the public has any involvement in the decision-making process she emphasised that

they were “consulted all the time”.

As for to the environmental impact of oil and gas extraction, she confirmed that despite being outside the EU, Norway was in fact subject to the same environmental directives as Ireland, and is obliged to carry out environmental impact assessments (EIAs) before areas of the continental shelf can be opened to petroleum activities.

“We do this in a step-by-step manner to ensure that not too many areas are given over to this use at the same time. We apply an EU directive from 2009 on plans and policies. We call it the Strategic Impact Assessment Directive, which must be applied before we open areas for activity. Directive 97/11/EC requires oil companies to carry out impact assessments before they develop pipelines, etc,” she added.

New ports policy for Ireland to reflect ‘radical overhaul’

Addressing the European ShortSea Convention 2012 organised by the IMDO and Coastlink, Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport noted that the event was

“timely” given the challenges facing the EuroZone.“The European Commission has identified ports and

shipping as important engines for future economic growth. Their latest estimate identifies that over 800,000 enterprises, employing more than 3 million people directly, are located within European port community clusters.”

European ports are the transit point for up to 90% of Europe’s freight movements with the rest of the world, and 40% of the internal market.

“The internal market in Europe still accounts for over 60% of all of Ireland’s trade, which in itself signifies the important role that shortsea services play in the day-to-day competitiveness of Ireland’s economy,” he added.

Minister Varadkar stressed to delegates that as an island trading economy Ireland was highly dependent on shortsea shipping.

“100% of our container and unitised traffic is carried via intra-European shortsea services, and as an open economy we are more exposed to changes in the external global and European environment.”

Minister Varadkar also stressed his “commitment” to publishing a new ports policy this year.

“Our current ports policy will require a radical overhaul. The existing structure treats our nine port companies as though they were the same size, scale and have the same role to play, while this is clearly not the case.

Acknowledging that a “hierarchy” of ports comprising core ports serving large strategic volumes of national trade and some smaller ports with a more regional role existed, he said it was “vital” that a new policy provided “an appropriate framework” for commercial ports.

“A framework that allows ports to develop and respond as required to the needs of our economy; a framework that recognises that changes at a global level requires action at a national level to ensure that Ireland is served by first class commercial seaports.” he concluded.

inshore ireland June/July 2012 31

comPetitons

‘Go Sailing’ in Dublin Bay

With many years Olympic experience and a ‘those

who can, do; those who can’t, teach’ approach, Aaron O’Grady and ‘Bref ’ Kennedy offer a unique package of adventure and challenge under sail in Dublin Bay.

Aaron is a professional sailor and yacht skipper who represented Ireland for eight years in the Olympic Finn Class before going on to coach at the Beijing Olympics.

Breiffni ‘Bref ’ Kennedy has been a senior sailing, windsurfing, powerboat and kayak instructor, having worked in and managed adventure centres worldwide before returning to his native

Dublin to share the joys of Dublin Bay with others.

It is rumoured he brought the dolphins back with him but this has yet to be confirmed…

‘Go sailing’ offers various sailing experiences onboard the 54’ ocean–going yacht Explorer where Dublin is seen from a completely different perspective. As well as learning to steer the yacht through different manoeuvres, learn how sails work, the sailing terminology and some of the basic skills required to crew an ocean-going yacht.

Departures are from Dun Laoghaire Marina. Sailings vary between 2 and 3 hours. Group activities, company and private charter is welcome. See details page 15.

fun, adventure & cHaLLenge

A fun experience is guaranteed! Take your turn at the wheel whilst seeing Dublin from a completely new perspective. Learn new facts about Dublin and the Bay area; see Killiney Hill close up and maybe even sail around Dalkey Island if time permits.

Push yourself – by sailing in up to 25 knots of wind. Feel the sea salty air on your face and experience real sailing. Sense the power of the wind and sea as you learn how yachts are helmed and enjoy a thrilling few hours on the Bay!

teamworkHigh-performing business

teams have an almost instinctive ability to anticipate

challenges, to communicate and act as one in overcoming them. These behaviours are particularly evident in water-based team sports such as rowing and sailing.

