Inshore ireland Vol 9 nr 2 Apr-May 2013

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The Marine & Freshwater Environment Publication

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April/May 2013 Vol 9 Issue 2

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Fatigue is challenged as a reason behind the sinking of MFV Tit Bonhomme and loss of five fishermen Gillian Mills

T

he Board of Directors of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation (IS&WFPO) has questioned the concluding remark by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) investigation report into the sinking of MFV Tit Bonhomme on January 15, 2012 which states, inter alia, that ‘the single overriding causal factor is considered to be insufficient rest for the crew and that regulations on hours of work and rest appear not to be have been complied with.

‘This resulted in fatigue and inadequate watchkeeping arrangements on board the vessel and it steamed into and stranded on Adam’s Island during the hours of darkness in poor weather conditions and this resulted in the five of the six persons on board losing their lives.’

The ISWFPO however challenges this comment: ‘The MCIB themselves acknowledge in the report: “In the circumstances, it is difficult to ascertain accurately the crew rest period arrangements during the trip”.’

It adds that based on the information provided in the report of 5 tows over a 39hour period and a catch of approximately 42 boxes, ‘Using the experience of those present at the Board Meeting, it would appear that the crew would have had a minimum of the statutory rest periods required under the European Community (Workers on board seagoing fishing vessels) Organisation of Working Time) Regulations, 2003 (S.I. 709 of 2003).

Recommendation

The Board does agree however that the recommendation to install Bridge Navigation Watchkeeping Alarm Systems on board fishing vessels should be implemented: ‘The Irish fishing industry has recommended this action be taken for a number of years.’ (see sidebar) “As part of the Marine Survey Office Code of Compliance, which every vessel must adhere to, every skipper is aware of his

obligations in relation to crew rest periods,” remarked Eibhlin O’Sullivan, CEO of the IS&WFPO. “Michael Hayes, RIP … was a highly qualified skipper as is evidenced by the MCIB Report which states he was the holder of a Second Hand Special Certificate of Competency No. 582 together with additional qualifications, and evidenced considerable leadership and bravery during the incident as demonstrated by the survivor’s account of

his distributing lifejackets to the crew following the grounding of the vessel.”

The MCIB report also concludes: »» that the alarm was raised using a personal mobile phone…‘while there were dedicated hand-held VHF radios in the wheelhouse…; »» that at least two of the crew had not undertaken required mandatory basic safety training »» legally required safety musters and drills were not

carried out at the required regular intervals »» that the vessel was carrying more crew that it was certified to carry This casualty highlights the importance of alerting the Irish Coast guard ASAP when an event occurs which could endanger the vessel. ‘In this case the IRCG should have been advised that the vessel was experiencing lube oil problems and was returning to port.’ »» page 2

David and Harry Whitaker from the Royal Cork Yacht Club competing in the 420 class at ISA Youth National Championships 2013 at Lough Derg Yacht Club.

Photo David Branigan/Oceansport

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inshore ireland April/May 2013

News

Consensus on fisheries policy reform on target for end of June Gillian Mills

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he Director Generals for Fisheries of EU Member States have agreed to achieve agreement on CFP reform by the end of June. The meeting, hosted by the Irish Presidency in Clonakilty, Co Cork last month, assessed progress and explored options for brokering resolutions

by EU ministers and Parliament.

While there is agreement between the Council and the Parliament on policy objectives, significant outstanding issues remain on implementation arrangements.

Chairing the meeting, Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and

the Marine said he was encouraged that key EU Member States with an interest in fisheries policy were represented at the Clonakilty meeting: “This indicates the serious desire by all parties involved to make reform of Europe’s Common Fisheries Policy a reality. Significant progress has already been made on advancing the reform process and we’re now entering a critical stage of the process when we can expect things to become even more challenging”.

To meet the end of June deadline will require all three EU institutions involved (Council of Ministers, Parliament and the Commission) agreeing a final way forward.

“Bringing together the most senior officials of the key fisheries Member States at

this delicate stage is another important step in this process.

I have always believed that the Irish Presidency offers the best opportunity to secure agreement on a significant and lasting reform of the CFP,” he said.

Reform proposals aim to bring fish stocks back to sustainable levels by setting fishing opportunities based on scientific advice to deliver maximum sustainable yields; eliminate discards on a phased basis and bring renewed prosperity to the fisheries sector by creating opportunities for economic growth in coastal areas.

“The time is now right for a radical and lasting reform of the CFP. I intend to work with all parties involved during the remaining months of our Presidency to secure that crucial final agreement.”

Minister Coveney said.

Marine Institute Foras na Mara

Ireland's National Agency for Marine Research and Innovation

»» from page 1

Safety recommendations

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esponding to the report, the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport accepts all five recommendations which ‘serve to highlight the importance of adopting a rigorous safety culture at sea.

“I want to extend my sympathies to families and friends of the deceased. We owe it to them and everyone using the sea to embrace a culture of safety at sea and ensure that similar incidents do not re-occur in the future. I also want to thank the MCIB for its thorough investigation,” remarked Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar.

All five recommendations have either been implemented or are in the process of being implemented.

That the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport enforces the European Community (Workers on board sea-going fishing Vessels) (Organisation of Working Time) Regulations, 2003 (S.I.709 of 2003) That the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport enforces the Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15-24 Metres) (Regulations) S.I. No. 640 of 2007 in relation to musters and drills

DTTS: The Department introduced an updated fishing vessel logbook for Irish registered fishing vessels of 25 tons or upwards from the January 1st 2013. Use of the logbook is being enforced at vessel surveys and inspections addresses, generating a safety management culture on-board Irish registered fishing vessels.

That the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport considers amending the requirements to provide for the automatic change-over of electrical power supplies for the radio installation in the event of an emergency

DTTS: The cost of technology to provide an automatic switchover is now available at a reasonable price to vessels. Reference to this technology is being included in the next revision of SI(2007) 640 and fishing vessels will be required to adopt the technology when they fall due for survey.

That the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport considers the possible fitting of Bridge Navigation Watchkeeping Alarm Systems on-board fishing vessels

DTTS: The Department fully supports fitting vessels with these systems. BNWAS is already mandatory for cargo ships and passenger ships. An Bord Iascaigh Mhara is proposing to provide funding for the voluntary fitting of these systems, which are mainly relevant for fishing vessels greater than 15m length overall.

That the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport considers issuing a Marine Notice drawing Owners/ Skippers attention to the necessity for Skippers encountering situations where the safety of the vessel and its crew are potentially put at risk to alert the appropriate shore authorities advising them of the situation and what assistance the vessel may require

DTTS: The Department will shortly issue a Marine Notice to address this recommendation.

Our Ocean

A Shared Resource

Inshore Ireland invited BIM, the Irish Sea-Fisheries Board, to comment on the report but they declined: ‘BIM will not be commenting on the Report or on related matters at this time.’

(This report can be read in full on the MCIB’s website: www.mcib.ie) A Marine Safety Initiative is to be jointly launched by the ministers for marine and transport in Union Hall in June.

www.marine.ie Tit Bonhomme

Photo: N Duffy

inshore ireland April/May 2013

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Comment

What can be learnt from the sinking of MFV Tit Bonhomme with the loss of five lives?

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irst and foremost, the loss of five fishermen following the sinking of MFV Tit Bonhomme in Glandore Harbour on January 15, 2012, is an appalling tragedy, for the families, the local community and the fishing industry at large.

The events of the two-day fishing trip for whitefish/prawns off the south coast that ended so tragically in the early hours of that fateful Sunday morning are recalled by the sole surviving witness, Egyptian national, Abdelbaky Abelgawad in the report of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board published in March.

The function of the MCIB is to carry out investigations into marine casualties that occur in Irish waters or involve Irish registered vessels. Its main purpose is to establish the cause

or causes of an incident with a view to making recommendations to the Minister for Transport to avert future marine casualties.

It is not the purpose of the investigation to attribute blame or fault.

In its conclusion, the report singles out the ‘overriding causal factor’ to be insufficient rest for the crew resulting in fatigue, and inadequate watch-keeping arrangements leading to the stranding of MFV Tit Bonhomme on Adam’s Island.

It also notes: at least two of the crew had not undertaken mandatory basic safety training; the required safety musters and drills had not been carried out at the required regular intervals; insufficient lifesaving appliances on board, and poor communication with the Irish Coast Guard of an problem on board the vessel.

While accepting the need for a report, many of the findings have been strenuously challenged

capability; alarm systems and Marine Notices giving guidelines on communicating with shore authorities.

The department has accepted these recommendations, which it says have either been implemented or are in the process of being implemented.

With the fish discard ban being phased in from 2014 when all fish must be landed, will skippers and crew face additional pressures that could further compromise their safety and that of their vessels?

This and other issues may be addressed in a Maritime Safety Initiative to be launched next month in Union Hall which will also draw on the lessons learnt from Tit Bonhomme and other recent marine incidents.

The Inshore Ireland team extends its deepest sympathies to the families of the five fishermen and hopes that everyone involved can now have some closure on this dreadful tragedy.

Fundraising to save lives at sea

Dear Editor,

H

aving read the discussions pro and con the proposed salmon farm off the Aran Islands in the previous issue of Inshore Ireland, I would like to put the following to your readership for their consideration.

As an angler, it is in my interest to have wild salmon available for sport fishing. This also means that as an angler it is in my interest that salmon for the table should come from fish farms.

The fact that whole farmed salmon are for sale for around €12.00 in shops puts fresh salmon within the reach of most shoppers, and makes illegal poaching of salmon in rivers less attractive, and everyone is a winner.

Wild salmon used for angling, with catch and release increasingly being practiced, earns hundreds of euros for the local economy per salmon caught. Our burgeoning human population depends on agriculture for food, not on hunting and gathering, and therefore the way ahead for salmon for the table must be salmon farming. Wild salmon earn much more if they are caught by anglers than if they are harvested for consumption.

One argument against salmon farming is the possible affect of diseases of farmed salmon on wild salmon. This, no doubt, has got to be controlled. When culturing any plants or animal species, diseases are part of the problems that we face.

However, salmon farming has been in existence for decades now, and disease control must have developed during this time, because if it had not, we would now have no salmon farming, but we have.

As for farmed salmon diseases wiping out wild stocks, would this really happen? This has not happened so far. Problems with wild salmon stocks started long before salmon farming started, and wild populations levels have always fluctuated. The ban on salmon drift nets might turn out to be much more significant.

As an angler, could I also ask the various state agencies involved in fish farming and fisheries management to come to some agreement about the significance of the up to 1% mortality due to sea-lice on salmon, as discussed in Inshore Ireland. Because, if they can’t seem to reach agreement on this, how can anglers inform themselves correctly?

Brendan Connolly Trim, Co Meath

Inshore Ireland is published by IIP Ltd

by Caitlin Ui hAodha, widow of the deceased skipper Michael Hayes, in correspondence with the MCIB, and separately by the board of directors of the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation.

Speaking to The Irish Times (10/04), Ms Ui hAodha said the picture painted of her husband, a father of five, and his crew ‘did not do justice to the experienced and competent fishermen who were highly respected within the fishing industry along the south coast and beyond.’

She added however that her questions to the various State agencies [outlined in the report] were not intended as criticism, and she paid tribute to the voluntary and statutory agencies for their support.

The report makes five recommendations directed to the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, regarding enforcement of working-time regulations; safety drills; automatic response

comment

Gillian Mills

T

he RNLI hosted two stands at this year’s Skipper Expo International Galway. The Sea Safety division gave valuable information and assistance regarding destabilising through incorrect loading and also on general boat safety, as well as being able to provide a lifejacket check.

The Fundraising and Communications division gave a visual display on where and how the voluntary funds are raised and spent and also showed some dramatic action of actual rescues.

Thanks to the generosity of the management of Ashford Castle who provided a break in their 5 star+ Hotel in Cong, which was won in a raffle by Conor Baynes of Dooiska in Galway.

In 2012, RNLI Lifeboats launched 980 times and rescued 905 people in Ireland - an average of 22 people every week of the year. This would not be possible without the help and support of people like you the reader and in this regard the RNLI says a very big thank you to one and all.

It is through your support that we can provide the Volunteer Men and Women who risk their lives saving lives at sea with the best possible training and equipment.

Editor

Features Editor

Advertising

Design

Gillian Mills

Gery Flynn

Durgan Media

mills@inshore-ireland.com

flynn@inshore-ireland.com

01 235 4804

091 844822

Gillian Mills Gery Flynn

info@durganmedia.ie

074 91 94477

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

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inshore ireland April/May 2013

Report

Application to dump tunnel spoil into Dublin Bay is temporarily withdrawn to allow full consultation Gillian Mills

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he Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recommended that Dublin City Council’s (DCC) application for a Dumping at Sea licence be

withdrawn due to the late submission of an updated screening document for the Appropriate Assessment and Natura Impact Statement.

These documents were not received by the Agency until February 20, 2013, after the timeframe for submission/

observations from the public had expired on January 31, 2013.

‘They are vital parts of the application and the public should have had the opportunity to consider these documents when preparing their submissions/observations,’ a letter from the EPA to submission makers reads.

Notwithstanding, the ‘updated’ AA and NIS supporting documents in DCC’s application in fact related to an application by Dublin Port Company, carried out by Jacobs in May 2011.

Inshore Ireland brought this to the attention of both DCC and the EPA on April 16 and

was subsequently advised that incorrect documents had been ‘inadvertently’ uploaded to the EPA’s website.

The correct documents can now be viewed at: http://www. epa.ie/licences/lic_ eDMS/090151b280489248. pdf

Dublin City Council reacts to application withdrawal

I

n a statement to Inshore Ireland, DCC said it was ‘committed’ to ensuring that the environmental impacts of this proposal are fully assessed and that the public are ‘fully consulted prior to any decision on it being made’.

The statement adds:

In 1997 the Muglins Lighthouse (off Dalkey Island) was converted to solar powered electric light and its range was increased to 11 nautical miles. In good conditions diving here can rival many of the best sites in the west of Ireland.

Photo: G Mills

The decision to propose the ‘Rockabill to Dalkey Island’ cSAC was made by the Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht as Dublin City Council were in the process of lodging the application with the EPA. In this regard Dublin City Council made note in our application that we intended to update the Screening for an Appropriate Assessment submitted with the application and would resubmit, together with a Natura Impact Statement, if required.

Following review of the Screening for an Appropriate Assessment, it transpired that an Appropriate Assessment was required. This has been completed and has been submitted to the EPA. The EPA have requested Dublin City Council to withdraw the application which is now being withdrawn and will be resubmitted so that a new round of consultation can take place with all of the information available to the public and the EPA. Dublin City Council intends doing this very shortly. We will publish a further newspaper notice to advise the public when the new submission has been made and is available once again to view and comment on.

All aspects of the application will remain unchanged with the exception of the inclusion of the updated Screening Report and new Natura Impact Statement. The application fee associated with the original application will cover any revised application and as such, with the exception of the publication of a new information notice, no additional costs will be incurred as a result of this resubmission.

Coral Garden, Dalkey Island.

Photo: Oceandivers

inshore ireland April/May 2013

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Report

Government failure to correctly transpose EIA Directive halts oil exploration at the Kish Bank Basin Shay Fennelly

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ast December An Taisce sought a Judical Review of a decision by the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government (DECLG) to grant a Foreshore Licence to Providence Resources Ltd to undertake site investigations and to drill an exploration well in the Kish Bank Basin, 6 km off Dalkey, Co Dublin.

The National Trust for Ireland contends that the decision to grant a foreshore licence does not conform to the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. It is also concerned that a failure in the national EIA legislative framework on which this decision was made, has implications for both offshore and onshore drilling.

Licence surrender Before the Judical Review was heard in early February Providence Resources Plc surrendered the Foreshore Licence it was awarded in September 2012 covering

Standard Exploration Licence 2/11 (SEL 2/11).

This licence permitted the company to carry out a well site survey and to drill an exploration well on the Dalkey Island prospect.

The decision to surrender the licence was taken by Providence Resources Plc following discussions with DECLG when it became clear that certain elements of the EU, EIA Directive had not been transposed correctly in 1999 by the Irish Government.

In a statement (12/02/13) Providence Resources states: ‘The lack of clarity on this issue meant that the Foreshore Licence, and subsequent exploration activities could have been the subject of legal challenges and delays.

‘The decision to surrender the foreshore licence now means that the Minister can move immediately to amend planning and environmental regulations thereby ensuring that the Irish regulatory framework complies with the EU Directive.”

Post transposition Once the EIA Directive is correctly transposed,

Providence will be in a position to submit a new application to proceed with operations in SEL 2/11, probably in the first quarter of 2014.

Last March Inshore Ireland asked the Department of Environment Local Government and Heritage what elements of the EIA Directive had not been transposed correctly as referred to by Providence Resources.

DELGH told Inshore Ireland it was working with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on this matter and that advice has been sought from the Attorney Generals office.

The transposition issue in question concerns the criteria to be applied when screening for EIA for certain classes of development. The application by Providence Resources was the first of its kind on the State’s foreshore, which only extends to 12 nautical miles, and the matter had not previously come to light and only became apparent following An Taisce’s application for a Judicial Review in December 2012.

Snapshots of public submission common concerns Ocean Divers

Dublin Bay is a natural resource that needs to be protected fully for the benefit of the environment and the people of Ireland, providing excellent opportunities for marine-based activities including angling, sailing, windsurfing, kiteboarding, scuba diving, sea kayaking, snorkelling and swimming. Dumping of spoil with thousands of tonnes of silt and dust mixed with unknown quantities of chemicals will have a major negative impact on the water in Dublin Bay. Little or no ‘flushing’ in Dublin Bay so whatever is held in suspension will drift a little north and then drift back a little sound on each tide, slowly settling all over the bay area.

Irish Underwater Council

Dumping will not only destroy fragile balance of marine life… also endanger the safety of divers due to reduced visibility. ‘Impact of suspended solids has not been considered. They will increase turbidity and reduce light penetrations thereby possibly affecting phytoplankton and seaweed growth and in turn the animals that depend upon these plants.

Hook Head Sub Aqua Club

Full design and specification of the tunnel has not been decided and so it is not possible at this early stage to know the impact this project will have when all information is not available. Dublin Bay is relatively shallow and the tidal streams acting within the bay do not allow for material dumped within its confines to be easily flushed away.

This material is left suspended in the water column will increase water turbidity and reduce light penetration. The spoil will smother the seabed killing any benethic fauna and other reef habitats present. Public submissions also referred to the designation on December 20, 2012, of Rockabill to Dalkey Island Reefs and Harbour Porpoise as a Special Areas of Conservation and that DCC’s plan would seem to contravene the spirit of such designation.

Irish Whale & Dolphin Group

Concerned that vibrations and noise levels caused by tunnelling will degrade the local habitat for harbour porpoise

The Dun Laoghaire Fisherman’s Group

As Fishermen and environmental protectors through sustainable fishing practices, any move to foul the waters of the bay would have serious consequences on water quality, sea life, could pose a health hazard and runs the risk of damaging potential heritage sites on the foreshore and in submerged locations.

Background Annex II of the EIA Directive states that decisions on whether EIA requirements apply to particular projects ‘must be considered on either a case by case basis, or with regard to national thresholds or criteria. Annex III sets out the selection criteria that must be taken into consideration in such instances.’

