MFV Felucca steaming in a westerly gale (2012). October 2020 and Ireland's pelagic fleet faces more stormy waters over access to UK waters from January 1 where 60% of Ireland's mackerel quota is caught. Photo J Cunningham.
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The Marine and Freshwater Environment Publication
AUTUMN 2020
seafood
CONTENTS
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marine r&D
coastline news
maritime news
ocean Renewable energy
aquaculture
fisheries and seafood
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Gill
Gery
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ocean Focus | Autumn 2020
If you are reading this then you have subscribed to receive four seasonal editions or a single edition, delivered to your desktop or mobile device - Thank You! If you are reading this 'over someone's shoulder' and would like to subscribe, you can select an annual payment of €25 (four editions) or €7.50 (single edition). Without you the reader and customer, we have no audience, so your comments are extremely important and we want to hear from you! Stay safe and well in these very challenging times. Gillian Mills (mills@oceanfocus.ie | Gery Flynn (flynn@oceanfocus.ie)
After reading our interview with Donal Maguire you might be forgiven for thinking that some of it could be the outline pitch for a film plot. As they say: ‘Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.’ Maguire explains why Ireland’s annual production of farmed salmon is much less than it could be, and that it continues to lag behind its European competitors. But how can this be? After all, he tells us: “Everybody wants to buy Irish farmed salmon but there isn’t enough to go around….” And adds: “Ireland is undersupplying the market and missing an opportunity”. Why was this, we asked, and his reply could not have been clearer: “The issue is definitely access to licence capacity. Irish organic salmon is very highly regarded but under-supplied.” He explains that despite “Herculean efforts” by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine (DAFM) to shift the backlog, licensing remains static., That’s clear enough, but what’s the reason? And this is where the plot line switches from farce to horror. Maguire comments: “At a fundamental level there is, what I would describe as a schizophrenia in the State regarding this [salmon farming] industry in particular”. He says that while DAFM is in line with EU policy to increase aquaculture production, Inland Fisheries Ireland, an agency under the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment, has systematically objected to or has appealed against almost every salmon farm licence decision for the past twenty years. At loggerheads To put it simply: Two government departments are operating on diametrically opposed points of view. DAFM is officially intent on seeing the aquaculture industry increase in volume, value and activity while DCCAE it seems believes the aquaculture industry is a threat to wild salmon. This impasse is crippling the salmon farming industry for reasons not based on ‘fact’ Maguire contends. I am reminded of a series of articles we published in Inshore Ireland about a scientific report called SUMBAWS (SUstainable Management of interactions Between Aquaculture and Wild Salmonid fish). Throughout 2015, Inshore Ireland reported on our efforts to procure a copy of the SUMBAWS report because we had reason to believe that selected parts of it had been used by two environmental NGOs – Salmon Watch Ireland and Friends of the Irish Environment – in their complaint about sea lice to the EU Commission: a complaint that instigated a EU Pilot Investigation into Ireland’s salmon farming industry. This EU Pilot investigation lasted five years and no findings were made against Ireland. Despite this, it had a long-lasting negative effect on how Ireland’s salmon farming industry developed thereafter: EU grant aid was held up and potential investors lost confidence and looked elsewhere. The question remains unanswered: at a time when SUMBAWS was not yet available in Ireland where did Salmon Watch Ireland and Friends of the Irish Environment get the scientific data they used to trigger, and prolong, the EU Investigation?
State schizophrenia cause of ‘missed opportunity’ in salmon farming industry
Gery Flynn
comment
News
Comment No licence for mechanical extraction of kelp in Bantry Bay EU Commission accuses Ireland of breaching key environmental law Voluntary ‘tie-up’ scheme slammed by fishermen as not fit-for-purpose
04 05 06 07
UK cannot have its ‘fish cake’ and eat it Fisheries penalty points to remain on the books Inshore uncertainty following return of 18m vessels UK and Norway sign historic fisheries agreement Court ruling ensures ‘proper environmental assessment’ within Marine Natura 2000 sites Premium product recognition should protect Irish lobster on EU market
NEWS
back to top
UK cannot have its ‘fish cake’ and eat it
october 12
The European Fisheries Alliance, a coalition of fishing fleets representing over 18,000 fishermen and 3,500 vessels in the Member States, says the UK should ‘no longer benefit from additional quota’ granted after joining the Union in 1973. When seeking to establish a new base line for sharing, the UK allocation should be adjusted downwards by 26% ‘to once again reflect historic catches but this time without the benefit of any adjustment for third-country losses established in the original keys and still in use today’. The current allocation key of fishing quotas, known as ‘relative stability’ along with reciprocal access to each other’s fishing grounds, has been the foundation of the Common Fisheries Policy. Both elements of stability ‘have significantly contributed’ to improving fish stock sustainability in community waters, argues the EUFA.
Name
ORGANISATION
Gillian Mills
As the future EU-UK relationship post Brexit nears the end game, a bilateral fisheries agreement remains unresolved.
Background
When the UK joined the European Union it was compensated for potential losses of fishing opportunities in third-country waters due to the extension of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in 1976 to 200 miles. This amounted to 26% increase (volume) on their basic allocation of quota shares for seven principal fish stocks. ‘This increase was and still is additional to its historical share under the relative stability. These additional quota shares granted to the UK were taken out of the quota shares of other Member States at the time.’ EUFA believes that the current fisheries management system is a ‘delicate balance’ between the sustainable management of fish stocks and the economic prosperity of fishing fleets: ‘This balance must be maintained in the interest of all involved. As a matter of principle, the UK should not have at the same time the status of an independent Coastal State and the benefits of EU Membership. EUFA chairman Gerard van Balsfoort said European fishermen seek a “balanced, mutually beneficial” long-term Brexit agreement: “An allocation of fishing quota that reflects the historical fishing patterns, such as relative stability, is key to achieve this. The new normal needs to be calculated the right way. We are asking for nothing more, and nothing less.” Seán O’Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, said the UK cannot expect to retain the privileges of membership while blocking its “erstwhile European colleagues” from its waters and doubling its catch: “When you leave a club, you relinquish the privileges that were afforded you when you were a member. It’s as simple as that, it’s crystal clear.”
September 11
The UK departed from the EU on February 1, 2020, after both sides had concluded a Withdrawal Agreement that facilitated an orderly departure. The agreement includes a Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland that protects the peace process and avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland, while preserving the integrity of the EU Customs Union and Single Market and Ireland’s place therein. In a unilateral shock development, the anticipated UK Internal Market Bill published this week however gives power to amend how the UK could implement the Northern Ireland Protocol – already agreed as part of the Withdrawal Agreement – if it can’t reach key decisions with the EU. EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said progressing the Bill in its current form would be an “extremely serious violation” of the accord. The EU “will not be shy” in taking legal action if Britain does not back down.
To date, the EU and the UK have completed seven formal rounds of negotiations but progress ‘has been disappointing’, the plan notes. While Ireland continues to support ‘the closest possible relationship’ between the EU and the UK, ‘prudence dictates that we approach our readiness planning’ based on two scenarios: a limited Free Trade Agreement (including fisheries), or a hard Brexit with the EU and UK trading on World Trade Organisation terms. ‘It is vital that government, businesses and citizens understand the changes that will arise and take steps now to mitigate the risks.’
Current affairs
Landings to GB ports
Depending on the outcome of the negotiations, Ireland’s seafood sector ‘could be especially significantly impacted’ by Brexit.