We can cater for teams of up to 12 participants and will arrange a schedule to meet your specific requirements. Explorer is also equipped with audiovisual technology for on-

board meetings, training and debriefings.

IncentivesHas your team performed

well and exceeded its targets? Do they need an energising motivational experience? Good employee morale is essential to success.

Let www.gosailing.ie provide an exciting and different experience for your team.

June/July competitionsWin a signed aerial photo of the Skelligs by Vincent Hyland plus his film and Interactive Whiteboard resource Puffins of Skellig Michael. To be in with a chance to win “Like” both Inshore Ireland and Derrynane’s Facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/InshoreIreland https://www.facebook.com/Derrynane

Bantry 2012 Atlantic ChallengeWin 2 nights B&B in the 4* Maritime Hotel, (www.themaritime.ie) Bantry, West Cork July 27-28 during Bantry 2012

Q: In what year did the first Atlantic Challenge take place?

Join Inshore Ireland on board a boat of the Cruising Association of Ireland (www.cruising.ie) as part of the Tall Ships departure flotilla in Dublin Bay on Sunday August 26.

Q: For your chance to win two places, how may boats have confirmed to attend dublin tall ships?

a 2 hour introduction to sailing for two people (over 18 yrs) on board the Go sailing 54’ yacht in dublin Bay.Q: What is the name of Gosailing.ie’s yacht?Inshore Ireland graciously acknowledges Wild Derrynane, Bantry 2012, Gosailing.ie and the CAI for their generous prizes and wishes them ‘fair winds and safe passage’ over the summer sailing months. Answers by July 13th to: mills@inshore-ireland.com or on a postcard to 3 Hillview Cottages, Pottery Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

April/May WinnersCongratulations to Cathal O’Connor, Blackrock Road, Cork and Kieran O’Halloran, Carna, Co Galway, winners of a copy of Ordeal by Ice Ships of the Antarctic

Congratulations to Frances O’Dwyer of BIM who will receive a signed Vincent Hyland print of Inshore Ireland Marine Fish and Shellfish

32 inshore ireland June/July 2012

coastLine news

Bantry to host a spectacular international display of seamanship

For the second time in the competition’s history, Bantry, West Cork, is the venue

for the Atlantic Challenge biannual contest of seamanship and maritime skills between nations of both side of the Atlantic.

Competitors are from the USA, Canada, Russia, France, Denmark, Italy Belgium, Finland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Indonesia and Ireland along with an international crew from Lithuania and Chile, as well as three representative crews from the Basque region, Quebec and Cork.

Bantry 2012 (July 21-29) is hosting the event in the beautiful west Cork setting of Bantry Bay which is intrinsically linked with the boats now used in this contest.

In 1796, Wolfe Tone and the United Irishmen were involved with a French armada in an unsuccessful attempt to land at Bantry. One of the longboats washed ashore was brought to Bantry House, where she lay for 150 years.

In 1944 she was presented to the National Museum of Ireland and was later transferred to the Maritime Museum in 1974. This longboat is now again with the

National Museum in Dublin.The lines used by Atlantic

Challenge International were taken from the original gig to create replica vessels which can be rowed and sailed and easily transported for contests.

This contest first took place in 1986 under the statue of Liberty in New York harbour and since then has criss-crossed the Atlantic to venues in Canada, USA, Denmark, France, Italy, Finland and Wales and Irealnd. Brittany in the scheduled venue for 2014.

The contest comprises eight different disciplines:

RowingSailingoars & sails race man overboardslalomsack transfernavigation knots & splices(Captains gig points are also

awarded to crews by position in

each event. The contest takes from the 21st to 29th July.

sidesHowIn conjunction with the Atlantic

Challenge contest, the local community has organised a fringe festival to entertain the visiting crews, their followers and visitors. The events will be mainly family orientated and more importantly will be free.

HigHLigHts: » twilight pageants with music,

dance and fire » pirate display of

swashbuckling sword fighting » pirate flotilla and pirate

attack. » food fair celebrating the

bounty of land and sea from the Bantry Bay

» traditional boat competition » currach racing » wind surfing challenge and

much much more.

So raise your anchors and head for Bantry and set your compass to 51.41N 9.27W.

We look forward to meeting you on the quayside.