Annex II includes ‘deep drillings, in particular geothermal drilling, drilling for the storage of nuclear waste material, drilling for water supplies,’ DECLG confirmed to Inshore Ireland.

National legislation transposing the Directive does not include a reference to deep drillings but refers instead to ‘all geothermal drilling and drilling for

the storage of nuclear waste material; drilling, other than test drilling, for water supplies, where the expected supply would exceed 2 million cubic metres per annum.’

According to Providence Resources website FAQ, legislation requires that any activity (be it exploration, wind farms, piers, etc) within the State’s foreshore requires a foreshore licence.

For example, Providence is currently drilling a well off the coast of Cork, but because it is outside the foreshore limit, a foreshore licence was not required for this operation.

DECLG has told Inshore Ireland they do not know when this matter will be finalised.

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inshore ireland April/May 2013

Fisheries

EU fisheries meeting to promote ‘level playing field’ of best practice

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he Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) says that the series of meetings it hosted in April involving EU fishery control experts and representatives from DG MARE and the European Fishery Control Agency (EFCA) ‘would promote a level playing field of best practice amongst participants throughout the EU.’ Among the topics discussed at the Fishery Control Expert group meeting included: how fishery product traceability is implemented in Member States to ensure that fisheries products can be traced back and checked throughout the supply chain; the gradation of seriousness of fishery noncompliances and the application of appropriate sanctions to licence holders and masters, as well as how the certification and verification of fishing vessel engine power is implemented in Member States.

An SFPA-led initiative also sought to utilise the expertise of the participating groups for an initial seminar and technical discussions on the regulatory framework of the discard ban commencing in January 2014.

The European Fisheries Control Agency’s agenda focused particularly on the challenge of assessment and review of the costs and effectiveness of control and the enforcement of fisheries regulations.

Commenting after the three-day series of meetings, Micheál O’Mahony, SFPA, said the Common Fisheries Policy brings compliance obligations on all fishers in EU waters and control obligations on all EU Member states.

“To achieve sustainable fisheries, a culture of compliance must exist throughout the fishing industry. These meetings provide an excellent opportunity for key representatives from EU Member States and EU institutions to share valuable information on how to implement best practices in terms of fisheries control as well as the continued effective implementation of the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy.”

Emphasising that the SFPA would play its part in protecting the rich resources of fish around the coasts of Ireland for the benefit of responsible fishermen, he noted the need to ensure that all EU partners had the best systems in place so that illegal practices are prevented.

“The effective monitoring and control of fish stocks requires the close co-operation of Ireland with other Member States, DG MARE and EFCA. I am sure these meetings will help promote a level playing field of best practice amongst the participants,” he concluded.

Call for under 18 metre fishing vessel decommissioning scheme

T

he Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) has called on Minister Simon Coveney to implement a decommissioning scheme for Irish fishing vessels under-18 metres in registered length.

“In the Annual Implementation Report (2011) for the Seafood Development Operational Programme 20072013 it was recognised there was evidence that some imbalances remain in certain sub segments of the fleet and that Ireland would consider bringing forward proposals for further, well targeted, decommissioning during the period of this Operational Programme,” remarked FIF chair, Francis O’Donnell.

He added that under the proposed reformed European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), the Commission proposed there would be no further publicly-funded decommissioning schemes for fishing vessels. “In light of this it is essential that funding still available under the existing Operational Programme is availed of before the end of the programme period at the end of this year.”

He confirmed that the FIF has submitted a formal request to the Minister for a decommissioning scheme and that the same was currently ‘under consideration’ by the Minister and was hopeful of a positive response.

“This may be the last opportunity to undertake a publicly-funded decommissioning scheme for under-18 metre fishing vessels, which will help ease the pressure on some key commercial fish stocks and lead to more economically viable whitefish and shellfish fishing sectors.

“Such a scheme is very much in line with the pragmatic and sustainable approach to conservation adopted by the Irish fishing industry and will help to maximise limited available fishing opportunities for those remaining in the sector,” he said.

Mythical monster from the deep reveals secrets

A

n Irish-based scientist has been involved in a new discovery that there is only one species of the enigmatic giant squid worldwide. The

Giant squid or Architeuthis

subject of mariners tales since ancient times, this 10 armed invertebrate can grow to 13m, and lives at depths of up to 1000m.

Dr Louise Allcock, Ryan Institute, was a member of an

international team led by the University of Copenhagen that studied the genetic code of the giant squid, which can weigh over 900 kg. The research was led by PhD student Inger Winkelmann and her supervisor

Photo: Tsunemi Kubodera

Professor Tom Gilbert, from the Basic Research Centre in GeoGenetics at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, Copenhagen University.

It is less than a year since the giant squid was first filmed alive in its natural element at a depth of 630m by a submarine near Japan.

“The giant squid is extremely rarely seen, except as the remains of animals that have been washed ashore, and placed in the formalin or ethanol collections of museums,” explains Dr Allcock.

“For a long time it has remained unclear how many species of giant squid exist.

Our mitochondrial DNA data strongly point to the existence of a single species.”

The study, which is published in the journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, analyzed DNA from the remains of 43 giant squid collected from all over the world. The results show that the animal is genetically nearly identical

all over the planet, and shows no evidence of living in geographically structured populations.

One possible explanation is that although evidence suggests the adults remain in relatively restricted geographic regions, the young that live on the ocean’s surfaces must drift in the currents globally. Once they reach a large enough size to survive the depths, the authors of the paper believe they dive to the nearest suitable deep waters, and there the cycle begins again.

Scientists have yet to discover how old the creature gets, how quickly they grow and how they might have been affected by climate change.

“These are fascinating creatures, living in one of the planet’s most extreme environments, yet growing to gigantic proportions,” concludes Dr Allcock. “There is still so much we to learn about them, and ultimately about our planet.”

inshore ireland April/May 2013

YOURVIEW

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

Sunrise at Rath, Kenmare Bay.

Photo V Hyland

Kenmare Bay Marine Park: a European area for conservation?

Vincent Hyland

O

ver the past two months, people from the Kenmare Bay area have come together to begin the long-term process of getting the bay designated as a marine park.

According to the OECD and other bodies, the definition of a marine park is: ‘A permanent marine area for the conservation of species, preservation of specific habitats and for the sustainability of the ecosystem for the plants and animals that live there.’

This can also include the preservation of recreational activities. Most parks are designated by governments; however initiating a proposal from the ‘ground up’ is a relatively new approach.

While it may be sufficient to designate an area by its boundary and inform commercial interests, some parks extend the interest and provide for public education and interpretation.

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Stakeholder concerns

There are many challenges ahead; most importantly, local stakeholder’s interests will have to be addressed.

Landowners will need to be brought on board and access issues will need to be tackled.

There are many commercial interests operating along the length and breadth of the bay including fish farming, fishing, quarrying and water-sport activity.

How will designation affect their existing activities, if at all? Then there is the Government. What will they have to say about a group of local people wanting to put forward such a proposal?

As people focus on more sustainable and long-term meaningful resources, the bay has clearly come to the fore.

What is generally not known about Kenmare Bay is that it is currently and most definitely on the Atlantic Ocean and not on a river, as our maps have told us in the past.

Perhaps the drowning of the Kenmare ria (coastal inlet formed by the partial submergence of an unglaciated river valley) did us a disservice. You may have been able to walk the length of the bay 100,000 years ago but it has been a bay in modern times.

Is now the time to finally put it on the map and have Kenmare Bay designated a marine park? In the future a lot more than plants and animals may depend on it for their livelihoods!

See www.ayearinkerry. com/film for a brief introduction to the areas coastal biodiversity.

Kenmare Bay consists of old red sandstone, dating from the Devonian (370+ million years) and has been formed from desert sands when Ireland was 20 degrees south of the equator. Tectonic plate movement and subsequent mountain building, ice sheet coverage and erosion have helped shape the area as we know today.

The bay stretches 50km southwest from the town of Kenmare and is edged by the mountains of the Iveragh and Beara Peninsulas. It contains special areas of conservation, natural heritage areas and special protection areas.

The bay includes inner and outer islands, most of which are maritime grassland and heath. Many plants, animals, birds and habitats within the Kenmare bay area are protected under the auspices of E.U. habitats directives.

What is generally not known about Kenmare Bay is that it is currently and most definitely on the Atlantic Ocean and not on a river, as our maps have told us in the past.

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inshore ireland April/May 2013

Freshwater Focus

The Drowes

- affordable salmon fishing Brendan Connolly

S

traddling the border between Counties Leitrim and Donegal, the Drowes Salmon Fishery runs just five miles from Lough Melvin to the sea at Tullaghan. Yet, those few miles represent one of the best and most easily accessible rod-and -line salmon fisheries in Ireland. The manager of the Drowes Fishery is Shane Gallagher, who, for many anglers, must have the perfect job.

Lareen Estate

Luke White, initially a penniless immigrant from Scotland, amassed a fortune by running a lottery in Dublin in the early 1800s that allowed him to buy 26,000 acres centered around the Drowes river and Lough Melvin.

From 1810 onwards, he developed the Drowes as a salmon rod-and-line fishery, and built Lareen Lodge as a shooting and fishing lodge.

Subsequently, Lareen Estate and the Drowes Fishery changed hands a number of times.

For generations the Gallagher family owned a water mill on the Drowes just up-stream of Mullinaleck Bridge, also known as the Bridge of the Four Masters.

Traditionally milling grain and flax, Shane’s father, Thomas Gallagher, operated a sawmill and in 1978 bought Lareen Estate and the Drowes Fishery.

An accessible salmon fishery

Despite living on the banks of the Drowes River as a child, Thomas Gallagher was not allowed to fish there.

Salmon fishing was quite exclusive, being the preserve of tweed-clad gentry.

Undeterred, Thomas Gallagher changed this and opened up the fishery to visiting and local anglers alike, charging very moderate fees. Shane joined his father in 1998 to run the fishery, and following his father’s death in 2002, he took over sole responsibility.

Shane Gallagher very much follows the approach taken by his late father, of making the salmon fishery accessible to anglers. For example, anglers under 18 years-of-age are allowed to fish for free if they are accompanied by an adult.

Lareen Estate comprises 10 self-catering cottages set in

woodland on the banks of the Drowes; lake boats can also be rented for fishing on Lough Melvin. In the tackle shop, surrounded by many photos of happy anglers with some very fine salmon, Shane supplies permits, flies, and baits.

Building on the work carried out by previous owners, the Gallaghers reinstated groynes that had fallen into disrepair, creating a series of pools and increasing the holding capacity for salmon in the river. They also constructed wooden walkways along the riverbank to facilitate anglers’ access, and maintain the gravel spawning beds on an ongoing basis.

Thomas Gallagher had seen how Mullinaleck Bridge, when it was blown up during the Irish Civil War, formed a new weir with a substantial pool upstream.

This pool was very good for fishing until the bridge was rebuilt. So, when he bought the fishery, Thomas constructed a new weir just upstream of the bridge, which now forms the Mill Pool and is one of the best pools on the Drowes.

Catch and release

The annual salmon catch on the Drowes is approximately 1,000 fish.

With the increasing trend for catch and release, roughly 40% of the rod catch is now returned to the river.

The salmon run is solely the result of natural spawning in the Drowes and in the feeder

streams of Lough Melvin, estimated to be between 280% and 300% of the conservation limit.

This short river is truly a phenomenon in terms of its salmon population. The Drowes, however, is not known for its seatrout. Shane tells of the odd seatrout reaching the Mill Pool. This is in contrast to rivers and beaches in Donegal Bay either side of the Drowes that are known for their seatrout fishing.

While 2012 was a very good year for grilse on the Drowse, Shane concludes that it is too early yet to assess the full impact of the salmon driftnet ban on its salmon population.

Continuing the policy started by his father, Shane allows all methods of salmon angling — fly-fishing, spinning, as well as worm and shrimp fishing — thus increasing accessibility to salmon fishing for more anglers.

Younger anglers, for example, are more likely to take up fishing if they can start with worm fishing, to perhaps progress to flyfishing at a later stage. Shane, who himself talks, eats, and sleeps fishing, hopes in this way to broaden the circle of stakeholders who have a passion for preserving the environment.

This, he feels, is necessary if future generations are to enjoy and appreciate magical natural phenomena such as the Drowes River and its salmon run.

For further information visit: www. drowessalmonfishery.com

Shane Gallagher chatting with anglers fishing the Mill Pool

Self-catering cottage at Lareen

Congratulations to Peadar Byrne, Dundalk, Co Louth, winner of a 2-day angling package on the Drowes Fishery.

Angling advice in the tackle shop

inshore ireland April/May 2013

9

Freshwater Focus

Threat to aquatic and riparian envrionments from non-native species Chairman IFI Mr Brendan O Mahony; Minister Fergus O Dowd; Dr Cathal Gallagher Chairman EIFAAC and Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO IFI at the launch of the FINS conference at Galway Bay. Photo D Ruffles

Junior angler sets record for Dublin Angling Initiative

A

new record has been set by the Dublin Angling Initiative with 16-year-old Eric Cahill catching a fish of a lifetime ― a 12lb record ferox trout from Lough Ramor, Virginia, Co. Cavan. This is the biggest fish ever caught by a youngster out fishing with the DAI. A fishing trip for a group of 10 youngsters was organised for Mulhuddart Foroige Fishing club to Lough Ramor, Virginia, by Des Chew, DAI. Following introduction by Des on setting up rods, rigs and bait presentation, the youngsters were soon catch and releasing roach, hybrids and perch and pike.

Meanwhile, Eric patiently waited for a pike to take his smelt deadbait. He signalled for assistance when his rod tip nodded indicating a take. Under the guidance of Des and Chris McGregor he was instructed to knock his bale arm over so this cagey fish would feel no resistance.

Suddenly there was a short run and Eric struck. It was obvious he had a big fish on. When the fish drew close the golden spotted body revealed that Eric was now playing a fish of a lifetime and maybe the first specimen caught by a DAI youngster! He landed the fish to great excitement of the group and a crowd of local anglers who all looked on in amazement.

The fish was weighed on certified scales, laid out and measured on an Inland Fisheries Ireland measuring mat, and measured over 80cm and weighed in at over 12lbs.

Des announced that Eric had just caught his first specimen, recorded from over 10,000 teenagers who have participated in DAI courses over the last 15 years.

If this fish is ratified by the Specimen Fish Committee it will also be the first specimen.

The Dublin Angling Initiative was set up in 1995. Its

principle aims are to promote, develop and improve angling in the Dublin and Greater Dublin area and is sponsored by Inland Fisheries Ireland. During the summer months young people from National and Secondary schools, summer projects and youth services throughout Dublin City Centre and suburbs are brought on fishing courses. Already thousands of young people have been introduced to the joys of sea, coarse and game angling at the venues accessible by bus and rail from Dublin City centre.

Des Chew and Eric Cahill with his record trout from Lough Ramor.

Photo Josie Mahon, IFI

F

reshwater invasive species pose a significant threat to native biodiversity in Europe, as well as to Ireland’s economy and health, a conference in Galway was told.

Organised jointly by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and the European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC), the conference addressed key topics relating to freshwater invasive species and harmful aquatic pathogens, both in Ireland and abroad.

They also examined policy, management, biosecurity and economic issues relating to invasives.

Prevalence and impact Freshwater invasive species represent a growing threat to the island of Ireland and their prevalence and impact is becoming increasingly apparent.

According to an IFI spokeswoman, these non-native species can cause significant damage to natural aquatic and riparian environments, indigenous biota as well as to the local and national economy.

“As a small country on the western edge of Europe, Ireland has experienced fewer invasions than many countries on the mainland. However, those invaders that have become established have managed to wreak serious environmental, social and economic damage.

“Also, the rate at which new high priority aquatic invasive species are accessing Ireland has increased in recent years, necessitating urgent and robust intervention,” she said.

It is estimated that freshwater invasive species already cause some €12.5bn worth of damage each year in the European Union alone. In the UK this figure is more than €2.3bn.

Recent figures reveal that the estimated annual cost of invasive species to the economies of Ireland and Northern Ireland combined is €262m.

The Galway conference included presentations by specialists from as far afield as New Zealand, Canada and Kenya. Delegates discussed key issues relating to invasive species with a view to producing documents that will inform policy development in Ireland and in Europe. They also visited Lough Corrib to view some of the successful, practical control work that has been conducted on the aggressive invasive species Lagarosiphon major on the lake.

Lagarosiphon major

10 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Fisheries

The importance of safety at sea B

IM’s new training guide to personal survival techniques, which includes details on personal flotation devices; abandon ship; helicopter rescue and hypothermia, has been approved by the National Adult Literacy

Association (NALA). It was developed by BIM in consultation with Dr Jason van der Velde of Medico Cork at Cork University Hospital, the Department of Transport and the Irish Coast Guard.

Over the last five years, 19 deaths at sea relating to

the commercial fishing and aquaculture sector have been recorded. The statistics for 2012 record 7 deaths, an increase year-on-year for the previous four years.

Jason Whooley, BIM’s CEO emphasised the importance of completing life-saving

Pictured at the launch of the BIM ‘Personal Survival Techniques’ training aid at the Irish Skipper Expo, Galway are Ger Hegarty, Irish Coast Guard, Robert Walsh, BIM and Declan Geoghegan, Irish Coast Guard

safety training; “Fishing is a dangerous occupation and the sector has already suffered from too many tragic accidents at sea in recent years.

“With new developments in safety on board and new technology coming on stream, we have more tools at our disposal to increase survival rates from accidents at sea but in order for these measures to be effective, all crew require the necessary training. It is therefore imperative that fishermen and aquaculture personnel, who have not already done so, complete their safety training

to help prevent any further lives lost at sea’ BIM run a variety of training courses for industry, including the mandatory Basic Safety Course, in their dedicated training colleges (National Fisheries College Ireland (NFCI) Greencastle, Co. Donegal and Castletownbere, Co. Cork) and on board their coastal training units that bring training directly to ports and coastal locations around Ireland. For further information on upcoming courses, please visit www.bim.ie

Delegates from across the industry at Dublin inaugural meeting

Industry wide think-tank gets underway on brown crab sector

T

he first meeting of the Irish partners in the ACRUNET project, which aims to secure the economic and social viability and sustainability of the European brown crab industry, discussed developing a network and promoting dialogue among inter-dependent sectors: fishermen, buyers, exporters, processors and retailers – and Norah Parke, (KFO), gave an overview of the INTERREG Atlantic Area IVb ACRUNET project and how it had evolved over several years. She emphasised the importance of the overarching network that draws the different jurisdictions and facets of industry stakeholders and consumers together.

There followed a description of the work plan for ACRUNET. This aims to develop a European standard that would be based on the existing national standards of Ireland (BIM Responsibly Sourced Seafood (ISO 65)), UK and France; possible management strategies to assure future stock sustainability, and an economic in-depth analysis of the entire industry from vessel to consumer to dictate a marketing strategy.

The next meeting in March centred on processing the standards, which delegates emphasised needed to be simple but clearly defined and innovative products that would appeal to younger consumers and in countries that do have a tradition of eating brown crab. These objectives were set against a background of good management to ensure sustainable stocks and to enhance the reputation of an industry with environmental integrity.