Irish fish vessels that land directly into ports in Great Britain will be subject to additional Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fisheries control from January 1 next. Vessels will only be able to land into designated landing ports for third-countries and will have to notify the UK competent authorities at least four hours in advance for fresh fish and a minimum 72 hours in advance for frozen fish.
The UK government has indicated that direct landings from EU vessels will be permitted only in the following North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) designated ports: (Aberdeen, Falmouth, Fraserburgh, Grimsby, Hull, Immingham, Kinlochberview, Lerwick, Lochinver, Peterhead, Plymouth, Scrabster and Ullapool.) The UK however has yet to finalise the list of IUU designated ports. (see below) Depending on the outcome of the negotiations, Ireland’s seafood sector ‘could be especially significantly impacted’ by Brexit. Ireland strongly supports the EU’s position on fisheries as set down in the negotiating mandate which calls for the existing reciprocal access conditions, quota shares and the traditional activity of the Union fleet to be upheld in respect of fisheries.
Seafood exposure
The agri-food and fisheries sector is seen as one of the most exposed to the impacts of Brexit, due to its exposure to the UK market and requirement for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls. Regardless of the trade negotiations outcome, changes will arise from January 1 next. The UK’s status as a third-country brings new customs and regulatory requirements under EU legislation for importers and exporters of agri-food products. New SPS requirements (documentary, identity and physical checks on imports) on fish will be applied to trade with Great Britain. (Visit SFPA for further details) ‘While SPS checks are important to ensure food safety and protect customers, they will also increase the cost of trade and result in delays in the movement of goods…’ Export certification and other requirements regarding movement of goods into Great Britain will also arise, the plan notes.
©-European-Union-2018
October 8
The latest communication on designed ports for direct landings by EU vessels from January 1, 201, is outlined in the UK government’s revised border operating model which states, inter alia: ‘Additional requirements for direct landings of marine-caught fish, crustaceans and their products by EU-registered fishing vessels. 'EU-registered fishing vessels intending to land their catch directly into GB must land into an appropriately designated port in line with IUU fishing rules and the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) convention. Details can be found online’. The latest information available from DEFRA, published September 29, 2020, states: ‘EU fishing vessels must lands into a North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) designated UK port: Aberdeen [1]; Falmouth, Fraserburgh [1]; Grimsby; Hull [2]; Immingham [2]; Kinlochbervie [1]; Lerwick [1]; Peterhead; Plymouth [1], Scrabster [1]; Ullapool [1]. 1. Not an EU Border Inspection Post (BIP), therefore may only authorise transhipments of frozen fish products coming from vessels flagged outside the European Economic Area unless they are covered by bilateral arrangements. Only frozen fish coming from Norwegian, Icelandic and Faeroese flagged vessels may be landed here. 2. Limited access to services
Impasse on fisheries continues despite advancing precipice
September 4
An impasse on fisheries continues to prevail as the EU and UK enter final Brexit talks on September 7 and 28. These are crunch deadline dates to process Treaty ratification if an agreement is to take effect on January 1 next.
The EU will have to travel ‘a very long way from its current position – which is very close to the status quo – if a deal is to be made’, remarked the UK’s National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisation, quoting Prime Minister Johnson and Chief Negotiator David Frost following the latest fisheries talks with the EU. The Commission is operating under a mandate from the member states that make compromise ‘impossible’, it adds. ‘These two opposing factors make the likelihood of no deal, at present, the most likely outcome.’ NFFO contends that in the event of a no-deal on a fisheries framework agreement, the EU will need to make a judgement call. Would the ‘self-harm’ it would inflict on itself and the UK (by withholding a trade deal), be the right course of action, notwithstanding the rhetoric generated throughout the negotiations, it asks. If no deal is agreed, the UK will trade with the EU on WTO terms from January 1.
Stand-alone arrangements
In view of these major uncertainties, the UK is preparing for ‘stand-alone’ arrangements in which access for EU fleets to fish in UK waters in 2021 onward would be ‘one element’ within an overall annual agreement. Other elements include setting TACs (Total Allowable Catches) and quota shares. In the event of no agreement being reached during the September negotiations the UK and EU may set their own autonomous quotas for 2021, the NFFO warns. ‘This is a departure that no sensible party wants.’
Post Brexit
After the transition period ends, the UK’s legal status on fisheries will radically change. The UK will hold the rights and responsibilities of a coastal state as defined in the UN Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). ‘It is imperative that these sovereign rights are not diluted or given away in any agreement with the EU,’ the NFFO argues.
NFFO red-line issues
• quota shares that reflect the resources located in UK waters • access arrangements to be negotiated as part of annual fisheries negotiations • regulatory autonomy to allow the UK develop its own distinctive fisheries policy outside the Common Fisheries Policy • an exclusive 12-mile zone for UK fishers • friction-less as possible trade deal without compromising UK sovereignty and rights as an independent coastal state ‘These are the criteria against which any deal to emerge from the negotiations will be measured and judged,’ says NFFO.
Brussels position
Speaking at a Dublin event (September 2), the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said ‘without any doubt” Ireland was the member state most affected by Brexit: “Since the start of these negotiations, the UK has not shown any willingness to seek compromises on fisheries. No new legal texts have been tabled by UK negotiators. Where the EU has shown openness to possible solutions, the UK has shunned our offers.” The UK government’s position would “lock out Ireland’s fishermen and women from waters they fished in long before Ireland or the UK joined the European Economic Community in 1973,” he added. “This is just not acceptable. We fully understand and respect that the UK will become an independent coastal state, outside the CFP. But we will not accept that the work and the livelihoods of these men and women be used as a bargaining chip in these negotiations.” The chief negotiator added that any solution must ensure a balance: • between further developing the activities of British fishermen and women • safeguarding the activities and livelihoods of European fishermen and women • preserving natural resources Without a long-term, fair and sustainable solution on fisheries “there will simply be no new economic partnership with the UK”. The UK has also been “extremely reluctant” to include “any meaningful horizontal dispute settlement mechanisms” in a future agreement. Yet this is the only way to ensure that what we eventually agree on is respected…. “We are simply asking to translate the political engagement taken in the Political Declaration into a legal text. Nothing more. Nothing less,” he added.
Clean break
The UK red-line issues of a clean break from the EU, full sovereignty and freedom to set its own rules and to spend its own money without constraints from Europe, are why it cannot commit to a level playing field or to basic safeguards for a future relationship with Europe. “And yet the truth is that British negotiations are still seeking continuity in many areas. This is “not a ‘clean break’ at all,” contends Michel Barnier. “The UK government is still looking to keep the benefits of the EU and of the Single Market, without the obligations.” Regarding water quality standards of English rivers, lakes and beaches post Brexit, these will be “less rigorous” than under the EU’s Water Framework Directive, and raise “major environmental and health concerns”, Barnier also noted. As we near the finish line “I still have hope that, despite current tensions – our common history with the UK, shared values and joint commitment towards multilateralism will prevail,” But he warned, “We will not sacrifice – never sacrifice – the EU’s long-term economic and political interests for the sole benefit of the UK. “In the past months, the EU has repeatedly shown flexibility and creativity to work with the UK’s red lines: on the role of the European Court of Justice, on preserving the UK’s legislative autonomy and on fisheries. “It is time for the UK to reciprocate on those issues that are fundamental for the EU.”