(see competition pg 31)

A call to island groups for greater participation in representative body

Rhoda Twombly, Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann

Since its foundation in 1984, Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann (CoE) has become a strong voice for the islands and remains the

recognised representative body working for island sustainability.

Comhdháil’s main goals are to raise awareness of island issues and problems nationally as well as locally; to create policy documents relevant to island life and to work with State and semi-State bodies toward solutions. In 1993, Comhdháil became a LEADER II company, greatly enhancing its status and increasing its ability to improve island life through LEADER-aided projects.

As part of the cohesion process, Comhdháil was obliged by the Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs to create Comhar na Oileáin, Teo, which then took over delivery of LEADER and other projects. As a result, Comhdháil is now a voluntary organisation that receives no funding from the government and is unable to employ a manager and must survive on membership fees and fundraising.

While huge inroads were made into infrastructural problems such as piers, roads and erosion protection during Éamon Ó Cuív’s tenure as minister for DCRGA, the islands now face new hurdles to their sustainability. Enterprise initiatives; employment; health care and education difficulties etc whilst affecting the entire country require island-specific solutions.

Comhdhail’s board members are dedicated representatives, passionate about the heritage,

culture and survival of the islands. Nonetheless, the prevailing economic situation has put intense pressure not only on development/community group budgets but also on the time and expenses available for meeting attendance.

Comhdhail now hopes to increase membership by encouraging all island development companies and co-ops to be represented at meetings and by adding a youth member to the Board. The population requirement for representation has been decreased from 50 to 20, while the use of Skype and video technologies will make it easier for members to attend monthly meetings.

Additionally, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has agreed to send a representative to meetings.

Comhdháil fully understands how easy it is to become discouraged during difficult times. It was during the dark days of the ‘80s that Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann was formed to give islands a voice. That voice is needed now more than ever.

Islands such as Inis Bofin, seven miles off the Galway coast and with a population of 200, are part of the CoE network. Photo: G Mills

A model world of painstaking precision

John Caden

Over the past twenty years, Nigel Towse has become a leading

figure in the traditional boat revival movement in West Cork. In company with Liam Hegarty of Hegarty’s boatyard in Baltimore, he has built An Rún – a 32’ Cape Clear mackerel drifter, and Hanorah – a 25’ Heir Island lobster boat.

An Rún is a copy of a 19th Century gaff-rigged trawling boat; Hanorah is a complete and faithful restoration by Nigel of a ruined 1892 lobster boat that was dug from the mud in a harbour close to Schull.

ExACT MODELWith that real-size boat

building challenge under his belt, Nigel has taken to building 1:10 scale models, of which Hanorah is the first. Every piece of wood, metal, rope and canvas is a precise one-tenth of each and every part and fitting that made up the original. In another century from now, an enthusiast or a museum could scale it up to make an exact copy of a Heir Island Lobster Boat from this model. Nigel refers to his scale models as “portable maritime history”, ready as he says, “to be exhibited in any place or space”.

The Heir Island lobster boats were unusual for their time in that they had sail and not just oars. This meant they could travel long distances for their catch. These boats were introduced to the islanders by a boat builder, Christopher Pyburn, who married into the island in the mid-1800s. The islanders quickly took advantage of their better technology to fish nomadically along the south coast, shore-hopping until eventually landing their catches in Kinsale for transport to France and England, and to Cobh for the transatlantic liners.

The internal combustion engine put an end to the use

of sail in the fishing industry and Hanorah like so many traditional boats was left to rot.

“I came upon her stuck in mud beside the outfall of a septic tank. A tree had fallen across her and snapped off a quarter of the starboard side. I fell in love with her. I knew in my soul that she had to be restored and that somebody had to do it. I became that somebody.”

BOAT-BuILDING CLuTTERWhen Nigel restored the

original Hanorah he wanted it to be exactly as it was in the 1890s and admits to becoming a bit obsessed with getting it exactly right and was delighted to get advice.

“A retired fisherman from Cape Clear, ‘Mac’ Donoghue, advised me to shorten the mast and the gaff; George Bushe, the boatbuilder from Crosshaven, showed me how to fashion wooden fairleads and how to arrange the authentic sheeting arrangement .I’ve even got her painted in the same grey and green colours as the day she was launched.”