ACRUNET aims to harness the interest and skills displayed at these meetings by engaging with all sectors of industry over the course of the project and beyond. To maintain this progress an industry consultative group, drawn from volunteers present, was set up; this group will continue the dialogue initiated and ensure ACRUNET remains focused on the real needs of the brown crab industry.

inshore ireland April/May 2013 11

Subscriptions

Graduation of commercial fishing students

T

en students from the coastal counties of Donegal, Galway, Waterford, Wicklow and Cork have graduated from the BIM National Fisheries College, Greencastle, Co. Donegal following completion of the Commercial Fishing Course.

Ronan Lowther, Mountcharles, Co. Donegal, was presented with the student of the year award by John O’Kane, manager of Foyle Fishermen’s Co-Op at the awards ceremony.

“I am delighted to witness at first-hand the high calibre of young students successfully completing this important training delivered by BIM. It is encouraging to see young entrants enter the industry and it is important to recognise the important role a deckhand plays in the food chain as their handling of the product has a direct impact on the price of the catch,” remarked Mr O’Kane.

Captain James Hegarty, Principal of the BIM College emphasised the importance of putting into learning into practice: “I would like to encourage all of the students to put the safety techniques they have learnt…into practice in their fishing careers. I would particularly like to stress the importance of wearing a Personal Flotation Device at all times while working on deck. I would like to wish all the graduates every success in the fishing industry.”

The FETAC Commercial Fishing course is one of two courses run at the College, aimed at young people entering the fishing industry. The modules studied include: »» Fishing Vessel Operations »» Fishing Gear Maintenance and Repair »» Net Construction »» Safety at Sea »» Navigation and Stability »» Communications »» Computer Applications »» Information Technology, and »» Marine Engine Operations.

Successful students are awarded a FETAC Level 5 Certificate in Commercial Fishing. The next course is scheduled to commence in September 2013.

BIM organises a series of training courses for the fishing, processing and aquaculture sectors including Marine Engineering, Basic Safety Training, Commercial Fishing Certificates, Aquaculture, Risk based HACCP for seafood and Fish Handling and Filleting.

The students who completed the deckhand course are: Brian Boyle, Dungloe, Co. Donegal (not present in accompanying photos as away fishing); Manus Boyle, Dungloe, Co. Donegal; Eamon Byrne, Aran Islands, Co. Galway; Shane Friel, Fanad, Co. Donegal; Joseph Hurley, Kinsale, Co. Cork; Colby Lewis, Youghal, Co. Waterford; Ronan Lowther, Mountcharles, Co. Donegal; Andrew McKeever, Greencastle, Co. Donegal; David Quinn, Arklow, Co. Wicklow; Jason Rose, Inver, Co. Donegal

Inshore Ireland is a bimonthly marine, maritime, seafood and freshwater publication and publishes six times a year: February, April, June, August, October and December.

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In news, feature and advertorial format, Inshore Ireland reports on an all-island basis on topics including: • Island life • Aquaculture • Water quality • Maritime culture • Ports & shipping • Aquatic R&D/leisure

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Group: Back row L-R; Joseph Hurley, Kinsale, Co Cork; Eamon Byrne, Aran Islands; Andrew McKeever, Greencastle, Co Donegal; Jason Rose, Inver, Co Donegal; Manus Boyle, Dungloe, Co Donegal and Shane Friel, Fanad, Co Donegal.

Front row L-R; Colby Lewis, Youghal, Co Waterford; John O’Kane (Manager, Foyle Fishermens Co-Op), Ronan Lowther, Mountcharles, Co Donegal (Student of the Course Award Winner), Cara Rawdon (Chairman Foyle Fishermans Co-Op) and David Quinn, Arklow, Co Wicklow.

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12 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Salmon farm licence debate

Salmon Farms:

the Moratorium that isn’t Compiled by Gery Flynn

Tony Lowes

Y

ou could have knocked me down with a feather when I found it.

Reading policy documents and environmental assessments is not normally an exciting experience. The ‘Seafood National Program 2007 – 2013’ published in July 2010, however, was electrifying.

There it was, in black and white: ‘The targets for increased productive capacity for salmon will now have to be deferred until after 2013 as a result of the amendments made to this Programme arising from comments received during the SEA process.’

This, the document explained, was because of ‘concerns, arising from the public and statutory consultation process of the SEA [Strategic Environmental Assessment] of this

Plan were also raised by the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards and supported by the Department of Communication, Energy and Natural Resources (DCENR) with regard to the negative impact that sea lice emanating from salmon farms could be having on migratory wild salmonids.’

The authors concluded: ‘To address these concerns, it has been decided that no financial assistance will be given to marine salmon aquaculture licence holders during the course of this National Programme until such time as the sea lice issue has been satisfactorily resolved.’

Bingo - a moratorium on further expansion of salmon farming until the sea lice issue had been addressed!

I dug further.

I found that this ‘Seafood National Program 2007 – 2013’ was part of the National Development Plan [NDP].

And it had been subject to a Strategic Environmental Assessment [SEA] – the highest level policy assessment that requires public consultation and is intended to ensure that no one sector or activity in the economy unfairly adversely impacts on another and that we all proceed to develop our national resources as one.

That little alarm bell I could

hear through my euphoria should have warned me that my discovery of the moratorium was not going to be well received. After all, the Minister for Agriculture had given €2 million to BIM to sort out the paperwork to double the output of Irish farmed salmon in one site in Galway Bay and flog it to the highest bidder – just over a year after ‘my’ discovery had been published.

Worse yet, I knew that Ireland had not done a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Development Plan.

Ireland’s response to the Commission’s opening infringement proceedings over this oversight had been that no SEA of the NDP was necessary because it was a ‘voluntary financial plan for investment’ and ‘financial or budget plans and programmes’ were exempt.

Ireland finished with the bizarre claim that it was not necessary to assess the NDP as it did ‘not set the framework for future development consent’.

Against this background, there was no point jumping out of the bath like Archimedes and proclaiming my discovery to the world. I was already blue in the face from being told how we had the best sea lice monitoring in the world (‘The Commission is satisfied that the Irish authorities have a control / enforcement system in place for the monitoring of sea lice levels in salmon farms.’)

Yes – and this monitoring showed that one-winter

salmon exceeded the Trigger Treatment Levels (when chemical treatment is required) over the last three years at over 25% of Irish salmon farms. In two-winter salmon sites the percentage has risen continually over the last three years from 24% to 40% to 50% in 2011 Figures from the last quarter of 2012 regularly show sites with 3 to 5 times the permitted levels of sea lice at a time of year when it is critical that sea lice do not overwinter, as this leads to increased levels of sea lice production the following Spring when salmon are migrating through the bays.

So I had before me two facts that nobody can deny.

The SEA of the NDP’s ‘Seafood National Program 2007 – 2013’ required no further expansion of salmon farms until the sea lice issue has been satisfactorily addressed.

The sea lice issue, according the Marine Institute’s official reports, had not been satisfactorily addressed.

I wrote letters to the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Heritage, the Minister for Agriculture, and to the Taoiseach. I wrote to the European Commissioner for the Environment and the Commissioner for Fisheries. I even wrote to the ‘Irish Times’.

Nothing happened.

And I am reliably told nothing will happen. The nation has a problem with planning – at every level.

That’s why we are where we are.

Donal Maguire, BIM responds

T

he only real fact in the Tony Lowes article is the headline: “The Moratorium that isn’t”. That’s correct because there is no moratorium, and there never was a moratorium. So he’s correct in that sense.

His article is a classic Tony Lowes fruit bowl into which he puts apples, pears and oranges and then he attempts to compare them - one to another - even though they’re clearly not the same, and it all ends up as the froth on top of a smoothie that is anything but innocent!

On the one hand Mr Lowes acknowledges that the Seafood National Programme was the subject of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Further into the article however he complains that Ireland has not done a Strategic Environment Assessment on its National Development Plan. That’s a blatant contradiction.

What Mr Lowes refers to as a moratorium was not in fact anything of the kind. What happened was that after the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Seafood Programme was carried out the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine reached an agreement with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources not to extend financial assistance to the marine side of salmon farming because Communications and Natural Resources raised concerns.

There was never any admission of any kind that salmon farming was having an adverse impact, but because of sensitivities at the time regarding the European Union, to allow the grant programme to proceed, that agreement was reached.

So there never was a moratorium. It was just a so-called ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between both departments.

Tony Lowes then refers to the targets for an expansion of the finfish industry in Ireland. The targets he’s referring to are part of the National Development Plan.

The comment that he has taken out of context is essentially acknowledging that if there’s no investment by the state into the sector, then the state’s own targets for expansion of that sector should be revisited because of the fact that it is not now going to make a state investment. It is not, in any shape or form constituting a moratorium.

Therefore, his phrase, “Bingo, a moratorium on further expansion of salmon farming until the sea lice issue has been addressed” is just plain wrong!

It’s like comparing apples, pears, oranges - and bananas - and coming up with a conclusion that is not correct.

In fairness, as for his reference to Ireland’s Sea lice Monitoring and Programme, he does acknowledge that despite a complaint lodged by Salmonwatch Ireland to DG Environment that the European Commission, after an investigation and after a response from the Irish state concluded that the Control and Monitoring Programme we have is “fit for purpose”, that there’s no case to answer.

In fact it’s the most rigorous programme of its kind in Europe.

Plainly though, Mr Lowes doesn’t understand the Control and Monitoring Programme because he confuses ‘trigger levels’ with ‘regulatory limits’.

If he were to look more closely at what has happened with regard to the Control and Monitoring Programme he would see that where ‘trigger levels’ were exceeded, treatments were imposed on the operators.

And where those treatments were not effective, accelerated harvesting was carried out so that there were no fish over the trigger levels in position during the critical phases when wild migratory fish might have been in the vicinity.

This has worked very well as a precautionary system just in case sea lice on salmon farms were having an effect, and it has been rigorously pursued.

And we now know from the Marine Institute that it is unlikely that sea lice are a significant contributory factor to the marine survival of salmon. In fact, the Control and Monitoring Programme is a very powerful precautionary approach indeed, and it has been rigorously applied.

Quite clearly, it is desirable that Ireland should expand its output of organic farmed salmon because there’s a terrific market demand there to be addressed.

And it’s also the case now – beyond any shadow of a doubt – that our Sea lice Monitoring and Control Programme is the best in Europe and is highly effective.

inshore ireland April/May 2013 13

Salmon Farm licence Debate

Noel Carr, Federation of Irish and Seatrout Anglers drew 2,500 protesters onto the streets of Galway and shocked the government. The international reaction to the cages plan has been so successful that media now understand that the creation of 2,000 jobs in aquaculture should not be at the expense of 30,000 jobs in our wild fish and angling tourism sector.

M

inisters, Rabbite and Coveney have restored calm, or more like silence, to both Inland Fisheries Ireland and BIM to allow time for heads to cool. This window of opportunity will allow

time for all to reconsider the merits of locating ten gigantic salmon farms (one 15,000 tonne unit off Inis Oírr) that will damage our wild fish and marine ecosystem.

The massive “Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages” march

43 seafood businesses support salmon farm proposal We are a group of seafood and related businesses from counties Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Limerick, Cork and Donegal, and are significant employers in this industry. We have decided to make public our clear support for the proposed Deep Sea Fish Farm off Inis Oirr. We feel that the voice of those in the seafood industry needs to be heard in the on-going discussion on this significant project.

We all work in the fish processing and related enterprises along the Western seaboard we understand, more than most, the challenges associated with running a business which is dependent on the vagaries of the sea. Demand for organic salmon is on the increase in the European and American markets. We currently are not in a position to meet this increasing demand and we require a significant increase in supply in order to grow the business.

The proposed Deep Sea Fish Farm at Inis Oirr is critical to development of the organic salmon industry in this country. If BIM does not proceed with this development, salmon processors will be unable to operate to full capacity and it will not be possible to satisfy orders. As a direct result we will not be in a position to offer additional employment and will have to turn to Scotland and Norway for a product which we could supply from our own waters.

We’re not scare-mongering, we’re stating a fact. In the current very challenging economic climate we believe that we should not allow other countries benefit from the jobs which we can create ourselves.

As experienced industry operators we can see how this €60million project has the potential to create 500 jobs. The figures speak for themselves, 15,000 tonnes of organic salmon would be worth €102million annually and contribute €14.5 million per annum in wages to the Galway hinterland. It’s disappointing that moves to create valuable new and sustainable employment are meeting with resistance and hostility despite the overwhelming scientific evidence contained in the Marine Institute research.

We can already see from the Clare Island salmon farm that aquaculture, inshore fishing, tourism and other interests can coexist and complement each other to reap the best possible return for Ireland in a responsible and sustainable fashion. It is a pity that we are bogged down in a negative campaign much of which is based on inaccurate and sometimes mischievous comment. We believe that this is an industry and an opportunity that we as a country must develop and in doing so we will create sustainable employment for our coastal communities.

Yours sincerely,

Delivering quality jobs FISSTA agrees with BIM that Ireland can become a global player in the seafood sector and, as an island nation, we have rich seafood resources that can deliver quality sustainable jobs. However, a strategy that markets an inferior farmed salmon product on the same stand as our superior highpriced wild variety is a dangerous one. It will eventually damage our brand and hard-earned quality image which the wild producers must resist.

Last year alone, Irish seafood exports grew by 18% to nearly €500m, an impressive performance compared to other Irish food exports. Minister Coveney’s sees the big challenge for the Irish seafood sector as how to respond to a world population set to grow to 8bn by 2025.

But why should we sacrifice our sustainable tourism product which employs 123,000 and is valued at €5.3bn. ? While angling accounts for a significant share of this revenue, scenery and a clean environment also are huge factors underpinning this very valuable industry to the west of Ireland.

Non-quota fish species While the Coveney plan requires more raw materials to increase jobs, he can achieve this without relying solely on a massive expansion in the numbers of salmon farms. Product development research identifies new non-quota fish species to land for processing at our now almost-ghost fishing ports.

Such work is already bearing fruit with many new species already being landed in Irish ports as reported in the marine press.

More work must be done to entice more foreign landings into our processing plants.

Last year, Irish processors managed to attract over 80,000 tonnes, or 25% of total production, from foreign vessels. Such wild fish supplies, (genuinely organic food) can be increased if the management of BIM concentrated on their core brief by serving local artisan fishermen instead of being facilitators to multi-national companies who have more loyalty and obligations to the Oslo stock exchange than to the Irish government which grants their licenses.

It is difficult to understand why the Minister continues to pursue outdated aspects of the previous government’s Food Harvest 2020 strategy. This targets a turnover in excess of €1bn, and involves up to six companies with revenues greater than €50m each, mainly in the shellfish, farmed salmon, pelagic, and whitefish categories.

Such a strategy abandons the

small sustainable fishermen who were the backbone of our marine economy and complimented our angling tourism industry. . These very people were working hard long before the super trawlers ever arrived in Killybegs.

Canadian technology – possible solution After many years of habitat destruction, a Canadian Parliamentary Task Force has agreed to explore changes to its current policy of ‘pollute to produce’.

The proposed onshore policy of rearing Atlantic salmon will eradicate sea lice infestation, viral disease, pesticide use and fish waste pollution. It will also reduce the impact of these problems on wild salmon stocks.

These new concepts are still in their infancy, but four such facilities are progressing, in Chile, Denmark and the eastern U.S., and in the K’udas Project on northern Vancouver Island.

The first cohort of these Atlantic salmon will take 12 to 15 months to reach maturity, half the time required in net-pens. The startling findings in Canada now prove that closed containment systems can achieve higher growth rates, more efficient and sustainable use of feed, better protection from disease and bad weather - thus reducing business risk. In Ireland, this would relieve the taxpayer from the burden of supporting salmon farmers.

Dear Sir I do not profess to be an expert of salmon farming and I have a huge respect for The Marine Institute.

I notice that The Marine Institute have just concluded a nine (9) year study into the impact of salmon farming on local and regional natural marine ecosystems. They have concluded, I believe, that there is minimal impact and that sea lice infestation may be limited to around 1%. I have not read their report but would ask, did they look into any of the following issues as part of that nine year study? »» Did they conduct an exhaustive study of other salmon farming lots in other parts of the world, like British Columbia and document their findings? If so what conclusions were drawn from that assessment? »» Have they consulted with biologists who have conducted studies on the sea lice infestations that result in salmon lots elsewhere in the world, particularly British Columbia and Chile where there have been serious concerns? »» Is the figure of 1% infestation of sea lice in wild salmon/other fish populations OR wild salmon/other fish populations after they have been subjected to the sea lice that build up in a salmon feed lot over the years and the inevitable resistance that will develop in those sea lice to chemical treatments? »» Have they conducted an impact study on the chemicals used to treat salmon infections and parasite infestations on the wider marine ecosystems? »» Have they looked at the impact of virus infection in imported stock fish and the transmission to wild salmon stocks? Infectious salmon anaemia which has proved so devastating to Atlantic salmon populations. »» Have they looked at the impact on wild salmon populations of escaped farmed fish? »» Have they looked at the impact of faecal deposits, old food discard, chemicals used for disease treatment and dyes added to salmon feed on the marine ecosystems beneath the feed lots, 50 metres out, 100 metres out, 200 metres out? »» Have they looked at the backgrounds of those companies they will put this out to tender to?

Their involvement with the public in the past how they handle bad PR, of which there will likely be loads in the years ahead as the impact studies may be proven to be a sham. »» Have they looked at the exact cost and profit comparisons of having the farm located in water or on land 2,5 and 10 years out? Sited on land, many of the concerns may be overcome.

Not all these questions may fall under the remit of The Marine Institute but they are the sort of questions that need to be answered thoroughly if a decison is seen to be based on scientific accuracy rather than political expediency.

Yours faithfully, Nic Slocum

14 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Salmon Farm licence Debate

Skye’s Group Against Unsustainable Fish Farming

T

he claim that sea lice cause only 1% extra mortality is a classic example of how you can use correct statistics to lie. The 1% may be true (although that is questionable too), but that doesn’t mean that the effect of sea lice is negligible. Total marine mortality of salmon is up to 95%. That means that of every 100 salmon only 5 come back to spawn. Add 1% mortality due to sea lice, and what happens?

Only 4 out of a hundred come back! That means that 20% of the salmon that used to return now

no longer return. It’s the same statistics, but expressed differently.

Quite a different, wouldn’t you say? And I’d say that this way of saying it conveys a lot better what the effect of sea lice is: a reduction of 20% of returning salmon!

The claim that it is really only 1% can stand only if the researchers would be absolutely certain that not one treated salmon succumbs to sea lice. The assumption of the research is that the difference in return percentages of treated and non-treated fish equals the effect of sea lice. If 5 out of a 100 treated fish return,

and only 4 out of a 100 non-treated, then the easy conclusion is indeed that only 1% of wild fish is killed by sea lice. But what, for example, if the fish takes longer to clear the river and leave the shore than average? The treatment would eventually no longer work and the fish would be as vulnerable to sea lice as the non-treated ones. And what if the sea lice in the area have become resistant to the treatment used, as they can do? Imagine that even just one out of every 100 treated fish would also be killed by sea lice, then the conclusion should be that sea lice cause 2% mortality! What if even more would be killed by sea lice?

I

t is with interest we read your coverage on the salmon Dear farming in the Jan / Feb 2013 issue of Inshore Ireland.