Coastal State status
What the National Fisheries Federation Organisation and the UK government is seeking is “nothing extraordinary; it’s the usual relationship that exists between two coastal states which share stock,” CEO Barrie Deas told Ocean Focus. “Annual fisheries agreements, and quota shares that reflect the resources in each respective EEZ, is the international norm. That is exactly how the EU have shared fisheries with Norway for 40 years.” Deas added it was the Common Fisheries Policy and the UK’s terms of entry to the EC that distorted these arrangements “to the UK’s serious disadvantage” which they now had an opportunity to redress. A trade deal is in everyone’s advantage, he believes. “The EU’s threat to withhold a trade deal would certainly hurt the UK, but it would also hurt a range of member states within the EU27. Making an “artificial linkage between trade and fisheries as the EU has done is perhaps understandable” in the absence of alternative negotiating leverage on fisheries, he added. “But there is no sign that I can see that the UK government would sacrifice the fishing industry to get a deal. I don’t think that a repeat of the 1970s is on the cards.” According to Deas, the EU regularly misrepresents the UK position as an intention to expect all EU vessels from fishing in UK waters: “In fact, what will change is [that] the EU’s fleet will no longer have ‘automatic’ access to the UK EEZ. “Access will be available but on negotiated terms as part of an annual fisheries agreement – again, just like EU/Norway currently.”
october 23
At the time of going to press, negotiations were ongoing between the EU and the UK. Striking a trade deal before the end of the transition period in 70 days "is doable but difficult", remarked Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs. He however cautioned that fishing remained a "really, really difficult issue to resolve " and that both sides were "miles apart".
As the end of the transition period approaches of the UK’s departure from the European Union, a Brexit Readiness Action Plan published by the Irish government on September 11 set outs the necessary preparations for ‘substantial and enduring’ changes that will begin on January 1, 2021.
NFFO response
What the National Fisheries Federation Organisation and the UK government is seeking is “nothing extraordinary; it’s the usual relationship that exists between two coastal states which share stock,” CEO Barrie Deas told Ocean Focus. “Annual fisheries agreements, and quota shares that reflect the resources in each respective EEZ, is the international norm. That is exactly how the EU have shared fisheries with Norway for 40 years.” Deas added it was the Common Fisheries Policy and the UK’s terms of entry to the EC that distorted these arrangements “to the UK’s serious disadvantage” which they now had an opportunity to redress. A trade deal is in everyone’s advantage, he believes. “The EU’s threat to withhold a trade deal would certainly hurt the UK, but it would also hurt a range of member states within the EU27. Making an “artificial linkage between trade and fisheries as the EU has done is perhaps understandable” in the absence of alternative negotiating leverage on fisheries, he added. “But there is no sign that I can see that the UK government would sacrifice the fishing industry to get a deal. I don’t think that a repeat of the 1970s is on the cards.” According to Deas, the EU regularly misrepresents the UK position as an intention to expect all EU vessels from fishing in UK waters: “In fact, what will change is [that] the EU’s fleet will no longer have ‘automatic’ access to the UK EEZ. Access will be available but on negotiated terms as part of an annual fisheries agreement – again, just like EU/Norway currently.”
Government launches Brexit Ready action plan
Inshore Map Spatial breakdown of Irish landings (value) from the ICES rectangles in UK waters
In August 2020, Taoiseach and acting Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Micheál Martin, enacted highly controversial penalty points legislation, described by fishing representatives as ‘scandalous and a very misguided step’.
Systems in place across Member States “bear little resemblance to this one” remarked deputy MacLochlainn, drawing from a recent EU report. “This is a system where on the balance of probabilities, somebody can be convicted and have his or her livelihood take away.”
Compliance systems
Minister Charlie McConalogue
Fisheries penalty points to remain on the books
A Dáil Motion (29/9) tabled by deputy Padraig MacLochlainn (Sinn Féin) to annul a fisheries Statutory Instrument for penalty points legislation was defeated by 80:61 votes. In 2018, the European Commission commenced formal infringement proceedings against Ireland for non-implementation of a penalty points system eight years after the regulation had been introduced.
This could result in “potentially very significant fines” and suspension of €37m in EU funding for the fishing sector until Ireland complies with the requirements of EU law,” Minister McConalogue argued. In August 2020, Taoiseach and acting Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Micheál Martin, enacted highly controversial penalty points legislation, described by fishing representatives as ‘scandalous and a very misguided step’.
Dáil debate
Deputy MacLochlainn said there should not have been need to table a motion for Private Members’ business “had the fishing industry not told us to go ahead because it was not getting anywhere’.
Minister McConalogue needs to “get a grip” of the people who run the marine section in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, he added: “I have never come across such a wall of distrust between those who a Department are supposed to represent and the Department itself. I cannot convey to the Minister how angry these fishing representatives are, many of whom have supported Fianna Fáil through thick and thin over the years.” The deputy described as “shocking” Fianna Fáil’s u-turn now against a motion in 2018 by former deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher that for the first time in the history of the State defeated a statutory instrument.
The Cope Gallagher amendments “would have solved the problem, addressed the concerns of the fishing industry and built trust… “If the Minister reads back what he said and what every single Fianna Fáil spokesperson said that night in comparison with what he has said tonight, he will see it is like two different people speaking.” Referring to the Cope Gallagher amendments, Minster McConalogue said legal advice had been sought on how the SI might be amended to take on board the fishing sector’s concerns “and at the same time leave us compliant with our obligation for a control authority in the Common Fisheries Policy to have a system of policing our seas and ensuring that the CFP was being implemented and overseen”.
Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation, described the Dáil defeat as heaping further misery on fishermen in the face of the Brexit crisis: “The response of both Minister McConalogue and the Taoiseach…has been at best dismissive and at worst, contemptuous and glib. “Minister McConalogue, given his time as opposition shadow and [with] a constituency base on the shores of Lough Foyle, ‘gets’ this issue both personally and politically. In fact, he successfully voted against it just over two years ago.”
The SI signed into law by Taoiseach and acting marine minister Micheál Martin in August “took on board two of those amendments [the need for a right to an oral hearing with the determination panel and appeals officer, and the opportunity for additional time for making submissions and for seeking those appeals]. A key area of contention however was the application of points being assigned outside of the court system. In 2017, a Supreme Court judgment found in favour of the State’s position that it was permissible to provide for a ‘stand-alone’ system that was separate to a prosecution through the courts and permissible pursuant to a statutory instrument. “The judgment is clear on this and the court understands that criminal prosecutions could take at least two years, making the points for licence holders ineffective in many cases because points are to be applied from the date of detection and lapse three years from that date,” remarked Minister McConalogue. Responding, deputy MacLochlainn suggested whoever had written Minister McConalogue’s script and had said it was acceptable that the balance of probabilities was an acceptable threshold “is letting him down and [is] failing him”. Fishing representatives “feel betrayed and if government votes against this…. the Minister will have a major job to do if he is to reach out to the fishing industry and break down the wall of distrust.”
August enactment
By taking a broad-brush approach, he said Minister Creed had ‘failed to have proper regard to the particular circumstances which prevailed in specific regions’.