All around Nigel’s workshop is boat-building clutter: On one bench are off-cuts of larch, oak, teak, deal and cloth to make frames, planks, spars and sails. On another are metal sheets and nails to be fashioned into miniature iron work. The precision and skill in his work would do justice to a doll maker’s shop in Dresden or an horologist’s room in a 19the Century Swiss watch factory.

Nigel’s first commission for his scale models was by an American, Tom Henry, who holidays annually in Baltimore and who crews the lobster boats in local festivals and races.

Now, on cold winter’s nights back in Pennsylvania, when rain hits hard on his side of the Atlantic too, he can look to his little Hanorah in the window and think of fair winds, sunnier times, and his portable piece of the maritime history of West Cork.

Nigel Towse carefully applies the rigging Photo: Robbie Murphy

inshore ireland June/July 2012 33

coastLine news

Tall Ships 2012The countdown is well and truly underway to

what is being billed as the greatest maritime spectacle of the year, this August 23-26.The Tall Ships Races which will visit five European

ports en route to the finish in Dublin is estimated to attract up to 1 million visitors per port and generate around €30 million for the local economy in Dublin.But what about sail training in Ireland, and how do you become a crew member or gain sail-training experience on board these majestic vessels?Cian Gallagher sets the scene to this year’s Tall

Ships extravaganza!

Sail Training Ireland for

Youth Development:

In 2011, Sail Training

Ireland for Youth

Development (S.T. IRL)

was established to

replace Coiste an Asgard

which had managed Ireland’s

Tall Ship Asgard II until the

vessel was lost off the coast

of Brittany in September

2008.The remit of S.T. IRL is to place

sail trainees on board tall ships

and to keep alive the spirit of

sail training around the island of

Ireland.The good news is that the

initiative is thriving, and is summed

up by trainee Sarah O’Keefe

last year after time on board the

disabled-access vessel Lord Nelson:

“I fell in love with sailing within

my first day on board Lord Nelson.

I can honestly say it was an

experience of a lifetime, and quite

possibly one of the best weeks I’ve

ever had!”During the very memorable 2011

Waterford Tall Ships event, S.T.

IRL placed 24 new sail trainees on

board the Dutch Tall Ship, Wylde

Swan, which sailed to Belfast and

on to Greenock.

Already in May this year, trainees

have sailed on board the classic

twin-masted gaff schooner Johanna

Lucretia from Dublin to

Carlingford.

A number of bursaries have

also been established to aid

trainees who wish to take part

in sail training. These are being

administered by S.T. IRL’s general

manager Michael Byrne who

can be contacted on 353 (0)86

0346038 or at michael.byrne@

irishsailtraining.com

Their events schedule is filling

up fast too. S.T. IRL has linked

up with the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s

Irish branch and is offering berths

on some post summer cruises in

October.But the big event is Dublin Tall

Ships. According to Michael Byrne,

S.T. IRL is recruiting heavily and

the number of interested trainees

is growing daily (well over three

hundred to date). So too are the

numbers of vessels expected to visit

the capital; over 40 vessels have

signed up so far.

For anyone wishing to get

involved, either as a sail

trainee or just to help out,

please contact Michael

Byrne or check the

website for some once-in-

a-lifetime opportunities

on www.irishsailtraing.org

Dublin Bay prepares for a spectacle of sail in August

Lord Nelson. One of only two square-rigged tall ships in the world specifically designed and built to enable people with a range of different physical abilities to sail side-by-side as equals.

The UK flagged gaff-schooner

Johanna Lucretia follows the

Columbian Navy’s STV ARC

Gloria down the line. Photo G Mills Tall Ships Waterford, 2011.

CAI Round-up:

The 2011 Cruising Association of Ireland season has started with news of a new commodore elected at the April AGM, held at the

National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire. Commodore John Leahy takes over the mantle

from Reverend Derek Harris, who will remain on the committee as a valued advisor to the incumbent in all matters cruising.

John has extensive experience of cruise-in-company activities, including the all-important session briefings; passage planning and weather updates, as well as local liaison with berthing facilities, clubs, and host ports.