Research by David Jackson, of the Marine Institute, seems to have Editor become the focus of the debate in recent months. As the extensive coverage has highlighted, the conclusions drawn by BIM on this published paper misrepresent

what the research data actually indicates. This is understandable as BIM is essentially a commercial organisation and matters relating to environmental issues are not high on its list of priorities.

I was therefore surprised to see the editorial comment congratulating BIM on their transparency and information sharing. BIM have been seen promoting David Jackson’s research all over the press claiming it gives solid evidence that sea lice have no impact on wild salmon, when Inland Fisheries Ireland note it actually indicates quite the opposite. Indeed, it could easily be argued that BIM are actually attempting to bamboozle the public with science and spin doctoring by making these claims. On top of that, BIM fail to mention other research studies recently published, such as those by P. Gargan of Inland Fisheries Ireland, that quite clearly show sea lice emanating from salmon farms could devastate wild Atlantic salmon stocks in Ireland.

And that’s not all. The article primarily focussed on the sea lice issue giving the impression this is the overriding concern, when in fact there are many further issues. As mentioned by FISSTA amoebic gill disease in wrecking havoc in Irish salmon farming today. IFI noted the issue of escaped farmed salmon genetically diluting wild salmon, thereby weakening their chances of survival. Not to mentioned is the problem of nutrient enrichment, which exacerbates inshore algal blooms that have caused so much trouble to Ireland’s shellfisheries in recent years. Next there’s the release of pesticides designed to kill sea lice, a copepod crustacean. So, it should come as no surprise that these are highly toxic to valuable marine crustaceans such as lobster, prawn, shrimp, and crab and could wipe out local stocks and associated businesses. At no point is the issue of the impacts on tourism addressed. This is not a simple debate of anglers verses the salmon farming industry. There are many other sectors to consider including shellfish farmers, inshore fishermen, tourism interests and marine leisure.

Moving off the ground, there’s the issue of how salmon farm licences are managed in Ireland as a whole. Today, the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) hold almost total control over all stages of aquaculture licensing. They deal with applications, objections, appeals (including recruiting all members of the appeals board), and in turn policing of salmon farms. Given BIM comes under the remit of DAFM, we are now in a situation where this Department is essentially applying to itself for a license, and should the license be awarded will be self-policing. Such a situation not only lacks in transparency, but is open to corruption at all stages.

Next comes the issue of EU law and whether Ireland will end up in EU courts again over the manner in which it deals with salmon farming issues. It would not be the first time. As things stand, the EU requires strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of any policy that potentially impacts the environment. Yet no such SEA has been completed on Ireland’s latest salmon farming proposals being pushed by Simon Coveney and BIM. This shambles cannot go on. The time has come for a review of current policy and decision making procedures. Without this, Ireland could find itself in a situation where a Minister and his Department are able to blindly push forward a programme that is unsustainable, has little public backing and could be detrimental to other sectoral interests.

Yours sincerely, Alec O’Donovan, Secretary, Save Bantry Bay.

Salmon cages at a marine site in the southwest of Ireland.

Photo: N Duffy

Can the researchers be asolutely sure that none of the treated fish are killed by sea lice?

No, they can’t.

But even though the precise percentage of fish killed by sea lice may be impossible to

determine, it is at least clear that a sizeable part of the fish that manage to make it past all the other mortality causes is now killed by sea lice. 20% is probably a conservative estimate.

Arthur Sevestre, Biologist

Skye’s Group Against Unsustainable Fish Farming is a small organisation based on the

Isle of Skye (Scotland). We fight our own small battles against newly proposed farms around Skye, but our greater goal is to connect and get organised with other groups nationally and internationally to take on, totally discredit and do away with an inherently unsustainable industry as a whole so that none of us will still need to fight small local pitched battles against a weatlhy wellorganised corporate giant where we might win some, but lose most.

T

he Marine Institute has revealed that sea lice levels on salmon smolts in Ireland through 2012 continue to show low levels of infestation, as in previous years, with 98% of sea lice inspections falling below the treatment trigger levels (TTL) compared to 97% in 2011 and 96% in 2010.

Figures just published in the National Survey of Sea Lice on Fish Farms in Ireland - 2012 - produced annually by the MI’s Aquaculture Section of the Marine Environment and Food Safety Services Section - indicate that sea lice levels on onesea-winter salmon during the critical Spring period, when large numbers of wild salmon are migrating, were below TTL for 72% of inspections in the West; 58% in the Northwest; and 100% in the Southwest.

For two-sea-winter salmon, 43% fell below TTL compared to 50% in 2011 and 60% in 2010.

The report notes that control of sea lice levels ‘proved difficult in some areas of the country for periods throughout 2012 due to fish health problems, however the treatments used to combat these issues in some cases may have had a reducing effect on the numbers of sea lice, e.g. the use of freshwater and hydrogen peroxide for the treatment of Amoebic Gill Disease.’

It finds too that regular on-farm sea lice monitoring programmes and a pro-active treatment ‘has proven to be essential to prevent the increase of sea lice populations’.

And for bays where there is more than one salmon farming operation taking place the report declares that ‘The Single Bay Management Process is crucial to achieving successful sea lice control as synchronous bay-wide treatments are required for maximum effectiveness’.

As for fallowing, separation of generations and the early harvest of two-sea-winter fish, the report finds these practices to be ‘key elements in an integrated approach to sea lice control’.

The report declares : ‘Sea lice infestation as a source of marine mortality of outwardly migrating ranched Atlantic salmon smolts has been investigated in long term studies in Ireland and Norway with both studies generating similar results. In Ireland marine mortality data on 352,142 migrating salmon from twenty-eight releases, at eight locations along Ireland’s South and West coasts covering a 9-year period was reviewed in a meta-analysis.

The results though significant suggest that sea lice is a minor and irregular component of marine mortality in the stocks studied indicating it is unlikely to be a significant factor influencing conservation status of stocks of wild salmon in Ireland”.

National Survey of Sea Lice on fish farms in Ireland - 2012 may be downloaded free from the Marine Institute’s website.

Objectives of the national sea lice monitoring programme: »» To provide an objective measurement of infestation levels on farms. »» To investigate the nature of infestations. »» To provide management information to drive the implementation of control and management strategies. »» To facilitate further development and refinement of this strategy. »» Principal components of the sea lice control and management strategy: »» Separation of generations »» Annual fallowing sites »» Early harvest of two-sea-winter fish »» Targeted treatment regimes, including synchronous treatments »» Agreed husbandry practices

inshore ireland April/May 2013 15

marine research and innovation

Dr Federico Cardona Pons and Dr Ilaria Vielmini pictured in AquaTT’s Dublin offices.

Irish base, European view:

working from Ireland on EU Projects Trevor Purtill

I

reland has always been an attractive destination for international scientists and researchers.

Marine experts in particular find that Ireland’s location as well as its people’s affinity with the sea and genuine love of knowledge and new learning combine to create an ideal environment for developing their careers.

Two such marine experts who work for AquaTT - a Dublinbased scientific knowledge management company discuss their experiences of working in Ireland.

Dr Federico Cardona Pons joined AquaTT as a scientific project officer in 2012, having previously worked with the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies. Originally from Minorca in Spain, Federico wanted to continue broadening his experience after periods working in France, Norway and Australia.

“I enjoy travelling and experiencing new cultures and having come from an island with a strong marine tradition, Ireland seemed like

a natural choice for me.”

Federico works as a scientific project officer for several of AquaTT’s ECfunded projects, including SOCIOEC (Socio Economic Effects of Management Measures of the Future CFP); SEAFARE (Sustainable and Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture for the Atlantic Region of Europe) and ECsafeSEAFOOD (Priority Environmental Contaminants in Seafood: Safety Assessment, Impact and Public Perception).

“When I was completing my PhD, I interacted with fishermen on a daily basis and really felt that better communication was needed between the scientific world and the end-users of the research we were developing.

“Thanks to AquaTT, I have the opportunity to help overcome this barrier which prevents scientific research being conveyed to specific stakeholders and the general public as a whole,” Federico explained.

Thanks to the multicultural nature of AquaTT’s workforce, Federico was able to quickly adapt to his new role and surroundings.

“Many of my colleagues are Spanish and others are from Britain, Italy, and the Netherlands, so there is very much a European influence in the company and my Irish colleagues have made it easy for me to settle in.

“The social life here is also good and I’ve joined a sailing club in Dún Laoghaire.

Overall, joining AquaTT has been a beneficial move for me and continues to be a very positive experience.”

Dr Ilaria Vielmini is from Genova on the northwest coast of Italy. She is a marine ecology expert and, like Federico, joined AquaTT in 2012. Prior to this, Ilaria worked as a monitoring expert of the DG ENV LIFE+ Programme. As part of her role with AquaTT, Ilaria is the project officer for Myfish (Maximising Yield of Fisheries while Balancing Ecosystem, Economic and Social Concerns).

In addition to her project work, Ilaria is also actively involved as part of the team responsible for developing new business at AquaTT. Using the experience gathered in her career to date in the area of designing

and managing international projects, Ilaria is responsible for identifying and pursuing potential business opportunities relating to grants and tenders at national and international level in sectors relating to the marine and environment.

“Working with AquaTT is very enjoyable. It provides a very fast-paced and diverse workplace. I have been able to develop my knowledge of the European research funding environment and increase my ability to work within large research partnerships. My colleagues come from different backgrounds and each of them has a different skillset and perspective.

“Through our collaboration, we create innovative solutions. The scope and range of activities the company is involved in keeps everyone busy and we all support each other.

Working on Myfish has been very rewarding and I am really looking forward to the challenge of identifying and developing new business for AquaTT,” Ilaria said.

“I enjoy living and working in Ireland. The people

are very friendly and the landscape is beautiful. I’m a keen photographer and I take every opportunity I can to get out and take some shots. AquaTT has used my photography in its promotional material and we’ve received lots of great comments about the photos, which is really pleasing,” she added.

AquaTT

partners with European research consortia to design scientific projects that make a difference and to help ensure that the new knowledge generated by these projects is effectively transferred to provide solutions to improve lives and help deliver a sustainable future for humanity.

AquaTT works with more than 250 institutes in 40 countries and is a partner in 19 EC-funded programmes across FP7, Interreg and Lifelong Learning programmes.

Its team creates best practice knowledge transfer and dissemination work packages specifically tailored to each new project.

To learn more, please visit www.aquatt.ie

16 inshore ireland April/May 2013

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his distributing lifejackets an Mill obligations in relation to Recommendation s to the crew following the crew rest periods,” remarked The Board does the intere grounding of the vessel.” he Aarhus Eibhlin O’Sullivan, CEO of agree however that the st of politi econo Conv polici cal and some mic, The MCIB report also enter ention has the IS&WFPO. recommendation to he Board of to the es. Becom times social of this force ed into signi concludes: “Michael Hayes, RIP … install Bridge Navigation Directors of impo Conventioing a party miles was launc rtant step fying an in Ireland, tone, that veil step in n is a very impo forw » that the alarm was was a highly qualified skipper Watchkeeping Alarm Systems the Irish South a repor hed Irelan envirraised ard for rtant t d’s oil in Dubl onm “I congrof secrec removing and how enta using a personalinmobile as is evidenced by the MCIB on board fishing vessels should and West Fish and gas in on this coun repor d at gover atulat y,” he added l dem they could mana t aime resou Formwere ocra try. neces nment for e the . rces “Becaas “extremely phone…‘while there Report which states he was be implemented: Producers Organisation ally know cy benef ged for the strategy m in be the Conve such use of camp valua Now sary steps taking the it. prise momentu sectors peopl n as ntionradios InformVHF to ratify. dedicated hand-held the holder of a Second ‘The Irish fishing industry has (IS&WFPO) has questioned Liquid enter g e’s on is nowas Shell to aigns ble. aware we must raise tive es, politi provi Assets aims in Decisiation, Public Access to lucra renewabl ne generatin cal econo aware relatively Sea, there publi de an in publiness and in the wheelhouse…; 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al,” he hy MEP, er Paul aign. ticip ine plan respo s against globa alia, that ‘the single overriding nal right on-making ipate in h-an nsibil sharing referr muc rated mariled by l ities?” enviroof access , and the ed to Rega causal factor is considered to be the Dr Andy the nmen to justic unve Enda integ answe rdless of It also tal matte e in been in devel h red, he how that Store wealth has make insufficient rest for the crew and that seac stand sets minim y, rs. opme said lectur is ed ards in nt studie e point s the extrem the repor An Taoiwho says by becom these um that regulations on hours of work be spar that leavin ely s and areas ing valua t Conv Kenny t will g it. g ble entio a party , and ‘for and rest appear not to be have been are now n, Irish to no effor ntin map autho the legall respe a road the planthe impleme complied with. ct these y boun rities » page Subtitled actions’, nd, for stand d to ‘This resulted in fatigue m rated 2 ards. righ integ to see Irela ts uph e ‘a syste e “In and inadequate watchkeeping expects evolv ramm eld have a democracy in law first time,y and prog arrangements on board the vessel maritime shoul the right to , people of polic ’ for its informd have easy know and and it steamed into and stranded on s acces planning Mich ation,” comm it come s to Adam’s Island during the hours of affairs. rtheless, warning’ of theael Ewing, ented Coor Neve ‘health have to dinat darkness in poor weather conditions “You Environme the or migh for inform ts will the over- l with t be ntal Pillar and this resulted in the five of the in fisca devel ation looking . that targe ‘with for term etary abou met um area, opment activi ster t six persons on board losing their be a or trying budg g medi ty in in a plann ney, Mini ish k and by the ridin your to lives.’ ells n Covee, in the Engl proce ing decisiparticipate ted framewor s : Maxw ss, or ts adop Photo find out The ISWFPO however and Simo nber simpl on-making targe rnment’. the ambitiou y trying nnell Castletow if in the every O’Co into river to challenges this comment: ‘The Gove plan sets increasing The greatsummer you swim ed ger Pat The t of right MCIB themselves acknowledge infish mon od land news is polluted.

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2013 at Lough Derg Yacht Club.

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inshore ireland April/May 2013 17

Aquaculture News

Seaweed-fed salmon can improve human health Toine Wilke, Health Food Specialist at Ocean Harvest Technology Ltd

T

he health benefits associated with the consumption of salmon are well known.

In addition to being an excellent source of protein, vitamins and minerals, salmon represent one of the few major sources of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the human diet.

Adequate intake of both these beneficial omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve cognition.

Additional potential health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids include protection against rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and even some types of cancer.

Notwithstanding, most people still fail to meet the recommended daily intake levels; furthermore, beneficial omega-3 levels in farmed fish are in decline - mainly due to the increasing use of vegetable oils in fish feed.

These oils partially replace the conventional - and now scarce - fish oils; however in contrast to fish oil, contain hardly any EPA and DHA. Is it, therefore, desirable to increase the levels of EPA and DHA in fish feed and recent research has shown that this is possible by including seaweed in the salmon diet.

From seaweed to salmon

Research reveals that most seaweed contains substantial amounts of beneficial omega3s. Although the total fat content of seaweed is low, comprising only 1-5% of the dry weight, EPA + DHA levels can make up more than half of the total lipid profile.

OceanFeed™ (a proprietary blend of specially selected seaweeds, manufactured by Ocean Harvest Technology in Milltown, Co Galway) is included in the salmon diet at an inclusion range of 1015% and has been shown to significantly increase the EPA and DHA content of the feed.

Any such changes in dietary lipid level should be reflected

by the lipid profile of the fish flesh and, for the first time, Ocean Harvest Technology is investigating this.

The study

In our research facility in Milltown we are determining the EPA and DHA levels of salmon from two different trials. The first trail, with Atlantic salmon in Scotland, was carried out with an organic salmon diet containing 100% fish oil and 0% vegetable oil.

Our analyses show a 9% increase in EPA and DHA in the salmon lipid when seaweed was included in the fish diet at 15%. The total lipid contents of seaweed-fed fish are also higher, resulting in a total 25% increase in the level of the beneficial omega3 fatty acids.

We are also in the process of completing another study to confirm if OceanFeed™ can improve the omega-3 fatty acid profile of fish that are fed on a high (70% inclusion) vegetable oil diet which resembles the diet of most farmed fish. Preliminary results from this second study are promising, indicating an even larger difference between the control and OceanFeed™ group.

Possible impact on human health

The most well studied and established effect of EPA and DHA is their prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

For instance, intake of 250 mg per day of EPA + DHA can prevent 7,125 cases of stroke, myocardial infarction and cardiac death in every 100,000 people. As EPA and DHA levels in farmed fish are decreasing, it will get even more difficult for the general population to meet this adequate omega-3 intake.

So far, it looks like seaweed is capable of accounting for the loss of these beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in farmed salmon, and may even cause the levels of EPA and DHA in vegetable oil-fed salmon to exceed those present in salmon that are fed on fish oil alone.

Therefore, the inclusion of OceanFeed™ - a wholly sustainable and fully natural feed ingredient - in the diet of farmed salmon has huge potential for improving human health.

Adequate intake of beneficial omega 3 fatty acids helps to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Most seaweed contains high levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids

A seaweed-fed salmon at the Ocean Harvest research facility in Milltown, Co Galway

18 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Seafood & Research

Up-scaling and premium-end products are key to maximising Irish seafood competitiveness Gillian Mills

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gainst a backdrop of worldwide seafood demand outpacing supply; increased competition for raw material and pressure for consolidation and scale to keep a pace with trends, BIM hosted a seafood workshop aimed at industry players and the investment community.

Addressing delegates, Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said seafood producers needed to “seek new markets, develop new product streams and find new ways to assert Ireland’s environmentally-friendly credentials” to target the “premium end” of the seafood market with high-value products.

“The FAO estimates that by 2030 an extra 40m tonnes of seafood will be required annually. And as populations in Asia and South America become more affluent, it is anticipated they will demand new and diverse food solutions,” he added.

He cautioned however that as Irish production was “relatively small-scale”, the sector needed to “scale-up” in a sustainable way.

“Key to this is increasing the supply of raw material to Irish processors” which he said was being addressed on three fronts by: • rebuilding fish stocks • attracting more foreign fleets

fishing locally to land into Irish ports • growing aquaculture output He added that increasing raw material was only part of the story: “Seafood companies need to work collaboratively to compete effectively in the global market.”

A large proportion of the 180 registered seafood companies are small-scale operations with turnover of between €3m-€10m.

“By contrast, the typical European competitor has a turnover of approximately €50m,” he said.

This he said can be addressed by “working together and pooling resources, to build economies of

scale. Companies can also improve competitiveness by maximising product value through marketled innovation and developing new product streams that meet changing consumer demand.”

Jason Whooley, BIM chief executive said that greater collaboration and establishment of appropriate joint venture operations and partnerships “will play a key role” in achieving their goal to assist development of one or two entities with turnover in excess of €50m in each key seafood category: shellfish, pelagic, salmon and whitefish.

“These entities will in turn be supported by a range of innovative, smaller seafood companies,” he

Christophe Pelletier Food Nuturist – Future trends in seafood Matt Dempsey Irish Farmers’ Journal – Becoming a global food player Gary Hooper Aquaculture New Zealand – New Zealand seafood perspective Gorjan Nikoli Rabobank – Global seafood structures

Presentations available on www.bim.ie

In 2012, Irish seafood exports rose by 18 per cent to almost €500m and the domestic market saw growth of 3 per cent in the retail sector. The seafood sector currently employs 11,000 people and has an output value of €822m. Declining demand and prices in traditional markets (UK, Germany, Spain, France) is somewhat offset by new markets opening up to the export trade in China, Russia and Africa.