Inshore uncertainty following return of 18m vessels
Two representatives bodies for inshore fishermen said their members did not have ‘deep pockets’ to engage legal opinion. ‘We are not in a position to comment on the specifics of the judgment or ruling. When the decision to introduce the Policy Directive was made in 2018, the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association and the National Inshore Fishermen’s Organisation described the decision as ‘undoubtedly the most significant policy decision made in the history of the state in terms of supporting Ireland’s inshore fishing sector. ‘From a social economic, environmental and moral perspective, this was the right decision’. NIFA/NIFO believe the potential medium and long-term negative impacts of the ruling are likely to be ‘far more severe than a No Deal Brexit’ particularly in terms of equal access to fisheries resources. Around 80% of Ireland’s fishing vessel fleet operates inside the 6nm zone. This inshore sector is responsible for over 50% of direct employment in the industry and does not depend on access to UK waters. ‘Despite that dependency, the majority of the resources inside that zone are harvested by a very small number of larger trawlers. Small inshore vessels ‘cannot compete with larger trawlers and fear for their future economic viability as a result’, warns NIFA/NIFO. Over time, the inshore sector has lost ‘much opportunity and entitlement to access fishery resources previously available to it’. What was once a very diverse sector now depends on a few non-quota fisheries. That dependency has ‘greatly reduced the resilience of the sector to face other challenges such as the economic crisis caused by the Covid 19 pandemic’. The NIFA/NIFO contend that the Policy Directive created ‘huge opportunity’ for the inshore sector. ‘If that is to be denied, then the sector in its current form faces a very uncertain future and possibly a complete collapse. ‘The Minister needs to reinstate the directive and create future opportunity without delay as a priority if the sector is to realise its true potential and have the sustainable and vibrant future it deserves,’ says NIFA/NIFO.
Inshore reaction
Dunmore East: Return of large trawlers inside 6nm could be more damaging than Brexit, fear inshore fishermen
Sprat are targeted by over 18m vessels inside 6nm. Photo J Rafferty
In December 2018, following a public consultation in which over 900 submissions were received, then marine minister Michael Creed announced that vessels over 18m would be excluded from trawling inside the inshore zone from January 1, 2020. A transition period of three years for vessels over 18m targeting sprat within the inshore zone would be allowed, to enable ‘adjustment’ for affected vessels. Two affected fishermen, Tom Kennedy and Neil Minihane, initiated a Judicial Review challenging the validity of Policy Directive 1 of 2019.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has confirmed to Ocean Focus it is considering, ‘on an urgent basis’, implications of a Court order that quashes a ban on fishing vessels over 18m from trawling within Ireland’s six nautical mile zone and baselines.
In his affidavit, Mr Kennedy said he sees ‘no evidence in the waters in which he fishes, of small-scale fishermen targeting sprat, and that the efforts of Fiona KIII inside the 6nm zone ‘does not interfere with the efforts of small fishermen. ‘Any assumption that inshore fishermen will take up the catch in waters from which the Fiona KIII is to be excluded is flawed. Sprat requires to be caught in large amounts. Inshore fishermen do not have the capacity, gear or size of vessel to achieve this.’ By taking a broad-brush approach, he said Minister Creed had ‘failed to have proper regard to the particular circumstances which prevailed in specific regions’. Mr Minihane contended that his business was based ‘on the assumption and understanding’ that a vessel less than 90ft (27m) would be permitted to trawl within the 6nm area:
‘While it may be necessary for [Minister Creed] to make changes to licensing conditions from time to time to address specific ecosystem concerns, the state objectives as outlined in the Policy Directive do not justify a blanket exclusion’.
Successful challenge
On July 31, an ‘unapproved’ judgment was issued and while the applicants did not succeed on four of five grounds, the challenge was made against the entire Policy Directive and was successful.
The Policy Directive 1 of 2019 that gave legal effect to the policy, was not ultra vires The Directive did not impinge the applicants’ constitutional rights Given the impact on the applicants, there was a particular duty on the Minister to provide a fuller explanation and engage in further talks with the applicants. On this ground, the applicants succeeded The Policy Directive was not disproportionate to what was to be achieved The Policy Directive did not breach EU law
Findings
• • • • •
On October 6, 2020, the Judge held in summary that the Court’s final order ‘should be, inter alia, a declaration that Policy Directive 1 of 2019 was made in breach of fair procedures and is void and/or of no legal effect’. Minister McConalogue ‘is now consulting with his department officials and legal advisors’, DAFM confirmed.
Boundaries of the Atlantic, Northeast (Major Fishing Area 27) corresponding to the ICES fishing areas for statistical purposes (FAO)
UK and Norway sign historic fisheries agreement
The UK and Norway have agreed a Fisheries Framework Agreement of annual negotiations on the issues of access to waters and quotas. It is the first agreement as an independent coastal state in 40 years.
The Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has described the deal as a ‘significant step forward’ as the UK prepares to leave the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy at the end of December. From January 1, the UK will be able to decide ‘who can access its waters and on what terms, in the best interest of its marine environment and its seafood and fishing sectors’, DEFRA added. The agreement demonstrates ‘the shared will of the UK and Norway to cooperate as independent coastal states. It also seeks ‘effective and sustainable’ fisheries management. The treaty incorporates the same principles that the UK is currently seeking with the EU – a framework agreement which reflects the UK’s and Norway’s rights under international law,’ DEFRA explained.
Coastal state cooperation
Environment Secretary George Eustice said the agreement was a testament to their commitment to acting as a cooperative independent coastal state, “seeking to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for the whole of the UK fishing industry”. Norwegian Fisheries and Seafood Minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen said the agreement facilitated a “good and solid fisheries cooperation”. Management of shared fish stocks “is at its best when the coastal states agree on how this should happen”. DEFRA said British fishing communities will benefit from the fisheries agreement… ‘and is taking back control of its natural resources while seeking to restore more of its fish stock to healthy levels’.
Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said the agreement was “the established pattern of how coastal states with shared stocks work with each other to ensure that fish stocks are harvested responsibly and sustainably. “Annual agreements provide the necessary flexibility to address changes in the stocks and science, whilst the framework agreement ensures continuity and a framework of cooperation,” he added. In 2018, the UK fishing fleet landed £32m worth of fish from Norwegian waters. About 80% of the North Sea falls within the EEZs of Norway and the UK with the EU only accounting for one-fifth after the UK’s departure from the EU.
The agreement demonstrates ‘the shared will of the UK and Norway to cooperate as independent coastal states.
Coastwatch sought the High Court injunction in August 2019 when the protected Waterford estuary Special Area of Conservation (SAC) was opened to hydraulic dredging for razor clams without the required impact assessment.
Court ruling ensures ‘proper environmental assessment’ within Marine Natura 2000 sites
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Distribution of razor clams in Waterford estuary north of Creadon Hd (left) and Harrylock Bay (right). Survey stations (top).
On July 13, the High Court quashed two decisions by the Sea-fisheries Protection Authority to classify and open a ‘classified production area’ for a razor claim fishery in Waterford Harbour/Estuary. Both decisions had been made without screening or Appropriate Assessment in accordance with Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive.
“The go ahead for such fisheries in and around the Waterford estuary Natura 2000 site should only be given if an Appropriate Assessment had been carried out and if same had concluded that there will be no adverse effect on the integrity of the site,” said Karin Dubsky, Coastwatch Director. Mr Justice Richard Humphreys approved a settlement of proceedings brought by Coastwatch against the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland and the Attorney General. The settlement contains both site specific Waterford estuary and broader legal review commitments. “This is an important decision that should ensure stronger protection and the carrying out of proper environmental assessment for fisheries activities within and indeed outside Marine Natura 2000 sites.” Coastwatch sought the High Court injunction in August 2019 when the protected Waterford estuary Special Area of Conservation (SAC) was opened to hydraulic dredging for razor clams without the required impact assessment. The State will be responsible for Coastwatch’s costs of the case.