The CAI is also planning a major flotilla as part of the Dublin Tall Ships in August. Skipper or vessel owners who wish to get involved should contact John or Aidan Coughlin, Vice Commodore.

Details on the CAI’s summer cruising schedule and information on membership, go to www.cruising.ie

Clean Coasts Photography

Competition 2012‘Love your coast’ is the

theme of An Taisce’s annual photography competition launched as part of Coca-Cola

Clean Coasts Week 2012 and has a prize fund of €4,000.

THE COMpETITION HAS

FOuR CATEGORIES: Coastal HeritageCoastal Landscape People & the Coast and Wildlife and the Coast

“The beauty of Ireland’s coastline can really be captured through the lens. Last

year the photos showcased the diverse character of our coastline – from Fanad Lighthouse at moonrise in Donegal to a breaking wave in

Clogher, Co Kerry – and from

an underwater shot of a hermit

crab in Greenore, Co Louth to a

hardy swimmer at Dollymount,

Co Dublin.

“These photos serve as a reminder of the responsibility that we all have in protecting our

coastal environment,” remarked

Annabel Fitzgerald, An Taisce’s

Coastal Programmes Manager

and competition organiser.

Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs & Communications Manager Coca-Cola Hellenic Ireland said of last year’s winning images:

“The entries were of an incredibly high standard, genuinely making judging a very difficult task. The stand-out images, however, brilliantly

captured the scenic beauty and wilderness of our beaches

and the unique and special relationship the people of our island nation have with our coastline.”

The Clean Coasts Programme

is operated by the Environmental

Education Unit of An Taisce and

is supported by the Department

of the Environment, Community

and Local Government, Coca-Cola and Fáilte Ireland.

Competition details from: www.cleancoastphoto.org or contact Annabel FitzGerald on

afitzgerald@eeu.antaisce.org or

087 6169727

Andy McInroy Fanad Lighthouse (2010)

Kevin Murphy_Lahinch Surfer

Kieran Phelan _ Dollymount Dublin (2011)

Martin Fleming _ The Murder Hole (2011)

34 inshore ireland June/July 2012

coastLine news outside ireLand

Small is beautiful, but fluffy round the edges...Brian O’Riordan, ICSF

Nearly everyone agrees that when it comes to fisheries

small is beautiful. The world renowned fisheries scientist Dr Daniel Pauly has even stated that “based on the cold facts... our society is, in many cases, better served by small-scale fisheries.”

But what makes small beautiful is not just size, but what size implies. Small size is an indicator of sustainability, in as much as small in fishery terms implies using gears low of environmental impact, vessels with a relatively low carbon foot print, with activities rooted in coastal communities, undertaken by small family-based enterprises that provide jobs and income in areas with few economic or employment alternatives, and where women play a key role, if unseen and unrewarded economically.

And small is not necessarily beautiful. Where vessel size has been used as a regulatory measure, this has caused perverse effects, encouraging investment in powerful vessels that fall just under the maximum size limitations. So too the aggregated impact of small-scale vessels may have real consequences for stocks, and be harmful to stocks and to sensitive coastal habitats. Small, like large, also requires management and regulation; but not necessarily the same regulatory measures.

However, when it comes to size, no-one seems to be able to agree on where small ends and large begins. Or put another way, defining or characterizing small-scale fisheries is a huge challenge. The English speaking world prefers the term “small-scale” applied to its fisheries. In the UK for instance, all vessels under 10 metres in length are considered small-scale, never mind their engine power or fishing capacity. But this does not translate easily into French or Spanish, where “artisanal” is preferred. These countries also talk about “petits métiers” (“small activities” - France) and “artes menores” (“lesser gears” Spain), terms which refer the small-scale nature of the activities and the gears (generally static) used. “There are also a number of terms that are used synonymously to

mean more or less the same thing, including “coastal”, “inshore”, and “traditional”, but which like “small” are rather vague and fluffy round the edges.

“If you want to know what small-scale fishing is, just go down to the quay and ask any fisherman. He will tell you”, advises Arthur Bogason, President of the Small Boat Owners Federation of Iceland. A view which implicitly ignores that across countries and regions, what is perceived as small-scale differs not only in size, but also in terms of kind of fishing equipment used, who owns and operates the fishing vessel (family owned and owner operated), how long the vessel spends at sea and so on. But Bogason does hit the nail on the head that small is relative, and is best defined at local level; that no one size can fit all.