The government’s Food Harvest 2020 strategy calls for the sector is capitalise on the strong consumer demand to increase revenue by €1bn and employment to 14,000 full-time equivalent jobs and for a 78 per cent increase in aquaculture volume.

Irish dillisk to feature in new range of ready-made meals Speakers at the BIM organised ‘Seafood Summit’ included: Christophe Pelletier, Food Futurist; Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Jason Whooley, Chief Executive, BIM and Gorjan Nikolik, Food and Agribusiness Researcher with Rabobank

AquaTT reaches significant milestone

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added.

Launched in January, BIM’s Collective Route to Market Scheme aims to promote collaboration by offering grant-aid assistance and expert advice to reduce duplication costs, boost profitability and increase competitiveness on export markets. €400,000 funding is available to an anticipated four-six ‘seafood collectives’ seeking support.

Speakers

quaTT celebrated its 21st anniversary in March with an evening reception in the Royal College of Physicians, Dublin. The event was attended by current and past staff and directors as well as supporters of the organisation.

Dr Richard FitzGerald of the Ryan Institute, NUIG, one of AquaTT’s founders and current board member spoke about the organisation’s resilience being rooted in the quality of the people who have been involved with it in various capacities over the past 21 years: “I often wonder how many of the hundreds of UETPs that were established in the early ‘90s are still active today? That AquaTT is not only still active, but has grown and evolved and continues to work to help research make a difference, is a testament to its past and current staff and wider family of supporters.”

AquaTT chairman, Dr Reid Hole, Dean of the Faculty of Bioscience and Aquaculture at the University of Nordland, Norway, said the organisation’s role in helping research to benefit society has never been more relevant or important.

“Achieving measurable value creation from research is a key concern for Europe. AquaTT’s work in this area is crucial. Today’s staff need to continue to push themselves to remain at the forefront of innovation in this area.”

AquaTT’s general manager, David Murphy, said that the organisation would continue its forward momentum and build on the experiences of the past 21 years.

“I believe that AquaTT can continue in its efforts to help research make a difference.

We have a highly-experienced and motivated team from various disciplines, and I look forward to what we can achieve together.”

AquaTT was originally founded in 1992 as a University Enterprise Training Partnership (UETP) between academia and industry. It has since grown to become a leading scientific knowledge management partner in Dr Richard FitzGerald of the Ryan Institute, NUIG, speaking Europe. at AquaTT’s 21st anniversary celebration.

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seafood company less than one year old has secured contracts in two of Ireland’s leading supermarket chains and will feature sea vegetables in its range of ready-made meals.

In the past twelve months, Kinsale Gourmet has seen sales of its sea vegetable dishes growing 7% year-on-year, which is faster than any other similar product in Ireland and is the only Irish convenience product targeting the premium frozen meal sector.

Prior to setting up the company, Owen O’Brien, owner and manager of Kinsale Gourmet spent time at BIM’s Seafood Development Centre where he was advised on key aspects of new product development including; sourcing quality sea vegetables; focus groups; packaging design; legal compliance; nutritional analysis and market research.

Donal Buckley, BIM’s Business Development and Innovation Manager congratulated the Cork based company; “Kinsale Gourmet is another example of a small company which despite the current recession, has overcome challenges and has developed a range of unique seafood products that clearly resonate with today’s consumers.”

“To achieve contracts with such major retailers as Dunnes and Tesco in such a short time is phenomenal. I congratulate Owen and his team and wish them continued success for the future,” remarked Donal Buckley, BIM Business Development and Innovation Manger.

Kinsale’s ‘ready to eat’ range is hand prepared, free from artificial flavours and additives and all seafood and meats used are sourced from local fishermen and farmers.

inshore ireland April/May 2013 19

Maritime Conference

Improving maritime safety hinges on cooperation across the Union Gillian Mills

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two-day forum in Dublin Castle, Challenges and opportunities in maritime security and surveillance for effective governance and innovation in the EU’s maritime domain, focused on the importance of building EU-wide consensus and cooperation to support existing and new policies and strategies.

In the opening address, Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, said that systems alone would not deliver cooperation. “We need to overcome existing political and institutional impediments.”

And he added that the threats and challenges in the maritime domain had the potential to “impact adversely” on security and safety on citizens and economies.

“However, illegal and uncontrolled migration; illegal fishing; terrorism, piracy, and people and drug trafficking cannot be addressed by individual Member States acting in isolation,” he warned.

“Focus must now be on improving cooperation between all the various sectors (naval, coastguards, customs, police, State) to engage in delivering maritime security, safety and surveillance

throughout the Union,” he said.

Linking Ireland’s objectives in the marine to EU policies, Minister Shatter said that seas and oceans provided an “essential contribution” to the country’s wealth and wellbeing and held “immense untapped economic opportunities” in terms of energy food and mineral resources.

Commission stance

Addressing maritime security effectively will require a “holistic approach that can create linkages between the different maritime sectors,” remarked Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs. “We need quite a drastic change in the way we operate,” she said.

She added that responsibilities were spread across to many authorities and served to work in an uncoordinated way that undermined preparedness and response.

“National administrations and the military need to sit down and work together across borders; across sectors; across agencies. We need to fill the existing gap between internal and external maritime policies; between civilian and military actors.

We should add a security angle to the Integrated Maritime Policy (IMP) and offer an effective maritime dimension to the Common Security and Defence Policy,” she said.

In times of constraint budgets, Commissioner Damanaki emphasised the need to gain efficiencies, to rationalise, to join forces and create to economies of scale.

“Internationally, this new approach would make the EU more visible, credible and forceful. We do not want to ‘securitise’ the maritime economy; we want to safeguard our interests and values together with our international partners.

“At EU level we are well aware of the challenges ahead. We have the political will to address them and make concrete proposals in the coming months, she said.

Background

In 2012, the EU’s Blue Growth initiative recognised, for the first time, the importance of the marine economy for overall prosperity in the EU. Last month the European Commission proposed a Framework Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management, to contribute to the development of economic activities through better management of maritime space.

It states that the Integrated Maritime Surveillance initiative can improve efficiency, cut surveillance costs, and provide more timely responses to incidents at sea through information-sharing across border and sectors.

Maritime fact-file

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ver two-thirds of the European Union’s borders are coastline, comprising the Atlantic and Artic Oceans and four seas: Baltic, North, Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union (IMP-2007) recognises this very substantial dimension and acknowledges that Europe’s well-being is inextricably linked with the sea.

In this context, the IMP sets out a vision and a strategy (Blue Book and Action Plan) for the sustainable development of Europe’s seas and oceans.

In March, the Commission proposed a Framework Directive on Maritime Spatial Planning and Integrated Coastal Management to develop economic activities through better management of maritime space. Estimated benefits by 2030 are €1.6bn across the EU, particularly SMEs. By 2020, offshore wind energy is expected to grow by 30 per cent, putting “significant pressure on marine and coastal resources”, Commissioner Damanaki said. “The directive will provide optimal conditions for the sustainable development of new business at seas” but with regard to existing sectors and protecting the environment.

Integrated maritime surveillance seeks to improve efficiencies, cut surveillance costs and provide more timely responses to incidents at sea through information-sharing across borders and sectors.

2014 will see the commencement of a digital seabed map of European Waters by collecting all existing data into one coherent database accessible to everyone. »» 75% of external market trade is seaborne »» Half of the EU population live in coastal areas »» 5.5m people are employed in maritime-related job »» 300 pirate attacks on ships were reported by the International Maritime Organization in 2012. »» Illegal fishing accounts for roughly 15% of world catches »» Acidification has increased by 30% over the last 200 years, carrying loss of plankton, change of ecosystems, and corrosion of infrastructures Presentations also examined some existing sea basin strategies, technologies and operational procedures that support collaboration among Member States, with a particular focus on EU navies.

20 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Marine R&D

Canadian Ambassador visits RV Celtic Explorer at Galway docks ahead of transatlantic survey

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rish and Canadian scientists have joined forces on a transatlantic survey on-board the Irish National Research Vessel, RV Celtic Explorer to carry out fisheries research in the Newfoundland and Labrador Seas. The aim of this research is to locate ‘hot spots’ of smaller mid-water fish, such as lanternfish (Myctophidae) and begin to understand their distribution.

Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, his Excellency, Loyola Hearn, visited the vessel at Galway Docks on April 15 to meet the Irish and Canadian collaborators in this transatlantic expedition.

The survey led by Dr George Rose, Director of the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN), is multidisciplinary and will gather oceanographic data as well as acoustic recordings across the entire North Atlantic, building on work done on the two previous transatlantic surveys in 2011 and 2012.

Multi-disciplinary team

Canadian scientists will be joined by Irish researchers from National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) and Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT). Sheena Fennell, NUI Galway will carry out oceanographic monitoring throughout the journey to St. John’s and will collaborate

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with Dr Rose on acoustic data also collected.

The vessel will research the cod stocks on the Flemish Cap en route to Newfoundland and Labrador before completing a large-scale survey for cod and capelin in Newfoundland and Labrador waters.

As a former Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Loyola Hearn was particularly interested to board the RV Celtic Explorer: “We are now seeing growth in the fish stocks off Newfoundland and Labrador, and surveys like this provide essential information on their sustainability. The potential for increased involvement both in ocean research and the fishing industry between Ireland and Canada is now being realised. RV Celtic Explorer is an ideal ship to carry out this research which will be of such great benefit to both countries.”

Forging links

Dr Peter Heffernan, Chief Executive, Marine Institute said the collaboration was “hugely important for Ireland” and builds on the strong relationship between Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador established since the first Newfoundland survey on the Celtic Explorer in 2011.

“It will allow Irish researchers to forge strong links with their Canadian counterparts as part of a wider international ocean observatory initiative. This is particularly relevant in the context of the European Union’s Atlantic Strategy and the emerging Action

Plan, which is on course to be completed during the Irish Presidency of the EU. He added that this type of multidisciplinary research and international cooperation was “essential to achieving healthy marine ecosystems” – outlined as a key goal of government’s Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland - Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth, published in 2012.

“We’re delighted with this collaboration with our Canadian partners,” he said.

Dr. George Rose reiterated these sentiments, saying that the voyage continues to have tremendous value to both Irish and Canadian researchers.

“It contributes significantly to the knowledge-base and prosperity of the Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries. I look forward to the continuance of this collaboration.”

deep-sea carbon storage.

GMIT researcher, Johannes Bulfin will monitor cetacean activity during the passage across the Atlantic to Newfoundland and Labrador.

University College Cork graduate, Rachel Morgan will join the survey through the Training Through Research Surveys Scheme, run by the Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training (SMART). This programme gives young Irish researchers an opportunity to gain invaluable experience on multidisciplinary surveys.

The survey is primarily funded through charter of the national research vessel by the Fisheries

and Marine Institute of Memorial University. It builds on a strong collaborative relationship between the Irish Marine Institute and the Marine Institute of MUN and facilitates a transatlantic multidisciplinary survey which brings together experienced Irish and Canadian oceanographers, marine biologists, benthic ecologists, as well as young researchers who will gain invaluable experience onboard this survey.

Participation of third level students is funded though the Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training (SMART) programme.

Observational platform

During the passage, an observational platform called a benthic lander system which sits on the seabed will be deployed at a depth of 800-900 m in a canyon on the continental shelf off the Irish Coast to monitor turbidity, flouresence, temperature, salinity, water column and near seabed currents.

The lander will remain in the canyon until June when it will be recovered during an NUIG-led biodiscovery survey on-board Celtic Explorer. The data collected will be used to support a PhD on Nephloid layers being carried out by Annette Wilson in NUIG. These are layers of material that have been studied in open continental shelves, marginal seas and submarine canyons and have the potential to deliver ‘fresh’ organic material to abyssal depths, support deep-sea ecosystems and hold important implications for

Dr Peter Heffernan, chief executive, Marine Institute; Dr George Rose, Director of the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research, Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and Canadian Ambassador to Ireland, his Excellency, Loyola Hearn, on board RV Celtic Explorer

East coast students receive Explorers Certificate of Participation

he Marine Institute recently presented over 200 primary school students from nine schools on the East Coast of Ireland with the Explorers Certificate of Participation, after they completed a sixweek programme which included the installation of aquariums and a range of activities and projects as part of the Explorers Education Programme.

“Using the aquariums to bring sea life into classrooms is an innovative way for students to learn about Ireland’s marine species and resources,” remarked Tomás Ó Briain, coordinator of the Explorers Project at Blackrock Education Centre.

“My weekly visits to the schools to find out about the students’ experiences and caring for the aquariums were fantastic ways to engage with the students on marine topics. The wide variety of projects produced at the end of the programme reflects

the enthusiasm of the students for marine science and the development of important skills in science, literacy, maths and geography,” he added.

Coastline creatures Installation of the Explorer aquarium tanks holding a variety of sea life typically found in rockpools around the Irish coastline was carried out by the National Sea-Life Centre, Bray.

Blackrock Education Centre and the National Sea Life Centre, Bray, also hosted a workshop for

teachers that included practical support for schools by Sea Life’s marine biologists.

Pat Ó Súilleabháin, Director of the National Sea-Life Centre, Bray, commented on the positive experience of caring for the aquariums on students: “It was wonderful to see the excitement and enthusiasm of the students when the aquarium tanks were installed in the classrooms. Through weekly newsletters and projects, students became part of the marine world. Their newfound

eagerness for marine science was visible when the groups visited Sea-Life, showing the invaluable contribution of the programme to marine education and science.”

The Explorers Education Programme seeks to develop an interest among primary school students in Ireland’s extensive 220 million acre marine resource, which is one of the largest in the EU. The programme and workshops are currently used by over 50 schools reaching over 5,000 thousand students throughout Ireland.

inshore ireland April/May 2013 21

Marine R&D

Galway workshop learns of latest research in shellfish safety T

he 10th Shellfish Safety Workshop at the Marine Institute was attended by 140 participants including shellfish producers, processors, scientists and industry regulators to hear the latest advances in shellfish safety, including the discovery of an organism that causes harmful AZP toxins in shellfish as well as the use of satellite imagery and models to provide early warnings of harmful algal blooms and shellfish toxicity.

Hosted by the Marine Institute, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), the workshop provided an opportunity to exchange information on the latest progress and research into the cause and control of shellfish toxicity and microbiological contamination of various shellfish products harvested and farmed around our coast.

Critical advances

Mr Richie Flynn of the Irish Shellfish Association said the huge effort and advances that have been made in understanding the nature of these issues are fundamental to consumer confidence and the development of the industry. He went on to say “these biotoxin and microbiological monitoring programmes we spent many years developing are now carried out very efficiently, and with the full support of the industry. Both farmers and the state have to remain vigilant and maintain awareness of the need to promote our success and invest in the most advanced analytical and communication

Director of Blackrock Education Centre, Pat Seaver, thanked the Marine Institute for their involvement: “Raising awareness of marine education amongst students through science, mathematics, arts and geography brings long-term benefits. The use of aquarium tanks in the classrooms enables students to develop vital observation and investigation skills at a young age, which can be applied to all elements of their education.

“The support provided by the Marine Institute for the Explorers Education Programme ensures that young students become interested in Ireland’s marine resources and its future development early in their education.”

technologies to provide the best available advice to industry and highest standards of consumer protection.,” Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO Marine Institute said that Ireland has among the highest standards in shellfish safety worldwide because of the strict monitoring and control programmes in place here.

“Our scientists have led the way in the move to chemical testing for biotoxins and the development of molecular testing methods for shellfish viruses in recent years. This is now the standard across Europe.”

Marine toxins

Among the research presented at the workshop was the discovery of the organism that causes Azaspiracid, ― a group of naturally occurring marine toxins that can contaminate mussels.

The shellfish industry was affected by this particularly in 2005 and 2012 – resulting in significant closures of shellfish production areas.

The ASTOX project, which is nearing completion, was presented by Jane Kilcoyne, Conor Duffy and Rafael Salas, who gave updated information on the toxicology of the Azaspiracid group of toxins, the discovery of the causative organism responsible for Azaspiracid shellfish poisoning and how this toxin behaves in the human digestive system and studies on how it affects various tissues.

Caroline Cusack demonstrated a new EU project using advanced satellite imagery, mathematical modelling and real-time monitoring to provide short-term

The event was attended by 140 participants including regulators, industry and scientists. predictions to show how this multidisciplinary approach may provide useful information on biotoxin outbreaks for shellfish producers.

Dave Clarke and Tara Chamberlain showcased trends in shellfish toxins and toxic phytoplankton over the last four years and identified the extended occurrence of Azaspiracid in shellfish and red tides of the fish killing micro-algae Karenia mikimotoi of 2012 as being some of the worst seen.

Hatchery technology

Other research included a talk on shellfish hatchery technology by Iarfhlaith Connellan from Cartron Point Shellfish hatchery, Galway Bay, on the production of triploid oysters to meet the demands of the Irish industry for oyster seed.

Teresa Morrissey, Marine Institute presented the findings of a study to assess

The Explorers Education Programme aims to raise awareness and interest in Ireland’s marine resource, oceans and seashores through teaching cross curricular lessons and activities.

A wide variety of marine-based lesson plans, activities and science experiments, including details on the Real Map of Ireland, can be downloaded from www.explorers.ie.

The programme was developed by the Marine Institute in collaboration with a number of key partners including Galway Atlantaquaria; Sealife Bray Aqauriaum; Blackrock Education Centre; Galway Education Centre and the Lifetime Lab, Cork.

Participating schools in the East Coast Explorers Education Programme 2013 were: • Our Lady of Mercy Convent School, Booterstown, Co. Dublin • St Philomena’s School, Ravenswell, Bray, Co. Wicklow • New Court School, Bray, Co. Wicklow • St Andrew’s National School, Bray , Co. Wicklow • St Laurence’s National School, Greystones, Co. Wicklow • St Fergal’s Senior National School, Bray, Co. Wicklow • St Kevin’s National School, Sallynoggin, Co. Dublin • Scoil Cholmcille Senior National School, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin • St Declan’s National School, Dublin 4

the presence and impact of oyster disease which caused oyster mortalities in several areas in recent years.

Bill Dore, John Flannery and Paulina Rajko-Nenow from the Marine Institute discussed the monitoring and detection of high levels of Norovirus contamination which is likely to be legislated for in shellfish in the future.

Dr Georgina McDermott and Karen Creed, EPA, described measures introduced to reduce pressures and risks on the quality of shellfish, such as designated shellfish growing areas and pollution reduction programmes.

They also presented results showing certain areas that are already improving in terms of eutrophication.

Conference organiser, Joe Silke from the Marine Institute welcomed the strong attendance at the workshop.

“Interest in these monitoring programmes and research activities from the industry is vital to ensure that scientists and regulators are aware of relevant current and emerging issues.

He added that the efforts made in controlling outbreaks, and research into understanding and forecasting them can only be successful in a clean and unpolluted environment, and recognised the huge efforts being made by the EPA in reducing and monitoring pollution.

He thanked the other agencies including SFPA, FSAI and BIM for working together with the Marine Institute and the Irish Shellfish Association describing it as a superb example of inter-agency cooperation to deliver a set of programmes that are effective and efficient in reducing any risks associated with placing shellfish on the market.