What this means
The Waterford estuary will stay closed to the razor shell dredging and a fishery cannot be opened unless and until such time as the competent authority carries out the required environmental assessments of fishing activity under the EU Habitats Directive. “Such assessments must show beyond reasonable doubt there will be no adverse impact on the protected site,” explained Karin. The Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine also agreed to review the European Union (Birds and Natuaral Habitats) (Sea-Fisheries Regulations 2013 “to ensure that Irish law fully transposes the requirements of EU environmental law, and in particular the Habitats Directive with opportunity for Coastwatch to make a submission. Coastwatch also welcomed the opportunity to provide input to the review on fisheries law and will draw on support from the Irish Wildlife Trust, Seas at Risk and ClientEarth who are all working on effective fisheries management of marine protected areas in Europe. In a very welcome move by DAFM, the general public has since been invited to make submissions to this review. A delighted Karin Dubsky thanked her legal team (Solicitor Brian Harrington, Margaret Heavey BL and James Devlin SC) for their “wonderful work” and negotiation skills:
“There has been too much optimism that the sea will cope with almost every private or corporate use anyone comes up with. The sea can’t and we need to protect it. “On top of that, climate change is already impacting on estuarine and coastal ecosystems. A hot spell can cause local mass death of organisms. There aren’t enough marine protected areas (MPAs) as connected safe havens to support species survival and those we have aren’t managed properly.” Coastwatch is optimistic that change is in the air: “The new Programme for Government sets out some positive plans, and with Covid 19 payments and changes in markets, there is a real opportunity now to restructure and focus on ocean health. “We should support MPA creation, restoration and management plans. For inshore MPAs traditional low-impact fishers need to be our valued partners, more knowledgeable of local conditions than anyone else.
There are three species of razor shells in Ireland. Beds of the largest - Ensis siliqua - are found in the Waterford estuary in and around the SAC, designated to protect the estuary and its typical species under the EU Habitats Directive. The razor shells are our longest native seashells. They are slow growing, live hidden in muddy sand and can form dense beds. Little is known about their ecology and reproduction. Waterford estuary populations can be described as virgin beds with all size classes up to old razor shells of 20cm length. Razor shells are occasionally harvested by hand. The home market is negligible and the fisheries only took off when a lucrative export market was found and high impact suction and hydraulic dredging was introduced about 20 years ago. The status of the fishery in Ireland is summarised in the joint Marine Institute and BIM stock book. Hydraulic dredging is a most efficient method that goes deep into the mudflat sediment and removes up to 95% of animals in the dredged ground. The price fetched for large razor clams encouraged more and more boats into the fisheries. Damage to undersized razor clams, changes in sediment structure of the dredged grounds and the dredge efficiency, means many areas are now grossly overfished, according to Coastwatch. “Instead of closing this type of dredge fishing, the hunt for new virgin beds and a stop/start fishery of known beds continues,” explained Karin. The SFPA classified the Waterford estuary is Shellfish area for razor clams in 2018 with no public consultation. In August 2019, members of the SE Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum (RIFF) were given five days’ notice to comment on a Fishery Management Plan for Waterford Estuary Razor Clams. After that, the dredge fisheries would be opened in and around the protected Natura 2000 site. The plan, which was prepared by the Marine Institute “with fishermen who wanted to fish the beds” was not published at the time and “saw the entire beds opened to fishing, with a number of voluntary measures to control the amount taken.” While there was reference to the protected site on page one of the Plan, Coastwatch felt it did not provide an opportunity to convey a clear picture of protection obligations. When Coastwatch became aware of the imminent opening of the Waterford estuary to hydraulic dredging and found no evidence of an Appropriate Assessment process, the environmental group contacted the relevant authorities to highlight the need for an Appropriate Assessment and public consultation. “Our concerns were ignored and on August 26, 2019, the fisheries was opened and we sought legal support and an injunction t halt the dredging,” outlined Karin Dubsky.
Harvesting
Annex 2 of the Perfected Court Order 2019/639 states, inter alia, that DAFM will undertake a review of SI 290/2013 ‘before the end of November’. Responding to a query from Ocean Focus, DAFM confirmed the department was ‘currently in the process of examining the submissions received as part of the review and will make a recommendation to the Minister on the outcome of the process in due course’.
Footnote
Interpolated distribution of biomass
Fishery Management Plan for Waterford Estuary Razor Clams (Marine Institute & South East Razor Association.
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Premium product recognition should protect Irish lobster on EU market
Joe Boyle fishing for lobster around Arranmore Island, Co Donegal. Photo J Rafferty
In a statement to Ocean Focus, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said the Minister ‘was aware of the uncertainty’ this agreement has created for the Irish fishing industry. ‘If EU imports of US lobster increase significantly, it could combine to further impact on prices and demand; however, the US also exports to other international markets.’
On August 21, the EU Commission and the United States agreed a package of tariff reductions, the first in over twenty years, on a range of products including US live and frozen lobster.
Irish seafood, particularly lobster, relies on healthy export markets. The impact of Covid-19 on the hospitality, retail and café sectors across the EU and elsewhere ‘has undoubtedly made 2020 a difficulty trading year’, added DAFM. Irish representatives put their concerns ‘on record’ at a Trade Policy Committee meeting when the EU Commission presented the agreement: ‘The department has also engaged with the Commission in relation to their impact assessment to ensure that the potential impact of the deal is fully understood,’ DAFM confirmed. Inshore fisherman Alex Crowley told Ocean Focus it was “reassuring to learn” that Irish representatives had outlined their concerns to the Commission.
Coronavirus impact
Bord Bia has advised DAFM that European lobster, the species caught in Irish waters, ‘has greater recognition which helps in maintaining a higher market position and that prices received reflect this in the market place.’ The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, who plays a lead role in relation to trade matters, told Ocean Focus that Ireland has clarified elements of the Agreement with the Commission to ensure that the potential impacts ‘are fully appreciated’. As tariffs ‘negatively impact trade, this Agreement gives the opportunity to increase transatlantic trade’ and ‘has the potential to act as a catalyst for the resolution of wider EU-US trade agreements.,’ Former EU Commissioner for Trade, Phil Hogan, said at the time that the “mutually beneficial agreement” would bring positive results to the economies of both the United States and the European Union. Ambassador Lighthizer, US trade representative, said the package should mark “just the beginning of a process that will lead to additional agreements that create more free, fair, and reciprocal transatlantic trade.” In 2019, the EU imported €42m of lobster products from the US (15% of overall extra EU imports) of a market worth €290m in which EU producers supply less than 5% of EU consumption.
Product recognition
Alien invasive fish reappears in Shannon River basin Donegal’s bluefin tuna - the Mediterranean connection
We had an initial invasion back in the late ‘90s and we spent a lot of time trying to remove or eradicate it from the Inny. Chub were probably introduced at the time as an angling species.
Alien invasive fish reappears in Shannon River basin
An alien invasive fish species believed to have been eradicated more than a decade ago has reappeared in a river within the Shannon Basin.