The issue is not just of academic interest; it is an issue of pressing importance to resolve in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. At issue is whether a separate management regime, or a differentiated approach is required for small-scale fisheries in order to protect them from large-scale fisheries and the kinds of management regime that apply to them.

In this regard, the European Commission has taken the bold step of proposing a definition of small-scale fisheries for the CFP reform, based on two criteria: vessel length (vessels under 12 metres) and gear used (non-trawl). The Commission proposals for reform also include a bold, if draconian measure:

mandatory transferable fishing concessions (TFCs) for all Member States for the majority of managed stocks by 31 December 2013. However, their proposals also note that the “specific characteristics and socio-economic vulnerability of some small-scale fleets justify the limitation of the mandatory system of transferable fishing concessions to large vessels”. Hence, they offer member states the option of excluding small-scale fisheries from such a regime.

And Commission support does not stop there. The new financial instrument, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is packed full of provisions for enabling small-scale fisheries to diversify and to improve their skills and marketing.

All this would be fine if it were not for one catch. The Commission has no powers to enforce these measures. They are only proposals on paper, which now have to be approved or amended by the Council of Fisheries Ministers and the European Parliament (through co-decision). Secondly, if approved, these measures would only apply if Member States chose to apply them.

But even if applied, unless small-scale fisheries are given fair access to resources with a ring fenced access regime and quota allocation, such measures will not benefit them. As noted by Pat the Cope Gallagher “if the aim is to protect the small-scale sector, then it is important to ring fence a percentage of the quota for them. Otherwise there will be no future for this segment of the fleet”.

Historic Irish built ship celebrates 50th anniversaryJehan Ashmore

Exactly fifty years ago to the day of M.V. Cill Airne’s inaugural arrival

to Cork Harbour, a celebratory lunch-lecture was held on May 17on board the former trans-Atlantic liner tender in Dublin Port.

The event was organised by the Cobh branch of the World Ship Society whose guest speaker Donal Burke – former Head of National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) – gave an insightful speech on the ship’s various re-incarnations spanning half a century.

Alongside her younger sister Blarna she was built in 1962 at the Liffey Dockyard Ltd and in fact was the last ocean-going vessel completed by the yard.

These 1,000 passenger capacity tenders were commissioned by Cork Harbour Commissioners, serving out of Cobh. The trade was short-lived however with the advent of competition from the jet-aircraft.

This led to Blarna’s sale to

Bermudian interests in the early 1960s while Cill Airne was sold in 1970 to Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) to become a nautical training vessel for cadets on the Lee.

For over four decades she served this role until the opening of a computer bridge simulated training room at the Nautical Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) in Ringaskiddy.

In 2006 she was sold, and the veteran vessel underwent an extensive €2.5m renovation programme, firstly at Cork Dockyard followed by outfitting at Hegarty’s Boatyard on the River Ilen outside Skibbereen.

The work was carried out in conjunction with the Irish Ship & Barge Fabrication Company which oversaw the installation of two restaurants and a bar in an art-deco style to reflect the liner era.

With work completed, she sailed under her own power in 2007 to embark on her new career in Dublin’s Docklands where she remains today berthed on the North Quay Wall. The vessel’s fine-dining restaurant Quay 16 is named after her berth number where she lies alongside on the River Liffey.

Galicia... Small is Beautiful in Galicia. Photo Antonio Garcia allut, Fundacion Lonxanet

Féile Ghabhla 2012Dé Satharn 21ú Iúil11.00 Taispeántas - Sean Phictiúirí sa Teach Beag 11.30: Ceardlann le Ciorcal Scríbhneoireachta Ghaoth Dobhair. 1.30 Oscailt Oifigiúil le Donnchadh Mac Fhionnghaile T.D. Aire Stáit sa Roinn Ealíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta 2.00 Siúlóid Urraithe 5K ar Bhealach na Gaeltachta (Chun sochair do Oispidéal na bPáistí, Crumlin) 4.00: Taispeantás - Scannáin ag baint le Gabhla