Convent of Mercy School in Booterstown, Dublin were among nine schools who recently received their Explorers Certificate of Participation

22 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Marine R&D

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Latest mapping

INFOMAR recently successfully completed mapping offshore west Clare for the SEAI using RV Celtic Voyager. This is a key area of interest for potential offshore renewable energy.

The work included latest water-column logging data and an additional data layer that may prove instrumental in groundtruthing or directing future oceanographic modelling work.

INFOMAR RV Celtic Voyager acquired EM3002D bathymetry & water column data offshore Clare for SEAI, 2013.

Strategy and Policy support

Perhaps most critically of all INFOMAR continue to support the Irish government initiatives regarding our Marine Strategy, as outlined in the Harnessing our Ocean Wealth document in 2012. The programme is providing support to the current Marine Coordination Group, via Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and participating via GSI in the Task Force on Marine Spatial Planning. Reports from the Task Force are expected in the third quarter this year. In addition the INFOMAR data is being incorporated into the Marine Atlas being developed to support the Marine Strategy Framework, which is also due to report this year.

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* School of Environmental Sciences, University of Ulster.

Cromore Road, Coleraine. Northern Ireland. UK. BT52 1SA. ** School of Geological Sciences, University College Dublin (UCD).

Science Centre West, Belfield. Dublin 4. Ireland.

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Fabio Sacchetti*, Sara Benetti* , Aggeliki Georgiopoulou**, Paul Dunlop*, Rory Quinn*

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Geomorphology of the Irish Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean

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Hosted in Cork over April 18-19, this conference was an associated event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU and jointly organised

by Enterprise Ireland, the Coastal and Marine Research Centre, the Irish Coast Guard, the Irish Naval Service, the European Commission (DG Maritime Affairs) and ESA. The conference gathered policy makers, scientists, maritime operators and EO application specialists to determine the policy needs of the space and maritime sectors to enhance growth in our maritime economies.

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Space Innovation Powering Blue Growth, NMCI, Cork

Hosted by FIG/IHO as a side event to the Ocean Business Exhibition in April, the themes were: Promoting the Blue Economy, and Maritime Sustainable Development.

Fergal McGrath (INFOMAR/MI) presented on ‘Value Of Seabed Mapping’ which focussed on the experience gained, benefits, and lessons learned from INSS and INFOMAR. Attendees included the IHO president, the Norwegian Hydrographic Service Director, International IMO Heads and senior FIG representatives. The talk provoked significant discussion, particularly in relation to INFOMAR as a template for other large-scale seabed mapping projects.

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The Blue Economy Conference

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The EGU General assembly, hosted in Vienna in April, is the second biggest GEOSCIENCE conference in the World The event attracted 4,684 oral and 8,207 poster presentations and 11,167 scientists from 95 Countries.

In 2013 Irish marine mapping data from INSSINFOMAR-INIS HYDRO and projects that received support from the programmes

The European Commission, through DG Mare, organised a series of workshops with the Atlantic member states to ensure awareness of the Atlantic Forum and EU funding processes to feed into the Atlantic Action Plan and to assist stakeholders in coming forward with wellprepared projects.

The final workshop was held on March 4-5 at UCC at which INFOMAR data featured strongly ― both in a presentation given by Peter Heffernan, CEO of the Marine Institute and in a number of the overseas invited talks where it was referenced as best practice.

[The Research and Innovation session was chaired

by Koen Verbruggen; a final meeting is scheduled for Galway in late May.]

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INFOMAR data on international stage

Atlantic Forum workshop, UCC

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In late February the Marine Institute hosted a seminar in Galway for INFOMAR sponsored research projects near completion. The day comprised16 talks and demonstrations on the wide range of supported topics from academic institutions and SMEs including; UCD, NUIG, UCC, DCU, UL and NUIM with companies RealSim, Monterrey Software, Compass Informatics/ National Biodiversity Centre, GeoTech technologies, Numerics Warehouse and Sonar Sim. Progress outlined, including the successful outcome of leveraging further funding and integrating INFOMAR data and research with complimentary work, was highly impressive.

A number of the SMEs showcased their applied research developments with some close to market; these included surveying auto-pilot enhancements, web video systems and 3D visualisation.

The presentations will shortly be available on the INFOMAR website and an abstract publication is in the pipeline. A further research call is being considered for later in the year.

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Research Seminar

were very well represented.

The universities that provided the widest exposure were: ULSTER, UCD AND NUI Maynooth, with Fabio Sachetti of INFOMAR/ MI presenting both talks and posters and Maria Judge of INFOMAR/GSI attending project workshops.

It is interesting to note that the majority of presentations featured data from the deeper water INSS, which continues to provide rich research material and ground breaking topics, eight years after the mapping data acquisition was completed.

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NFOMAR, the national marine mapping programme, run jointly by Geological Survey of Ireland and Marine Institute has had its busiest ever ‘quiet season’ Traditionally the programme is flat out on data acquisition from April to October and hosts its annual seminar and workshops at year-end, leaving time for planning and preparation in the early New Year.

But 2013 has seen a flurry of activity in addition to survey preparation and planning, with the INFOMAR data and team members appearing in many and varied locations.

± -15° W

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Tommy Furey Marine Institute

A presentation was given specifically on INFOMAR and on how GSI have used earth observation data in the past and how we are now commissioning satellite derived bathymetric mapping of the Irish coastline for the first time. A further talk validated the approach being taken and highlighted the application of the technique in areas where reconnaissance data is required in areas too shallow or costly to survey by traditional methods.

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Koen Verbruggen, GSI

Satellite derived bathymetry image from Wexford Harbour

inshore ireland April/May 2013 23

Marine R&D

NETMAR Demonstration in Shannon Estuary

Cormac Mc Garry, Halpin Centre for Research & Innovation at the National Maritime College of Ireland -

‘

At 22:50 on 15 April, the 90,000 tonne container ship Marée Noire, fully laden, reports that she has suffered hull damage during a strong southwesterly storm and heavy seas, some 40 nm west of Kerry Head…

While proceeding to the anchorage, the ship’s steering fails, and she goes aground on Five Fathoms Rock in the Shannon Estuary. On a falling tide the ship begins to list quite heavily, and a number of containers (deck cargo) are lost over the side. Heavy fuel oil also begins to leak from one of the ship’s bunker tanks. The Shannon Estuary Oil Pollution Response Plan and the HNS (Hazardous and Noxious Substance) Response Plan are activated.’

Response demonstration That was the fictional scenario for Exercise ‘Cathach’: the response demonstration in the Shannon Estuary on April 18.

Exercise ‘Cathach’ was a marine incident response demonstration involving an oil/chemical spill scenario in an estuary environment.

The exercise was organised by the Mobile and Marine Robotics

Research Centre at the University of Limerick, Shannon Foynes Port Company (SFPC) and Clare County Council. It was a joint collaboration between NETMAR (an EU Interreg IV B project) and the Shannon Estuary AntiPollution Team (Sea-PT) with support from additional state agencies including the Irish Coast Guard and Defence Forces, and a host of other organisations.

Used as coordination, command, clean up and launch sites, the exercise deployed four sea going vessels: LE Orla was deployed for the Irish Naval Service,’ The Commissioner of Irish Lights launched Granuaile, and the SFPC deployed Shannon One and Oscar, while the Coast Guard commanded the skies in the Shannon Search and Rescue Helicopter. The tugboat Celtic Reble also rode out for the exercise.

The Shannon Estuary oil spill tracking model, and the associated sensitivity and vulnerability atlas were used, as would be in a real-life situation to predict where oil would most likely come ashore, and to obtain information about areas where the coastline must be protected, what measures can be taken, and where access to the shore is possible.

Key to the response efforts however was utilising state-ofthe-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for remote sensing operations.

In-situ sensor data These highly specialised vehicles were developed by industry and research institutions including Technalia Corporation; University da Coruña; National University Maynooth; University of Limerick and University of Porto.

The vehicles were used in order to assess and relay in-situ sensor data, ultimately allowing for fast and effective deployment of resources essential to containing and controlling spills in a safe manner. They included four UAVs, such as Maynooth’s AscTec Falcon 8 and the Fulmar 3.2 from Tecnalia, and two underwater vehicles including Limerick’s ROV LATIS with a 400 meter tether.

Exercise Cathach was a Command Room Strategic Exercise with a real-time interface to many external participants and interaction with live field operations. This aspect is the essence of the NETMAR project. NETMAR concerns the demonstration, evaluation and

dissemination of new robotic systems, sensors and networking technologies in maritime incidents endangering human life, the environment and economic activities.

Robotic systems NETMAR seeks to exploit the fact that robotic vehicles provide new capabilities to operate in dull, dirty and dangerous environments while networking technologies enable the orchestration of existing assets with new robotic systems and sensors for enhanced situational awareness and intervention over inter-operated networks.

The exercise in the Shannon Estuary demonstrated a positive preparation for future oil/ chemical spills. Whereas in the past focus was on prevention rather than response, there is now protocol in place to deal with dangerous maritime incidents of this kind.

Real-life incidents are far from unprecedented in Ireland. In 1979, the catastrophic Betelgeuse

explosion killed 50 people and leaked 14,720 barrels of oil into Bantry Bay. In 1986, the Kowloon Bridge leaked 2,000 tonnes of bunker oil east of Baltimore Harbour.

As such, Ireland will benefit from NETMAR through, in all, three response demonstrations similar to the Shannon Estuary exercise. One demonstration will test response capabilities in a harbour incident near a metropolitan area; the other in an open sea environment.

The Irish Naval Service, through the Irish Maritime and Energy Resource Cluster (IMERC) at the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) in Ringaskiddy, Cork, is a leading partner in the NETMAR project, along with the Mobile and Marine Robotics Research Centre in University Limerick.

For details of the Shannon Estuary demonstration visit http://www. shannonresponse.com, where further information can also be found on NETMAR.

24 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Book Reviews

Irish Cruising Club South and West Coasts of Ireland – Sailing Directions

A

s someone involved with the INFOMAR seabed mapping programme, the opportunity to chat with Norman Kean arises in various yacht havens around our coast. The discussions invariably centre on navigable passages and even though we have the latest technology, it is Norman who has the advantage through his experience and dedicated approach, to find out about all the nooks and crannies of our coast.

The excellent Sailing Directions, produced by the Irish Cruising Club, is not only a mine of useful information that is bang upto-date, the photography and illustrations will certainly be of interest to anyone thinking of visiting the south and west coasts of Ireland. The aerial photos are particularly useful to give that bird’s eye view of your landfall.

The shortcut through Joyces Pass inside Slyne Head is not for the faint hearted; however

with guidance from the clear and well defined advice, it will be with confidence that we enter the sound to map it. Indeed, anywhere from Rosslare to Bloody Foreland, the first thing to do is to consult Sailing Directions before any other passage planning tasks.

Each port of call has detailed pilotage information with coloured sidebars dealing specifically with Tides, Dangers, Lights and Marks and occasionally informative notes for quick access from the cockpit or bridge of your vessel. The text then covers the details and also provides tips usually reserved for those with local knowledge.

Routes and passages between ports complete the information, offering sound advice on weather routing, tidal streams and alternative plans. It is due to the contributions of mariners who actually sail these waters that this 13th edition is so valuable and is a testament to the Irish Cruising Club.

But, there is always room for improvement and any updates realised by the reader should

be sent to the publishers at books@irishcruisingclub.com and these will be made public on www.irishcruisingclub.com The entries in Sailing Directions are cross referenced throughout with the sister publication Cruising Ireland – A Companion to the Irish Cruising Club Sailing Directions available on www. iccsailingbooks.com .

Thanks again to Norman for putting this invaluable work together and hats off to the photographic contributors for making this such an interesting reference.

Sean Cullen RV Keary skipper and INFOMAR hydrographer

Fastnet.

Photo Kevin Dwyer

Irish Cruising Club

South & West

Coasts of Ireland

Sailing

Directions

Edited by Norma

n Kean

13th Edition “If you are intending

to cruise these coasts, it is essential. There no need for one. is no alternativ As Sailing Direction s it is well-nigh perfect.” e and there is – Cruising magazine

RV Keary alongside Niall Quinn’s Aircín in Cork City.

Photo Geraldine Hennigan

Competition The Irish Cruising Club has generously provided two competition copies:

Ketch design Accompanied by excellently sketched illustrations, we read of the exciting history behind the discovery; his purchase of, and the overall project build of the Tahiti ketch hull mould for the Molly B yacht from a local boat owner. Granted yard space to build; (always a bonus!) tracking down the original builder; generating friendships and often fame around his work, and finally launching into the Pacific ocean and all the ups and downs of Hogan’s voyages south along the US coast as far as the Panama canal are described and supported by full colour as well as the traditional black and white of the pen. Hogan tells us of his constant learning process, the creation of his own live-aboard space replete with Perspex dome; no electronics; no toilet, shower, or even engine (the regular bystander might well be forgiven for questioning the boat’s seaworthiness.)

‘I did a lot of salvaging and improvising,’ he reveals. This practical approach to his surroundings, however, would stand to him in the places he visited and journeys he made.

We also follow Pete through his unique crossing of the Panama Canal and learn how he very nearly didn’t make it with his 9.5hp outboard; his passage to Ireland and subsequent decision to up sticks again and set sail on an adventure that would take him around the world via Australia and Brazil. The sense of calm and humour with which he writes and paints has a thoroughly welcoming manner and even though his travels spanned several decades, we read them as if they were simply part of last year’s holidays. For all sailors, would-be boat owners, boat-builders, or even the solo round-the-world adventurer, this book is a must read.

Embodying the very spirit of adventure and an always-inspired desire to get on and do something new, Hogan brings us on an unforgettable voyage through the waters of some of the major sailing continents of the globe and gives us a superb insight into how to do it, along with a box of paints and the right attitude.

Cian Gallagher

Competition Born in Ireland and educated

at Cistercian College, Roscrea, Trinity College Dublin and Vancouver College of Art. He has travelled extensively.

He is married to Micaela and they have two children, Clara and Joshua.

The Log of the Molly B describes his days as a boat bum when he sailed solo around the world by way of Cape Horn in a boat which he built himself. For this voyage he was awarded honorary membership of the Royal St George Yacht Club and the Irish Cruising Club. This is his first book. He illustrated the children’s bestseller Titanic written

by Arthur McKeown

‘Pete Hogan’s passion for the sea and for his boat, the Molly B, comes through on every page, both in his words and in his wonderfully atmospheric ink and watercolour illustrations. paintings are, like the story His itself, full of telling detail, humour, and, in the end, the most stunning drama. An extraordinary memoir!’

– P.J. Lynch, award-winning illustrator

The publishers have generously provided two competition copies.

Pete Hogan has exhibited his paintings with many groups and galleries over the years.

His work is contained in several public collections, corporate collections and countless private collections all over the world. For more information on Pete and his work see www.phogan.com.

Q: What is the design of Molly B? Answers to mills@inshore-ireland.com or by postcard to 3 Hillview Cottages, Pottery Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Closing date: June 7

Good Luck!

The LOG of the MOLLY B

Closing date: June 7.

Spine width 14mm confirmed

Pete Hogan

The Liffey Press ISBN: 978-190830821-4 Price: €19.95

www.theliffeypress.com

Inishabro (l) and Tearaght, Blasket Islands, Co Kerry.

Photo Geraldine Hennigan

170mm

Pete Hogan is a well

known visual artist, who specialises in paintings of cityscape and seascape.

240mm

Answers to mills@ inshore-ireland. com or postcard to 3 Hillview Cottages, Pottery Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin

O

ne of the great challenges of the keen sailor is to keep an updated log of all voyages and crossings, and especially of all lessons learned. Pete Hogan goes much further in his own log-keeping practices by literally painting the picture of locations visited, activities undertaken, and reasons for going where he went.

How many sailors can boast that level of dedication to their craft?!

At the very outset of his biographical adventure work, The Log of the Molly B, Hogan introduces the reader to what he had wanted to do for a very long time as a young man filled with a strong interest in boats.

His story begins at a time when he gave up a steady job, travelled across Canada to the city of Vancouver with a single purpose driving him on: “Boats were on my mind. I was obsessed with them...”

And he goes on to explain the great and exciting lengths to that where this obsession took him to. A very familiar tale around many harbours and local sailing clubhouses!

Written and illustrated by

Q: What is the name of the shortcut inside Slyne Head?

The Log of the Molly B

The

LOG

of the

MOLLY B Written and illustrated by

Pete Hogan

It’s Vancouver, Canada in the

Greenpeace has just been founded, Bob Ge his first hit, Ireland is a waste land. Dubline finally gets it together to build his own boat an iconic American sailboat design. His dre away into the sunset and be like his heroes, singlehanded sailors Knox Johnston and Tab It does not really work out like that, but he d boat, the Molly B, and sails it engineless and down the coast of California, through the Pa Canal, and across the Atlantic to Ireland, wit adventures along the way.

Ten years later he sails it around the world. H The boat sinks in the Mediterranean in a stor lucky to survive.

In short, this is the story of one boat, the 30 fo B, from building to shipwreck, and the man w tell the tale.

inshore ireland April/May 2013 25

Book Reviews

Carnadoe Waters

Clonmacnoise during the November 2009 floods

The River Shannon – a journey down Ireland’s longest river

A

iveen Cooper’s very readable book describes her journey along Ireland’s longest river following its route from the source at the Shannon Pot in Cavan to its outer edge meeting the Atlantic Ocean between Loop Head and Kerry Head.

Travelling in the main on a river boat (the Nieuw Zorgen) but leaving the water to explore the river’s hinterland in many places, the author brings us a rich description of the many facets of the river that are there to meet the visitor.

But as she states, the river can captivate the mind beyond a casual experience: ‘Shannonland refers not just to the river, but a state of mind that comes from loving the river and losing yourself on, in or near its waters’.

The book’s chapters follow the path of her journey and describe stretches of water or specific places that are easy to identify. As such, a reader could chose to visit or read about a specific stretch of interest; however the book gives the distinct impression that the best reward awaits those willing to travel along the river.

Varied topics In each chapter her discursive writing interweaves history, natural history, land and water management, archaeology and much else. There is much to tell as the Shannon landscape preserves so many traces of the long historical record of people in Ireland, as well as habitats of international importance with their key plant and animal species. Think of the corncrake and estuary dolphin as notable examples.

By way of anecdote and casual meetings we also learn more about aspects of contemporary life and experience along the river. These add to her story as do the many photographs and images throughout the book.

Indeed the photographic record is so rich that a reader short on time could pick up the book as a pictorial essay.

Ardnacrusha As a minor gripe, the maps used do not always convey enough detail to do justice to the narrative in the text.

As the author states: ‘At the very least I hope that you gain some sense of the importance of Shannonland, and feel the urge to visit this magnificent river and experience it for yourself.’

With many side tributaries yet to explore and describe (Suck, Inny and Brosna amongst many) she may well wish to extend her own journey too.

Paul Mills The River Shannon - A Journey Down Ireland’s Longest River by Aiveen Cooper is published by The Collins Press, price €24.99. It is available in all good bookshops and online from www.collinspress.ie.

Shannon Dolphin

Competition

The publishers have generously provided two copies a competition prizes.

Q: What is the name of Aiveen’s boat?

Anwers to mills@inshore-ireland.com or postcard to: 3 Hillview Cottages, Pottery Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

Closing date: June 7

Good luck!