Chub found on River Inny, Co Longford
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has confirmed the re-appearance of the invasive fish species chub (Squalius cephalus) on the River Inny, Co Longford. Invasive alien species are plants or animals introduced to habitats outside their native range. Their introduction damages environments, economies or is detrimental to human health. Invasive alien species also threaten global biodiversity. “Chub spreading through the Shannon system is of real and pending concern to the biodiversity of Ireland’s biggest catchment. We are investigating the extent of the invasion and assessing strategies for eradication and control,” the IFI confirmed. Sightings of chub have been reported at several locations along the River Inny. This discovery followed reports to IFI and the National Biodiversity Data Center by members of the public. Almost 90 kilometers in length, the River Inny is popular with anglers and includes Loughs Sheelin, Derravaragh and Ree along its course.
Eradication
Chub compete not only with native fish species for food and space. They may also carry diseases and parasites. They are of real and pending concern to the biodiversity of Ireland’s biggest river catchment.
Dr Conor Gallagher, IFI’s head of research, told RTE radio that the Inny is the only Irish river in which chub have been recorded. “We had an initial invasion [of chub] back in the late ‘90s and we spent a lot of time trying to remove or eradicate it from the Inny. Chub were probably introduced at the time as an angling species. It’s a very popular angling species in the UK and across Europe,” he said.
Chub are one of the non-native species listed in Part 6 – Protection of Flora and Fauna (Section 49 – Third schedule – Part 2) of the European Communities (Bird and Natural Habitats) regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011). Dr Gallagher confirmed that chub was subject to removal operations between 2006 and 2010. “We hoped that it had been eradicated and it’s unclear at this stage whether these fish represent growth in the original population or are as a result of a second introduction. We have had no reports since 2009 while we had been monitoring and we’ve had no reports from anglers over that period. We’re not quite sure whether this is another re-introduction for angling purposes or whether there was some remnants of the population left.” Inland Fisheries Ireland is appealing to anglers not to move fish between watercourses for any reason and to report any sightings of chub through the IFI hotline 1850 34 74 24.
Hotline
Bluefin tuna are capable of growing to 4 metres in length, weighing over 900kg, and can live to between 30 and 40 years. Recently however, few bluefins grow to more than 600kg, as they are heavily fished.
Donegal’s bluefin tuna - the Mediterranean connection
Currently, bluefin tuna fishing in Ireland operates under the CHART ‘catch, tag, and release’ scheme for recreational fishing. The fish are brought to the side of the boat, unhooked, tagged with a numbered Floy tag, and the length and girth are recorded. The fish are then gently towed alongside the boat to aerate their gills and to aid recovery before being released. At no point are they lifted out of the water. Some tuna are also fitted with a pop-up satellite tag (PSAT) that records data , floats to the surface, and uploads its data.
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Brendan Connolly
Blue-water gamefishing for species such as bluefin tuna and sword fish is seen by most anglers as the most exotic and exclusive of all angling - the preserve of the rich and famous.
But, not so in Ireland. In Donegal Bay, bluefin tuna can be seen less than a kilometer from shore. Exploding from the surface, large tuna slice through the shoals of small fish; their torpedo-shaped bodies more streamlined than a supersonic jet. This species is surely the pinnacle of angling, and they are on our doorstep. Bluefin tuna were first seen as occasional commercial by-catch in Donegal Bay in the early 1980s. In Ireland, bluefins have been caught on rod and line since 2000. In 2001, a bluefin tuna weighing 968lb (439 kg) was caught in Donegal Bay and took the Irish and European record for a fish caught on rod and line.
Migration route
But, where do these spectacular fish come from? In Donegal Bay they feed on scad, small mackerel, sprat, saury, and herring. They appear in July and disappear during October or November, depending on weather conditions. But then, where do they go?
There are two spawning populations of Atlantic bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus. One population spawns in the Mediterranean and off the coast of Spain, the other spawns in the Gulf of Mexico. Both populations feed in the North Atlantic, sometimes in the same area. One female bluefin can produce up to 30 million eggs and their growth rate is relatively fast.
In June, a bluefin tuna hatchling measures about 1cm. But, by October it can weigh up to 1kg, 4kg at one year old and 170kg and 2 metres long at 10-years-old. Bluefin tuna are capable of growing to 4 metres in length, weighing over 900kg, and can live to between 30 and 40 years. Recently however, few bluefins grow to more than 600kg, as they are heavily fished. Angling skipper, Adrian Molloy from Killybegs, reports that these magnificent fish were increasingly seen in Donegal Bay in the early 2000s, but disappeared between 2006 and 2013. Declan Kilgallon, skipper of angling boat Kiwi Girl in Mullaghmore, reports the same.
Officially during the late 1990s and early 2000s, bluefin tuna fisheries in the Mediterranean had a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) decreasing from around 23,000 tonnes to just over 10,000 tonnes. The actual catch figures however were thought to be as high as 40,000 to 60,000 tonnes. What happened in Ireland was that bluefin tuna were not to be seen in Donegal Bay between 2006 and 2013. A moratorium was imposed on the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery, and in a matter of three years the bluefins reappeared in Donegal Bay. Following this recovery, a TAC in the Mediterranean and around Spain of 23,000 tonnes was re-imposed, rising to over 30,000 tonnes currently.
Mediterranean profile
In addition, juvenile tuna are caught in purse seine nets, transferred live to large sea cages and are fed, where they triple their weight in less than a year. The TACs are now enforced, and since then bluefin tuna numbers in Donegal Bay have been increasing. Declan Kilgallon reports catching, tagging, and releasing 100 bluefin tunas up to the time of writing for the 2020 season. Adrian Molloy reports 190 fish caught, tagged and released from his boat for 2020. Anglers are catching and releasing up to 10 in a single day, and the season is not yet over.
In Irish waters, anglers experiencing the exhilaration of the top angling experience that is bluefin tuna fishing, are also playing an important part in Atlantic bluefin tuna research.
fisheries & seafood
Real-time fisheries chart to protect the environment Revolutionary rotation system to farm oysters Cultural values in small-scale fisheries management Ireland rolls out sea-fisheries compliance system
TCMs also cover minimum conservation reference sizes below which quota species may not be landed for human consumption under the landing obligation. Produced annually, the print format of the Fisheries Management Chart is available to download.
Skippers and crew working on Ireland’s 2,022 registered fishing vessels can now access an interactive, real-time digital fisheries chart that provides information on conservation and fisheries management regulations, designed to help fishermen understand the rules that apply.
Real-time fisheries chart to protect the environment
Niall Connolly, MFV Patrick C and Val Reilly using the fisheries management chart online, October 2019
The charts, developed by BIM in partnership with the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA), and funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, detail European and national regulations concerning closed areas, mesh size and restrictions on using certain fishing gears.
Charts are available for Nephrops (Dublin Bay prawn); pelagic (mackerel, and blue-whiting); whitefish (cod, haddock, whiting, megrim, sole); fixed gear (brown crab, lobster, scallop). These technical conservation measures aim to control the catch that can be taken with a given amount of fishing effort while minimising the impacts on the ecosystem.
TCMs include measures that: Regulate gear operation Regulate gear design characteristics Set spatial and temporal controls (closed/limited entry areas and seasonal closures) to protect aggregations of juvenile or spawning fish Mitigate the impacts of fishing gears on sensitive species (e.g. marine mammals, seabirds and turtles) or closed areas to protect sensitive habitats (e.g. cold-water coral reefs)
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Revolutionary rotation system to farm oysters
Over two years, Grzegorz Skawiński developed this ‘unique’ rotating cage system. Oyster sacks are placed one on top of another, rather than the traditional way of side-by side trestles, saving space on the seabed and increasing production. And when the device rotates it allows the oysters to move freely, aiding growth. Traditionally, each oyster bag is turned by hand, five in a row on a trestle. Grzegorz’s system allows 16 to be turned in one rotation.