Dé Domhnaigh 22ú Iúil12.30: Cartlann na nOileán 1.00: Ramhaíocht urraithe le Cumann na gCurach Ghaoth Dobhair Cé Chionn Caslach go cé Ghabhla (Oispidéal na bPáistí,

Crumlin)2.00: Seisiúin Ceoil 3.00: Aifreann na Féile - Beidh Garda Cósta an Bhunbhig ar

an láthair4.00: Taispeántas Fiseán sa Teach Beag.5.00: Taispeántas Rámhaíochta le Cumann Curach Ghaoth Dobhair

Gach eolas: Coiste Forbartha Ghabhla 086 8431333 /087 4134244

inshore ireland June/July 2012 35

suBscriPtions

THIS SUMMER BANTRY WILL HOST AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEST OF SEAMANSHIP

16 NATIONS • 320 COMPETITORS • 10 EVENTS

FOR MORE INFO & UPDATES VISIT WWW.BANTRY2012.COM

A5 Flier5.indd 1 01/05/2012 10:42

Inshore Ireland is a bimonthly marine and freshwater publication produced by Gillian Mills and Gery Flynn and publishes six times per year; Feb, Apr, Jun, Aug, Oct and Nov.

ReadershipIn news, feature and advertorial format, Inshore Ireland reports on the following topics on an all-island basis:

•Island life•Aquaculture•Water quality•Maritime culture•Seafood business•Inshore/offshore fisheries

•Marine renewable energy•Marine & freshwater R&D•Maritime culture & development•Marine engineering & technology•Marine & freshwater environments•Marine & freshwater policy and regulation

Why Subscribe?Over the past seven years Inshore Ireland has provided unbiased analysis of topical issues relating to the marine and freshwater sectors. By focussing on renewable energy and marine research/technology, readers are also kept informed on these rapidly developing sectors.

In other words: ‘If it’s water, we write about it’!

Subscriptions 2012Subscription to Inshore Ireland couldn’t be easier. First select your subscription rate. Next simply indicate below whether you wish to pay by cheque or standing order and tick which issue you wish your subscription to start - you will receive 6 issues from that issue. Once you’ve completed the form post the original (unfortunately we cannot accept copies or scans) to Inshore Ireland, Rockfield, Athenry, Co Galway

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SEASCAPES will be at Volvo Ocean Race finale in Galway talking to our world-class sailors, Damian Foxall and Justin Slattery, and bringing Seascapes listeners the sights and sounds of Galwayplus the

new edition of Cruising Ireland.We’ll also be in Bantry Bay for Atlantic Challenge Bantry Bay Gig

World Championships (July-21-29), featuring 16 nations and 300 competitors.

We’ll report on a poetry cruise out of Kinsale ahead of the Dragon National Championships and we look forward to the Mermaid 80th National Championships in Skerries Sailing Club in August. Also in July we’ll be in Dun Laoghaire as Dublin Bay plays host to the ISAF Youth World Championships.

tigHt Lines and fair saiLing!Seascapes: RTE Radio 1 0.30 Fridays; or you can

download the podcast from www.rte.ie/radio1/seascapes

9th Glandore classic boat summer school

simon Coveney, minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is to give the keynote talk at the Glandore Classic Boat summer school on July 14 which this year is themed: Our Ocean Wealth.

Others speakers will include Commodore Mark Mellett, OC Naval Service; Micheal O Cinneide, EPA; John O’Sullivan, Exploration Director, Providence Resources; Kieran Cotter, cox of the Baltimore lifeboat and a host of others.

Presentations will centre of 50-footer BIM trawlers and Holger Lonze’s presentation The Tin Voyage will deal with the pre-historic trade in tin between Cornwall and West Cork and his plans to re-enact such a voyage. There will be a tribute to local boat-builder Billy Andy O’Driscoll who passed away earlier this year.

The newly-published book, G.L. Watson, The Art and Science of Yacht Design, by Martin Black on the great Scottish yacht and life-boat designer (rival and contemporary of Wm. Fife Jr.) will have its southern launch on the Saturday evening.

InshoreJuly2011215x315.indd 1 15/07/2011 09:44