Haulbowline clarifications

F

ollowing the review of Daire Brunicardi’s recent work Haulbowline: The Naval Base and Ships of Cork Harbour (II 9.1), we note the following clarifications: The author questions the reference:

‘He outlines the earliest growth period as a staging post for French vessels making their way west to battle for control of North America’.

It should perhaps have added that other visitors besides the French contributed towards the development of the Port of Cork during that time.

For example, the book cites a period in which a Mr & Mrs Hall visited Ireland: ‘The account goes on to list numerous naval activities in the port for the period about 100 years from the early 1700s. These were large convoys assembling, of troop ship departures, of senior naval officers being welcomed and feted, of alarms and rumours of invasions.’

The author also queries reference to mentioning the presence of U-Boats in Irish waters purchasing fish from Irish fishing vessels during the 20th Century.

Inshore Ireland agrees that the author’s research indicates quite clearly that these accounts were unsubstantiated.

Finally, regarding reference to a seaplane legacy in Cork Harbour, Inshore Ireland acknowledges that no direct mention of this or the strip of water between Cobh and Haulbowline presented an ideal seaplane landing strip occurs in the book. Local readers however would be familiar with recent activities of the company Harbour Flight attempting to develop a Seaplane service in Cork. Cian Gallagher

26 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Crow’s Nest

Sail race to follow course to final resting place of RMS Leinster

B

y way of introduction of the Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association’s inaugural race in Dublin Bay over the June Bank Holiday weekend for the splendid new perpetual Leinster Plate, Tim Magennis, President of the Association, offers this reflection on the worst Irish Sea disaster which occurred on October 10, 1918.

No more efficient system of transporting mail across the Irish Sea in the century up to the end of WWI could have been conceived than that carried out by the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company, in its time the oldest steamship packet company in the world.

And no more trusty and well-run ship existed at the time than the company’s RMS Leinster, under the command of Captain William Birch, holder of the fleet’s senior title of Commodore.

Naval escort denied

When he assembled his senior officers on the morning of October 10, 1918 in Kingstown (present-day Dún Laoghaire) harbour prior to his regular sailing to Holyhead, he was a worried man. He had just failed, yet again, to get the authorities to provide a naval escort for the 2hrs 45 mins crossing, and he had reason to believe reports that German submarines were increasingly active in the Irish Sea, even though the general belief was that the end of the dreadful war was, indeed, approaching.

On top of that was a general consensus among informed maritime sources that the small number of German submarine commanders that had survived the virtual destruction of their once proud fleet were, if anything, more determined than ever to strike a blow for the fatherland.

Two other factors were playing on the captain’s mind: the responsibility of ferrying 22 postal workers and their 250 bags of mail to a punctual arrival in Wales in terms of contract and, most significantly, the presence on his ship of 489 military personnel that effectively transformed Leinster, and not for the first time, into a troop ship and a legitimate target for any enemy marauder.

It was just before 0900 hrs when the 771 passengers and crew were secured on board and the Leinster steamed out of Kingstown harbour of refuge, and set a SE course to round the Kish Light 11 miles distant. The wind was strong and the seas rough and getting rougher as Leinster approached the shallows of the Kish Bank.

It was 0945 hrs when Commander Robert Ramm of UB-123 fired the first of three torpedoes.The first missed its target but the second was a direct hit in the area where the postal workers were already sorting the mail.

Most of the workers were killed instantly.

Fatal blow

The Leinster swung around to port, almost facing back to harbour – and then the second torpedo struck, holing her on both sides. This one struck in the area of the boiler room.

There was a massive explosion and ten minutes later, the Leinster was on the bottom.

Those in the lifeboats or in the sea had to wait several hours before rescue arrived on the Kisk Bank. Many died of hypothermia in the cold

and wild sea. The death toll in the worst-ever disaster in the Irish Sea was 501.

The military authorities in charge of censorship did their work well and very little news of the disaster was allowed to reach the Press.

Down all the years since then, the ports of Holyhead and Dún Laoghaire have grown close as a result of faithful commemorations of the disaster that struck them on that bleak November morning.

Some years ago a group of local divers succeeded in retrieving Leinster’s starboard anchor and mounting it in a public area on Dún Laoghaire’s main promenade road overlooking the Kish Bank out in the Bay. Irish postal workers down the years have continued to salute their fallen members, only one of whom survived the sinking of the Royal Mail Ship.

Remembering lost colleagues

Inspired by a suggestion by the Old Gaffers Association HQ to local districts of the organisation to seek out relevant promotions in their own regions suitably to honour the OGA 50th, the Dublin Bay branch sought the interest and support of the Communications Workers’ Union, which represents postal workers in Ireland. The answer was as immediate as it was generous.

And so a new trophy will this year join DBOGA’s prized Asgard trophy in the list of prizes for their June Bank Holiday sailing promotion (May 31-June 3) in the River Liffey’s always-welcoming Poolbeg Yacht and Boat Club.

The sterling silver Leinster Plate, crafted in Dún Laoghaire – Leinster’s last port of departure – will be sailed for in the years ahead in Dublin Bay, following the exact course of RMS Leinster to her final resting place.

Ack: Roy Stoke’s Death in the Irish Sea

Poolbeg Yacht Club in Dublin

Photo: G Mills

Poolbeg Yacht Club in Dublin to host major traditional boat gathering in June

A

month-long event to mark the start of the Old Gaffers Association 50th Anniversary Round Britain Challenge saw the first gaffrigged sailing boats set sail from Heybridge Basin near Maldon in Essex on April 21. It was a symbolic moment as it was in Maldon 50 years ago that the association was formally founded.

Two boats, Witch and Bonify, set off on the morning tide, joined by a third gaffer, Mary Ritchie, as part of the OGA Relay. She will carry a symbolic local token for the first leg before handing it over to another gaffer in the next OGA area (the Solent) at rally in the Hamble 4th/5th May. This fledgling fleet will grow in numbers as it travels clockwise round the coast and at least half a dozen Dutch members of the OGA are expected to join the Challenge alongside many Irish vessels. Dublin’s Poolbeg Yacht Club will host the expected fleet of more than 60 boats over the June Bank Holiday weekend (see RMS Leinster story).

The progress of Round Britain boats and tokens can be tracked online at: www.oga50.org (Tracking is to a skipper’s mobile so coverage may not be 24/7. Several participating boats will have Blogs running online – visit www.oga50.org) The Round Britain Challenge boats are raising money for the RNLI and donations can be made at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/OGA50

How the tokens work The Relay provides an opportunity for the smaller boats that cannot complete the circuit but would like to take part in the celebrations. Boats will sail a short stretch carrying a Token from one OGA Areas and taken on to another, and so on. Each token is accompanied by a tracking device so that you can follow progress: http:// trackaphone.co.uk/callback/ publish/rbc/.

Relay tokens (in order of joining): East Coast: To commemorate the formal founding of the OGA in Maldon, the token is a Made in Maldon hamper containing items as unique and diverse as the gaffers themselves; local beer and salt another other items, all of which will auctioned at a festival in Cowes in aid of the RNLI. Solent / South Coast: The Solent area has a Seamanship trophy ― a working handbearing compass that we hope will be used to safely guide the boats back to Cowes for the Jubilee Festival.

South West Region (Devon & Cornwall): This token is from Plymouth Gin Distillery and is a bottle of Navy

Strength Gin 57% proof and four glasses in a presentation box reflecting the naval history of this region. It will leave Plymouth’s hallowed shores passing to the Scillies at the far edge of our region and thence round Britain to be auctioned off.

Bristol Channel: This token will be a specially commissioned plaque bearing a wooden, handcarved, half-hull of the archetypal Bristol Channel Pilot cutter. It will join the relay at Dale in Milford Haven and circumnavigate to Cowes for auction as a true object of desire and a perfect symbol of the OGA, the BCA and Gaffrigged boats.

North Wales: The locally manufactured ‘y Ddraig Goch slate trophy will be in Holyhead for the weekend of May 25 for collection and onward journey to Dublin on a suitable vessel.

Dublin Bay: This token is a representation in bronze of a currach in which are two men, a boy holding a salmon and a dog, looking over the bow.

Northern Ireland/North West: A token to celebrate

inshore ireland April/May 2013 27

Crow’s Nest

Return of a Ringsend lady…

W M Nixon

A

inmara returns to Ringsend this summer. She was last seen sailing away from Dublin’s ancient maritime community all of 90 years ago. And 101 years have passed since she was first launched from Murphy’s Yard on the banks of the Dodder in the heart of Ringsend by a local shipwright who was also a self-taught yacht designer.

John B Kearney (18791967) was of an old Ringsend maritime family.

His people had long been involved in many aspects of the longshore life, and boat-building was among them. But never before nor since was there a Kearney shipwright of such exceptional talents.

And from an early age, he also developed a natural ability as yacht designer, absorbing correspondence courses and testing his skills from 1897 onwards, when he designed and built his first 15ft sailing dinghy, aged just 18.

Apprentice boatbuilder

Although as a boy he worked in his father’s small boatbuilding yard, one of four on the banks of the the 50 years of the OGA. One for Scotland and one for Dublin.

North East: Proposing plaque/shield in wood/ ceramic/metal.

Scotland: Specially commissioned model of the Fifie herring drifter Reaper in an antique Haig Dimple bottle with antique stopper.

This too will be auctioned off with proceeds going to the RNLI. Netherlands: A regatta between clog sailing boats!

Every OGA area will get a clog. During the RBC trip, these clogs will be transformed by the crew into smashing sailing models. In every harbour there will be a regatta, the last one in Cowes. The models will be auctioned in favour of the RNLI. The winner will be the one with the most regatta points in combination with the auction proceeds. This winner receives the Tulip Gaff Sculpture - made by the Dutch sailors during the round trip.

More info about Relay and the varied and sometimes quirky tokens from the areas is available on www.oga50.org under the heading Relay.

Dodder where Thorncastle Street backs on to the Liffey tributary, the youthful Kearney was soon apprenticed in boat-building to Dublin Port & Docks across the river, qualifying as a master shipwright.

But his talents were such that he rose to the top in all the areas of the port which required the designing and making of specialised structures, some of them very large.

So in addition to building workboats of all sizes, he played a key role in projects like the new pile lighthouse at the North Bull, for which he developed support legs threaded like giant corkscrews, and rotated into the seabed like monster coachbolts.

He also pioneered the use of reinforced concrete for pre-fabricated harbour constructions, and when the Great War broke out in 1914, his special talents and experience were called upon to advise on quick-build ferrocement structures of all kinds.

War times

Although Ireland remained neutral as World War II broke out in 1939, the Dublin engineering firm of Smith and Pearson established a yard in Warrenpoint just across the border to build concrete barges and small ships for war work, and John Kearney was their consultant.

So far-reaching was his input into developing the infrastructure of Dublin port that when he retired in 1944, while his official title was as Superintendent of the Harbour Engineering Works, he was de facto the Harbour Engineer. But he couldn’t be properly acknowledged as such, because he had never qualified from a third level college - it was far from universities that the Kearneys of Ringsend were reared.

But this lack of an official title left him unfazed, for his retirement at the age of 65 meant he could concentrate full-time on his parallel career as a yacht designer ― something that was so important to him that when his gravestone was erected in Glasnevin in 1967, it simply stated: John Kearney, Yacht Designer.

Her owner camping-cruised this little boat successfully along the great rivers of Europe before World War 1, getting there simply by sailing his canoe from Dun Laoghaire into Dublin Docks, and striking a shipping deal with whichever ship’s captain was heading for a port on the desired river.

Kearney was busy for the next nine years with his growing responsibilities in Dublin Port. But in 1910 he reserved a corner of Murphy’s Yard, and in the next eighteen months, working in his spare time entirely by hand with the light of oil lamps, he built his first personal dreamship, the 36ft gaff yawl Ainmara, to his own design.

Kearney hallmark

In this his first proper yacht, he immediately achieved the Kearney hallmark of a handsome hull which looks good from any angle, a seakindly boat which was gentle with her crew yet had that priceless ability of the good cruising yacht; she could effortlessly maintain a respectable average speed over many miles while sailing the high seas in comfort.

Built in straightforward style of pitchpine planking on oak, Ainmara was highly regarded, and though the world was at war for four of the ten years John Kearney owned her, when he could sail his preferred cruising ground was Scotland.

She was no slouch on the race course either. Her skipper became a member of Howth Sailing Club in 1920, and HSC’s annual Lambay Race became a Kearney speciality, his first recorded overall win being in 1921 when, in a breezy race, Ainmara won the cruisers by one-and-a-half minutes.

Society pillar

Despite the turmoils of Ireland’s War of Independence and Civil War, in the early 1920s John Kearney’s position with the Port & Docks had become so secure that in 1923 he felt sufficiently confident to sell Ainmara in order to clear the way to build himself a new boat, the superb 38ft yawl Mavis. He was to own, cruise and race her with great success for nearly thirty years, by which time he was a pillar of the Dún Laoghaire sailing establishment – he’d a house in Monkstown, and had become Rear Commodore of the National Yacht Club, a position he held until his death in 1967.

He’d been active to the end, designing his largest boat, the 54ft cruiser-racer Helen of Howth, in 1963 when he was well into his eighties.

In a design career lasting almost 70 years, he created more than 21 fine cruisers, while his 17ft Mermaid dinghy design, introduced in 1932 and celebrating its 80th anniversary last year, is still attracting new boats to add to the 200 already built.

Ainmara meanwhile moved between various owners on Ireland’s East Coast, mostly in the north. She acquired a tall Bermudan mast and an extended cabintop, but her hull remained the same elegant yet very practical shape created by John Kearney.

Silverware aplenty

She made many awardwinning cruises, and in 1964 was overall winner of the annual Round Isle of Man Race. In 1966 she was bought by Dickie Gomes of Strangford Lough, who extended her sailing

achievements far into the Bay of Biscay, and up to Norway.

But in 1984 she broke from her moorings, and though she was hauled off rock armour and brought alongside a pier, hull punctures meant she’d to be taken into a shed on the Gomes farm for a major refurbishment, and there she stayed for 27 years.

The demands on Dickie’s time were many, for he was a hugely talented racing skipper of boats right up to maxi size, and he was always receiving attractive offers which resulted in major successes ― for instance, he held the Round Ireland Record with the 83ft catamaran Novanet from 1986 to 1993.

2011 relaunch

Sometimes the restoration of Ainmara was on a backburner so remote that the flame was invisible. But with the Centenary in 2012 approaching, the pace accelerated, and Ainmara was re-born and launched anew in July 2011, looking better than ever.

By 2012 she was in fine trim for an award-winning Centenary Cruise to the Outer Hebrides, followed by a Centenary Birthday Party at her home port of Ballydorn, a celebration which was shared with the Down Cruising Club’s lightship headquarters Petrel, which was also built in Dublin in 1912.

But while it’s unlikely Petrel will ever see her birthplace again, Ainmara is once again as free as a bird, and she’ll be returning to Ringsend for the first time since 1923.

After spending the night of Friday May 31st with Kearney enthusiasts at the National YC in Dun Laoghaire, from 1st to 3rd June she’ll be berthing at the Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club as a participant in the Old Gaffers Golden Jubilee Regatta, home again after 90 years.

First build

He had developed his skills in this area ever since his first boat in 1897. In 1901, when he was still 21, a 17ft clinkerbuilt canoe yawl, which Kearney designed and built for noted Dublin Bay sailor Pat Walshe, was praised in the yachting press.

The 36ft yawl Ainmara (Dickie Gomes), designed and built by John B Kearney in Ringsend, Dublin in 1912.

Photo W M Nixon

28 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Coastline News

Experiencing Dublin – by land and sea

I

f you’re planning a trip to Dublin this summer and fancy a novel way to take in the sights, you could complete a loop of Dublin Bay from Howth on the northside to Dún Laoghaire on the southside – one way by water, the other by land.

Dublin Bay Cruises offers daily sailings between the two towns aboard their 140ft passenger, 100 seated vessel, St Bridget. Leaving Howth, you will see Ireland’s Eye just outside the harbour. The island is uninhabited; its most spectacular feature is the huge freestanding rock ‘the Stack’ at the northeastern corner which is home to a large variety of seabirds, including guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and gulls and Ireland’s fifth largest

gannet colony.

Birdlife abounds in Dublin Bay, in no small way due to North Bull Island, Ireland’s first official Bird Sanctuary, established in 1931 and now a UNESCO site and a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and proposed Natural Heritage Area (NHA).

Close to Dún Laoghaire is the now uninhabited Dalkey Island but which shows evidence of being inhabited in the 4th Millennium BC and was used as a Viking base. There are also ruins of another church dating from the 7th century, named after St Begnet. This was altered on the east side when builders used it as living quarters while building the nearby Martello tower and gun battery in 1804.

These and other sites can all be viewed from St Bridget while enjoying a snack and listening to the audio guides.

Complete your journey by rail (DART); bike along the newly constructed Cycle Route (S2S – Sutton to Sandycove – and take your bike aboard St Bridget) or by car.

St Bridget

Sailing Times: March to October 11am & 3pm St Michael’s Pier, Dún Laoghaire 1pm & 5pm West Pier, Howth Evening cruises available – visit www. dublinbaycruises.com

Vessels of all descriptions use Dalkey Sound en route south or northwards to Dublin Bay. This stretch of water can be very turbulent and should only be used in calm weather.

Photo G Mills

Galley boat rebuild project

G

Togra Ath-thógáil An Galley

B

huaigh an Galley Garumna (Galway Galley) Gradam Classic Boat 2013 sa chatagóir ‘an tógáil nua traidisiúnta’, gradaim a thugann aitheantas don tábhacht atá leis an bpobal a bheith rannpháirteach i dtograí tógáil bád.

Tháinig grúpa iascairí meánaosta agus dornán daltaí meánscoile le chéile ag tús na bliana seo caite i dTír an Fhia i gConamara Theas chun múnla de bhád Galley a ath-thógáil. A bhuíochas don togra seo tá bun-mhúnla Galley na Maoláin caomhnaithe go deo anois, galley a bhí in úsáid tuairim is 130 bliain ó shin i gCeantar na nOileán agus tá moladh mór ag dul do Jim Horgan, duine de shaoir bád aitheanta na tíre as an am agus an obair chrua a chur sé isteach ag teagasc ar an gcúrsa.

Tógadh an múnla i lár mhí Eanáir na bliana seo caite agus thosaigh an obair thógála an seachtain dar gcionn. Bhí an obair thógála ar an gcúrsa ag dul ar aghaidh go leanúnach gach Satharn ó shin i dTír an Fhia. Bhí roinnt de na rannpháirtithe céanna ar an gcúrsa seo agus a bhí ar Chúrsa FETAC Macasamhail Húicéirí na Gaillimhe, a ritear san ionad céanna.

Is deis iontach oiliúna atá sna cúrsaí seo do dhaoine meánaosta chun a mbealach a dhéanamh ar ais sa chóras oideachais agus tugann sé seans do dhaoine óg agus aosta obair le chéile chun na scileanna i dtógáil bád a chleacht a sinsear a chaomhnú agus a fhorbairt.

Baineadh úsáid forleathan as an nGalley ar feadh na mblianta fada mórthimpeall Chonamara Theas mar mhodh iompair, ag iomramh amach chomh fada leis na Húicéirí chun earraí a tháinig as Gaillimh a thabhairt i dtír agus tá stair shuimiúil ag baint leo nach mór a chaomhnú.