Grzegorz Skawin, with his oyster rotation device
A Polish man has quite literally turned oyster farming on its head, by inventing a revolutionary device that he says can produce three times more oysters within the same area of seabed.
Premium product
Currently in protype stage, the project currently has other benefits. Along with a high-quality oyster in terms of shape and meat, the device can farm in previously inaccessible deeper waters. And because of the rotating system back pain is relieved, a common hazard in the industry. Sea pollution is also eliminated as rubber bands that hold the bags in place on a trestle are not required.
Skawiński developed the product having worked in oyster farming in Co. Waterford for eight years. He saw the potential of a new product to help ease farming, reduce plastic pollution, and to increase production levels and profits. “When you work with oysters you understand intimately how farming methods work, and importantly for me, how they can be improved. The idea of rotation was born while working on the project. The main goal is to place as many oysters as possible on the seabed surface," explains Skawiński. Grzegorz first started on the project in 2017, and created the device for testing and research purposes. The device is patented in Ireland with patents expected in the UK and France. “I am now keen to move on with the next phase of the business: either to sell the licensed patent or to work with a manufacturer to market the product globally,” says Skawiński.
One of the project tasks is to collate examples of cultural heritage and to create an “open-access library” that can be added to over time.
What is the definition of the cultural heritage groups?
Katherine II lying in Clew Bay
Cultural values in small-scale fisheries management
Three inshore vessels at Porturlin, Mayo. Photo J Rafferty.
The public, free event, chaired and facilitated by BIM and organised by the Cabfishman project, focussed on ways to more adequately account for these values in the Northeast Atlantic region. Richard Curtin, Senior Economist with BIM, says Cabfishman “was an important international project” with partners from Spain, Portugal, France and the UK, addressing common issues facing the small-scale fleets along the Atlantic rim:
Exploring how the role of cultural values could be integrated into small-scale fisheries management was the subject of a webinar (Sept 9) organised by Ireland’s seafood development agency.
“A crucial element of the project is the assessment of cultural heritage associated with the sea, fishing and the small-scale fleets and how to value that contribution so it can be accounted for in decision-making and policies.” One of the project tasks is to collate examples of cultural heritage and to create an “open-access library” that can be added to over time. “From an Irish perspective, we have collected over 400 examples, ranging from artwork by Paul Henry and others, traditional
Cabfishman is led by a team of research partners working to advance ecosystem-sensitive co-management for small-scale fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic. Embodying the collaborative ethos of the consortium, each of Cabfishman’s five participant countries are represented within a Steering Group with each member leading a core area of work.
The EU definition is ‘one-size-fits-all’ that defines SSF as being <12m vessels using static gears. “This definition cannot be applied directly to the entire SSF fleet and makes overall management in the EU context difficult,” remarked Norah Parke during her presentation: ‘Do cultural values play a role in SSF management?” In Ireland, SSF are usually described as ‘inshore’ and include both towed and static gear and those vessels do not always fish within the 6nm limit. “Management is complicated as the vessels may move from nationally-managed to CFP-managed fisheries throughout the year,” added Parke. Cultural values have not changed but there is a considerable change in the approach taken by the sector. For example, the voluntary Biologically Sensitive Area brown crab closure in 2019 was driven from the bottom up “and proved to be very successful in protecting its long-term commitment to that very important crab fishery”.
What are small-scale fisheries?
Parke describes cultural values in SSF management as resilient, adaptive, accumulated knowledge, innovative and commitment to their fishing heritage. These values are evidenced by SSF representation in the Sea-fisheries Protection Authority Consultative Committee, the Quota Management Committee, the Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum and on Fishery Local Action Groups. Along with investment in new vessels and gear, “there’s a new sense of ownership, professionalism and a realisation that stakeholders themselves have a responsibility to contribute to management of their resource.”
Snapshot of participant questions
“Research on items of cultural heritage did not initially clearly define groups, but results from additional observations should allow clear definitions in the future,” David Castilla, University of Huelva
Are all the variables used in the cultural heritage analysis binary?
“15 binary variables were included to define cultural heritage. There were certain assumptions within the analysis but the method has been shown to be robust.” David Castilla.
Despite the small-scale fisheries sector comprising over 80% of the EU fleet and providing over 50% of the direct employment in the catch sector, are they still under-represented at the national and European Union decision-making level due to lack of full-time paid representation and shortage of economic and fishing activity data to highlight their concerns?
“The sector has suffered from fragmentation, while the industrial sector has more organised representation. Also, small-scale fisheries or individual and smaller companies have trouble communicating compared to bigger organisations, but tools such as the LIFE platform are allowing these voices to be heard.” “Small-scale fisheries should get in touch with Arantza Murillas of AZTI Foundation, and a CABFISHMAN project partner, to continue this communication.” Marta Ballesteros, CETMAR Foundation. “Regional inshore fisheries forums (RIFFs) are currently undergoing a renewal process which will help to find a solution to the point raised. They should be far more vibrant and active going forward and this will hopefully give them a far more relevant position in the Irish fishing scene. Marta Ballesteros said that the data issue is one of the gaps in the project that they are trying to resolve, and encouraged the input of ideas,” Norah Parke, Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation.
The EU talks about the preservation of small-scale fisheries in coastal areas, but in Ireland over the past 30 years many fishing communities have been wiped out. How can we redress this and bring back the knowledge that has been lost to future generations?
“The first step is to identify what we have now and what we had in the past, and then put it in value terms in the policy-making decision framework. This can help coastal communities use this knowledge for touristic uses or any other cultural services. In turn, this could help bring back what has been lost. “Marta Ballesteros added that once the tangible and intangible cultural assets of Ireland have been recorded, the results can be fed into the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund’s specific action plan for small-scale fisheries. This can lead to specific actions in terms of cultural heritage based on the robust and scientific valuations carried out in this project. Resources will be available to recuperate values and knowledge in any particular community with the back-up of evidence-based knowledge.” David Castilla
Small-scale fishing vessels are defined as 12m or under, yet the majority of vessels exploiting crab in the northwest are now between 12 and 15 m in length. How can this be reconciled?
“The EU definition of small-scale fisheries is somewhat out of kilter with the reality of Irish small-scale fisheries, and that it is difficult to compare a fishery off the northwest coast of Ireland with its equivalent in the Mediterranean due to differences in definitions and regulations. Definitions of small-scale fisheries have to be tailored more to the area in which they occur.” Norah Parke “In this project they will include all vessels under 15m. He called attention to their planned creation of a publicly available online database on cultural heritage, to which anyone will be able to contribute. David Castilla added that this is the official definition of small-scale fisheries from the EU but it is a very simplistic definition. The topic is very complex and previous projects have found examples of sustainable small-scale fisheries that varied significantly,” Richard Curtin
Does CABFISHMAN see any divergence between “the preservation of small-scale fisheries” and the overarching EU preference of free market economics, where success is measured as greater profits?
“Inshore fisheries need to highlight to the EU that they are not just concerned with the microeconomic value of small-scale fisheries, as it is very small compared with other activities, but rather draw attention to its high importance at the regional level. “There are certain small towns and villages in Spain that have 70% dependency on fisheries, but overall fisheries are small in terms of the wider economy. Fishing is part of the way of life in these coastal areas and the fact that these communities cannot move back to cities represents a big problem at the EU level. Social and geographical elements need to be taken into account along with the economic ones.” David Castilla
There are various types of vessels included within small-scale fisheries. Is the project looking into that aspect too?