Sheol Aire Stáit na Gaeltachta, Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich go hoifigiúil An Galley “Garumna” (Galway Galley) ag Céibh Ghlais na nUamhani dTír an Fhia i mí Meithimh 2012. Comhpháirtíocht a bhí anseo idir Coiste Gairmoideachais Chontae na Gaillimhe i gcomhar le Muintearas agus Ionad Oidhreachta Leitir Mealláin.

Bhí ócáid cheiliúrtha an Ghradaim Classic Boat againn anseo go háitiúil ar 18 Aibreán nuair a thréaslaigh an Comhairleoir Thomas Welby, Méara Chontae na Gaillimhe a mbua leis na daoine/ eagraíochtaí uile a bhí rannpháirteach sa togra. Mhol sé a ndíograis agus a dtiomantas le linn an togra agus an gradam idirnáisiúnta seo anois bainte amach mar thoradh ar an obair bhreá seo.

Chun grianghraif a fheiceáil den obair seo, céim ar chéim téigh chuig ár leathanach Facebook – Ionad Oidhreachta Leitir Mealláin www.facebook.com/ionad.meallain

alley Garumna (Galway Galley) has won the ‘traditional new build’ category of Classic Boat Awards 2013, which recognises the importance of community involvement in boat building projects.

A group of middle-aged fishermen and a number of secondary school students rallied together at the start of last year in Tír an Fhia in South Connemara to rebuild the mould of an original galley boat constructed approximately 130 years ago in Ceantar na nOileán (the Islands region). The original Galley boat design has now been preserved forever as a result of the project. Praise goes to Jim Horgan, one of Ireland’s most experienced boat builders for his hard work and dedication as the course instructor.

The design was sketched in the middle of January last year and work commenced on the construction the following week by participants on the FETAC Model Galway Hooker Boat Building course also being run in conjunction with County Galway VEC at the same location.

These courses are an excellent training opportunity for middle-aged adults wishing to return into the education system and for young and old to work together to preserve and develop on their boat building skills, practiced by their ancestors.

The galley boat was used for decades in South Connemara as a mode of transport for rowing out to the hooker boats to receive goods that had been transported by sea from Galway. The history attached to the working life of the Galley boat is quite interesting and should be preserved for future generations.

The Galley was officially launched in June 2012 by Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dinny Mc Ginley. This project was a partnership between County Galway VEC in conjunction with Muintearas, the Gaeltacht Educational Project and Lettermullen Heritage Centre.

We held an event to celebrate the Galley’s Classic Boat win on April18, attended by Cllr Thomas Welby, Mayor of County Galway who congratulated all involved in the project for their enthusiasm and dedication.

For step by step photographs of the rebuilding work please visit our Facebook page – Ionad Oidhreachta Leitir Mealláin www.facebook.com/ionad.meallain

inshore ireland April/May 2013 29

Subscriptions

COMPETITION WINNERS from Issue 9 vol 1

Francis Twomey

Tony McGettigan

ISBN 978-0-9557554-2-2

of West Cork The Inhabited Islands

bays of West Cork. islands adorns the Bay, and A necklace of beautiful Heir, Long, in Roaringwater - Cape Clear, Sherkin, its own special way. inhabited islands and perfected in Its gems are the gem is polished in Bantry Bay. Each charms of each. describe the unique Whiddy, Bere, Dursey, authors display and In this book, the

The Inhabited Islands of

West Cork

The Inhabited Islands of West Cork On An Island

an island be enclosed on What pleasure to high on a rock on the sea where I may reflect in all its moods.

Eoghan Cleare, Passage East, Co Waterford

the great waves Where I may see cheerful shining bright and their Father singing music to course. on their perpetual

strand, even, bright-edged That I may see the no gloomy view, wonderful birds, the song of the that I may hear a joyous prayer. mighty waves the crash of the That I may hear against the rock, the roar of the sea the churchyard. crying out near of birds the soaring flocks That I may watch of the sea, over the fullness its mighty whales, that I might see greatest of wonders. the Creator That I may bless who rules all things, pure order of angels, heaven with its earth, sea, everything.

heaven, the kingdom of Time to pray for for our salvation, hard a labour not too That would be pleasant.

Brendan Walsh, The Curach, Co Kildare

Willoughby translated by Bob - 12th Century – Ltd. Saint Columcille 1981 by Pan Books Ireland” - first published “Voices from Ancient

Francis Twomey Tony McGettigan

FRONT COVER: Island coast of Bere On the south land, sea and sky – a symphony of

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Graham Bailey, Skibbereen, Co Cork

Gas House on the Bull Rock (print) Charles Potterton, Worchester, England Congratulations to all our competition winners.

Ardglass 200th anniversary marked with opening of a new fish market

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orthern Ireland’s Fisheries Minister Michelle O’Neill officially opened the new £300,000 fish market and refurbished ice-plant facility in Ardglass, Co. Down, to mark the town’s 200th anniversary.

The new fish-market has been designed to cater for the current and projected needs of the Ardglass fishing fleet which, in terms of vessel numbers, has expanded significantly. The Minister also took the opportunity to view the £110,000 investment in the port’s ice-making facilities.

“The new projects at Ardglass harbour, to which my Department has been able to contribute through the European Fisheries Fund, will improve the quality of the infrastructure required for our fishing industry to continue to operate as well as provide consumers with high quality seafood.

“This continuing DARD support for the Fishery Harbour Authority, in developing and improving fishing port facilities, serves as recognition of the confidence that government has in the future of our fishing industry.

She added that restrictions and other pressures faced by the industry has meant it has had to restructure “to ensure a long-term sustainable fishery will evolve, and one which will provide career and wealth opportunities for our rural fishing communities, especially along the County Down coast.”

Minister O’Neill also took the opportunity to some successful graduates from the Introduction to Commercial Fishing Scheme, geared towards young people who wish to take up a career in the local fishing industry.

Fisheries Minister Michelle O’Neill today “This is the second such scheme to be run officially opened a new £300k fish market in the north of Ireland and through it, 17 and ice plant facility ar Ardglass Harbour. the potential new entrants to the local fishing Minister was visiting the County Down port as industry have been identified and trained in part of its 200th anniversary celebrations in the key requirements for the job. I hope all of 2013. She is pictured with Kevin Quigley, Chief these graduates will enjoy a long, lucrative and Executive NI Fisheries Harbour Association, successful career,” she remarked. and Terry Jarvis, Chairman NIFHA.

Gráinne Mhaol - The ‘Bald’ Pirate?

Grace O'Malley, the famous 16th century 'Sea Queen of Ireland', got her nickname 'Gráinne Mhaol' - 'bald Gráinne' - following an argument with her father when she was young and shaved off most of her long hair after he said it would get caught in the ship's ropes if he allowed her to come on a trading expedition to Spain. Gráinne went on to become a legendary figure in the west of Ireland - as a seafarer and even as a 'pirate' - demanding ‘tax’ from seafarers who traded around Mayo (although such taxes were also levied by Galway). She met with Queen Elizabeth I in 1593 to successfully petition for the release of her sons and half-brother who had been captured by the English governor of Connaught. Both women spoke in Latin, since Elizabeth spoke no Irish and Gráinne no English.

Planet ‘Earth’ or Planet ‘Ocean’?

. our planet 'Earth' earns its name when viewed from above the Atlantic While - from above the Pacific it seems better to call it 'Planet Ocean'.The sea covers 71% of the Earth's surface and contains 97% of the planet's water. It plays a key role in the world's weather and climate. It is essential for the production of oxygen and the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Nearly half of all living things on the Earth live in the sea. Yet, in spite of the importance of the sea to life on this planet, more people have been to the moon than to the deepest part of the sea at the bottom of the Marianas Trench.

For more FunFacts check out: www.spindriftpress.com/childrens-books

30 inshore ireland April/May 2013

Outside Ireland

How behavioural economics could save both the fishing industry and the oceans Eric Pooley

I

t’s frightening enough that 87% of the world’s assessed fisheries are fully or over-exploited. But it is even scarier to consider how little we know about the condition of most of the world’s fisheries, because four-fifths of them have never been scientifically assessed. A recent study in the journal Science is providing fresh insights into thousands of fisheries where data has not been previously available. These “data poor” fisheries make up 80% of the world’s catch — and many are on the brink of collapse.

Despite the dire news, there is a bright spot in the study. The authors conclude that the ocean is nowhere near a lost cause and with the right management tools, the abundance of fish could increase by 56%. In some places, the study says, fisheries yields could more than double.

This isn’t just a big deal for the fish. As the authors of the Science study write, “When sustainably managed, marine fisheries provide food and livelihoods for hundreds

Eric Pooley

of millions of people worldwide.” So what’s the key to seeing such a rebound become reality?

An approach to overseeing fisheries known as rightsbased management, or catch shares.

Over the past decade, catch shares have taken hold in U.S. waters, ensuring the sustainability of about 65% of the fish landed in the United States. This is the greatest unknown policy success of our time. Don’t take my word for it — I work for the Environmental Defense Fund, a policy shop that has long championed the approach.

Instead, consider the facts that helped lead the authors of the Science article draw that same optimistic conclusion.

Catch shares are a marketbased management tool used in commercial fishing that, coupled with catch limits, have been successful in rebuilding fish populations while improving the efficiency and business of fishing. After decades of failed regulatory regimes, catch shares are working for fish and for fishermen. What’s unfolding before our eyes is a global behavioral economics study — one that’s delivering major benefits to people around the world.

Photo: Michael O’Neill

The Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery, for example, was on the brink of collapse in the early part of the last decade.

Fishermen were limited to 52-day seasons that were getting shorter every year.

The shortened seasons, an attempt to counter overfishing, hurt fishermen economically and created unsafe «derbies» that often forced them to race into storms like the boats in The Deadliest Catch.

This short window also meant that all of the red snapper were being caught and brought to market at the same time, creating a glut that crashed prices. Many fishermen couldn’t even cover the cost of their trip to sea after selling their fish.

A decade ago, the Environmental Defense Fund began working with a group of commercial red snapper fishermen on a new and better way of doing business. Together, we set out to propose a catch share management system for snapper.

Simply put, fishermen would be allocated shares based on their catch history (the average amount of fish in pounds they landed each year) of the scientifically determined amount of fish allowed for catch each year (the catch limit). Fishermen could then fish within their shares, or quota, all year long, giving them the flexibility they needed to run their businesses.

This meant no more fishing in dangerously bad weather and no more market gluts. For the consumer, it meant fresh red snapper all year long.

After five years of catch share management, the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery is growing because fishermen are staying within the scientific limits. Boats that once suffered from evershortening seasons have seen a 60% increase in the amount of fish they are allowed to catch. Having a percentage share of the fishery means fishermen have a built-in incentive to husband the resource, so it will continue to grow.

Another major problem facing commercial fishing is known as discards — a euphemism for the tragic waste of tons of fish thrown

overboard dead. Under the Gulf red snapper catch share system, discards have decreased by half. Fewer wasted fish, along with a fishery that stays within its limits, are two keys to rebuilding the resource.

On the business end, fishermen have seen a 25% increase in the price they get for their landings of red snapper.

The economic incentives for sustainability are clear.

Creating a responsible commercial fishery does not have to be at odds with the economic goals of fishermen. In fact, it can make those goals easier to reach.

The success of red snapper fishermen led to the creation of catch share programs for other species and in other regions — grouper and tilefish in the Gulf of Mexico, groundfish in the waters off Northern California, Oregon and Washington State — resulting in similarly impressive increases in revenue and decreases in waste.

In New England, a form of a catch share also produced promising results for groundfish.

From 2009 to 2011, groundfish landings were up six percent, revenues for fishermen were up 18% and discards were reduced by two-thirds.

But all is not well there.

Warming Atlantic waters are leading to migration changes and increases in predator species that prey on cod and compete for food. Declining cod populations led the Obama administration to issue a Disaster Declaration to provide needed relief to fishermen. In New England, catch shares have kept a difficult situation from becoming even worse.

Now the idea is catching on elsewhere. The European Commission has proposed adoption of «Transferable Fishing Concessions,» a European version of catch shares that would increase fishermen’s incentives to comply with science-based catch limits.

And earlier this year, the World Bank announced a global partnership for oceans that includes more than 100 other organizations — governments, private

sector interests and NGOs, including the Environmental Defense Fund — to address issues related to overfishing, pollution, and habitat in the world’s oceans.

Rights-based management programs like catch shares will be a major part of that strategy to address overfishing. At the same time, they will contribute to the health of the global economy; the World Bank estimates that failed fisheries management contributes economic losses of $50 billion annually.

As an experiment in behavioral economics, the results are striking. A look at the varying fisheries management approaches around the world shows that the industry behaves in very different ways under different sets of rules. Overfishing is not a given. The key to solving it is to take human behavior into account, giving the industry more rather than fewer rights and responsibilities, and developing financial rewards for stewardship of the resource. Catch shares accomplish all of this.

It’s all too easy to lose hope that human beings will ever rise to the challenge of solving the global environmental crises we face. But we should not despair. The catch shares success story demonstrates that people will respond when we get the right market signals in place.

In other words, we don’t have to change human nature to save the seas. We just have to change human incentives. And catch shares give us a very effective way to do just that.

First published in the Harvard Business Review www.HBR.org

Eric Pooley is senior

vice president for strategy and communications at the Environmental Defense Fund, and author of The Climate War: True Believers, Power Brokers, and the Fight to Save the Earth.

An award-winning journalist, Eric has served as deputy editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, managing editor of Fortune, editor of Time Europe, and national editor, chief political correspondent, and White House correspondent for Time.

inshore ireland April/May 2013 31

Outside Ireland

Brazil under Lula: Misguided fisheries policies Brian O’Riordan, ICSF

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n 2003, with the election in Brazil of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Workers Party candidate, hopes were raised that policies would be developed to favour the working classes.

In the fisheries sector, this would mean developing policies that favoured workers and communities from the artisanal fisheries sector. Artisanal fisheries in Brazil are responsible for more than half the national fishery production, providing livelihoods for around 700,000 people, and sustaining around 2 million people living in fishing communities.

But, the plethora of policies and actions implemented by the Lula government over the 8-year period 2003 to 2011 have made the artisanal fisheries sector more vulnerable, and instead have benefited industrial fisheries and aquaculture. This is despite the fact that artisanal fisheries have been given greater consideration than ever before.

The main aim of Lula’s fisheries policies was to consolidate growth in production, and to modernise the production chain of capture, processing and trade. Improving social rights and income for workers and communities in the artisanal sector were secondary objectives.

shameful

Lula’s approach and vision is summed up in a speech in 2011, where he described as “shameful” the fact that Brazil produces only one million tonnes of fish per year, whereas countries with smaller coastlines have larger outputs. He cited the example of Peru, which produced over nine million tonnes in 2010; however he failed to acknowledge the very different fishery systems and aquatic productivity, and the fact that 80 to 90% of these landing were not destined for human consumption and were derived from one species, the Peruvian anchovetta.

Recognising that coastal resources were over exploited, attempts were made to develop a high seas’ fleet. One of the main policy tools implemented to achieve this was the ‘Pro-fleet Programme’. This consists of a credit policy to

build vessels and establish a national fleet for the entire Brazilian Exclusive Economic Zone. It is intended to increase fishing for species such as tuna and tuna like species, to replace the foreign vessels being chartered, and to provide the country with resources being appropriated by foreign fleets.

The programme also provides funding to replace industrial fishing vessels that operate on coastal stocks, conditional on older vessels being scrapped. Of the 130 vessels planned however, only 8 were financed.

Industrial fisheries have also benefitted from the gradual increase in the Diesel Subsidies Programme for vessel fuel. Basically this programme has contributed to making industrial fishing that was not viable environmentally, economically viable. It has also led to increased conflicts between industrial and artisanal fisheries in the coastal zone.

the future being programmed for artisanal fisheries is not to improve the lot of the fisherman, but rather to cease artisanal fishery activities.

Faced with this situation, a significant segment of organized artisanal fishworkers has begun to criticise the government. In 2010, this crystallised into the creation of a new national autonomous movement, the MPP. In 2012, the movement launched a national campaign to regularise the territories of traditional fishing communities. This aims to get a ‘Citizens’ Initiative Law’ approved that recognises and demarcates areas of land and water on which fishing communities depend.

Recognition of the right to these territories and to the resources that are present within them is considered to be a basic condition to guarantee the sustainability of artisanal fisheries and the maintenance of the traditional livelihood of their communities.

priority

Irish photographer to capture the Arctic ice on sailing expedition to Greenland

A second strand of the fisheries policy has been to develop aquaculture.

Aquaculture has evolved into the sub sector considered to be the most important for achieving growth in fisheries production. It has therefore been afforded the highest priority. The government is providing concessions for aquaculture, effectively selling off and giving away public waters for private use, to be used for cultivation.

As a consequence, a significant increase of the activity has already been recorded, mainly for inland waters, and established in the reservoirs of hydroelectric plants and on rural properties. Meanwhile marine aquaculture is still in its initial development phase.

Despite the allocation of aquaculture concessions free-of-charge, whose beneficiaries are mainly the small aquaculture producers and artisanal fishermen, this policy implies the start of a process to privatize inland and marine waters. There is no doubt that this will undermine artisanal fishing communities by privatising the spaces where they normally live and work.

But the government does not recognise this problem.

Rather it tries to conceal it by saying that artisanal fishermen, thanks to the aid provided, can turn themselves into fish farmers. Therefore,

I

Fisherwomen of Vila das Peças, Paraná

Photo: Naina Pierri

Artisanal Fisherman of Vila das Peças, Paraná Photo: Naina Pierri

rish photographer and creator of the Jewellery Box collection and exhibitions Daragh Muldowney is set to explore and capture the beauty of the Western Greenland coastline this summer as part of the Killary Adventure Expeditions, ‘North of Disko’ expedition involving sailors, kayakers, climbers and a filmmaker.

The expedition aims to cover the 1,500nm to Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, in about 14 days and then continue northwards, reaching Upernavik, well inside the Arctic Circle, a week later. From there, a team of four will set out on a 250km unsupported sea kayak, navigating through fjords and ice fields, while the team of three climbers will begin to tackle a series of first accents, as they follow the kayakers south.

Adding a further dimension to the expedition, Daragh will be photographing and filming the dramatic features comprising icebergs, ice caves and glaciers with the aim of publishing a book and organizing an exhibition later in the year.

Leading the crew on board the 49ft, ex Admiral’s Cup yacht Killary Flyer is Jamie Young, whose previous expeditions include the successful Irish Cape Horn Sea Kayak Expedition (1989); the Guinea Bissau Sea Kayak Expedition (1992) and the South Aris expedition, which attempted to re-enact Shackleton’s epic boat trip from Elephant Island to South Georgia, in 1997.

Further information on the expedition and updates on preparations can be found at www. northofdisko.com. Information on Daragh’s work can be found at www.dulra.com.

Competition

Daragh has generously provided two copies of Jewellery Box – Ireland’s Hidden Gems as a competition prize.

Question:

What is the name of the yacht involved in the ‘North of Disko’ expedition?

Answers to mills@ inshore-ireland. com or to 3 Hillview Cottages, Pottery Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin by June 7.

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15/07/2011 09:44