Yes, and there’s a task to define the vessels according to the main fishing gears in the EU. He highlighted that fishing gears are also an important determinant of cultural values; he mentioned analysing both tuna traps and the clay pot fishery on the coast of Cádiz. “In many cases certain gear types are also more sustainable than other gears. The geotool that CABFISHMAN is developing can distinguish between the main fishing gears and the different values associated with them.” David Castilla
There is a need for representation for small-scale coastal fisheries at national and international level, as the future of the sector is dependent on this.
“Small-scale fisheries have relatively little lobbying power in the EU, but the EU is aware of the importance of small-scale fisheries. It is necessary that they are represented more in the EU but this differs among countries. “In Spain, where small-scale fisheries are more important than industrial fisheries, they are considered in the decision framework of the EU. There are structures in Spain of associations such as gillnets that are closely linked with the people representing Spain such as the IEO, AZTI and other regional governments, that are using information from small-scale fisheries and defending the interests of the sector. “The relative influence depends on the country and the focus of different types of fisheries. More representation would be beneficial, particularly in certain countries.” David Castilla “I don’t think the small-scale fisheries sector makes enough use of possible input through the advisory councils. “In Ireland they could be well-represented if they joined forces, such as by getting more representation on the North-Western Waters Advisory Council.” Norah Parke
cultural values
Small inshore vessels
Ireland rolls out sea-fisheries compliance system
An IT system designed to support increased compliance with sea-fishing regulations is nearing completion.
Vessel FAR position V Vessel VMS position (active gear) Vessel FAR position V Vessel VMS position (passive gear) LAN (Landing Declaration) port V PNO (Prior Notification of Arrival) port LAN (Landing Declaration) species V Logbook species LAN (Landing Declaration) quantity V Logbook quantity LAN species V sales notes species Sales notes quantity V LAN quantity RTP (time declared) V PNO (time declared) (If RTP time is earlier than the PNO time) LAN (Landing Declaration) port V RTP (Return to Port) Authorisation Crosscheck for all Pelagic Fisheries (Minus exceptional areas) Authorisation Crosscheck for statistical rectangles (33E2, 33E3, 33E4 & 33E5) for the Celtic sea herring fishery and Irish sea herring fishery Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (North) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (South) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery Authorisation Crosscheck for all Pelagic Fisheries (Minus exceptional areas) Authorisation Crosscheck for statistical rectangles (33E2, 33E3, 33E4 & 33E5) for the Celtic sea herring fishery and Irish sea herring fishery Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (North) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery Authorisation Crosscheck for 6 AS (South) statistical rectangles in the North West herring fishery Verify that each logbook, a landing declaration is available Verify that each logbook, a sales note is available Verify that the VMS position message is sent within the threshold of the DEP message that was reported to have taken place
gillian mills
VALID, a fully automated cross-check system developed for the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Defence Force’s Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) will automatically verify data, including in real-time. The system, designed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Information Management Team within the current Integrated Fisheries Information System (IFIS), will cross-check data* provided in the electronic logbooks by the vessel Master. VALID will also cross-check information provided by buyers on sales notes, allowing immediate identification of inconsistencies, errors and missing information.
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Data gathering
Dr Susan Steele, chair of the SFPA, believes the benefits of VALID will be felt across the fishing industry:
“The majority of fishermen and buyers are compliant with the regulations, filing out their logbooks and sales notes correctly. “The automated system is enabling us to gather better information on where there is risk of non-compliance with fishing regulations, thereby allowing us to target our resources at those vessels and fishing activities that have a higher risk of non-compliance. “Going forward, VALID will aid us as we work to deter any future illegal fishing violations.” The SFPA/FMC will follow up on every detected fail that is notified by the system in relation to data to close them out. This may include them contacting the Master/Owner and notifying them of the action that they may be required to take. More serious fails may result in infringement action being pursued by the SFPA/FMC. In recent weeks Masters, Owners and Buyers may have noticed this increase in communication.
cross checks
AQUACULTURE
Government ‘schizophrenia’ over licensing is stymying Ireland’s aquaculture industry Funding for mussel and oyster farmers impacted by coronavirus
I would like to extend my best wishes to all those so badly affected by this rogue virus. It is a desperately worrying time as there is no previous experience to fall back on, something, which makes the current situation even scarier
Since then, that proposed salmon farm has spent nearly five years at the appeals stage, which just demonstrates this impasse.
Government ‘schizophrenia’ over licensing is stymying Ireland’s aquaculture industry
After almost 40 years in the aquaculture industry – 24 of them in the hot seat as Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s Director of Aquaculture Development– Donal Maguire retired in July. Despite the challenges and turbulence that often came with the job, Maguire was liked and respected despite some of the decisions he made in a State agency with responsibility for funding a fledgling industry that promised enormous potential. Maguire operated with an even hand, confident that his decision, popular or not, was based on the facts before him. His energy, and enthusiasm to see a fully functioning Irish aquaculture industry, was admired through the sector.
Gery flynn
Speaking to Ocean Focus, he paid tribute to his peers, more so now as they are forced to cope with the ravages brought on by Covid-19. “I feel desperately sorry for those hardy and resourceful folk who have broken their backs for decades, building up farming enterprises only to see the markets for their excellent products just disappear overnight. “There was something of a nightmarish quality to the way things unfolded with this pandemic. The sheer speed at which events occurred was bewildering. Nobody, no matter how forward thinking they were, could have anticipated the scale of this unprecedented crisis. “To see years and years of hard work and dogged perseverance - the hallmark of the fish farmer - placed in jeopardy by an unknown and unknowing microbe must be very hard to deal with indeed.
“If there is one thing I have come to learn after my years in BIM, it is that Ireland’s fish farmers are among the most resilient people in the world. Each part of the industry has faced its own existential threats: diseases; plankton blooms; biotoxins; trade wars and many other scourges that have whipped the sector, but which has always come through,” he said. “I have no doubt that Ireland’s finfish and shellfish producers will weather this storm and, bloodied but unbowed, will carry on. After all, people will always have to eat, and the growing global demand for seafood will reassert itself with renewed vigor as economies around the world reopen and trade starts to flow again.
“The basic proposition upon which our industry is based remains sound, if only we can see our way through the current crisis.”
In conversation
Ocean Focus spoke to Donal Maguire about Ireland’s aquaculture industry. We began by asking how he would assess the performance over the past decade: “In one sense the industry has done very well if you look at the growth in value since I joined BIM in 1997. It is enormously more valuable today. And that is backed up by the fact there is sustained market demand for the products - a fundamental of good business. It is disappointing however that production volumes - certainly in salmon and mussels - have declined in real terms although the value has increased because the price received, particularly for organic salmon, has risen so much. On the one hand, market prospects are excellent; everybody wants to buy organic certified Irish farmed salmon but there isn’t enough of it to go around, and as a result, it’s very valuable. Nevertheless, we are under-supplying the markets and therefore missing an opportunity.”
What’s the main problem holding back production?
Looking at it across the three main species: salmonids, oysters and mussels, salmon has a terrific presence in the marketplace. Irish organic salmon is very highly regarded but under-supplied, and the issue is definitely access to licence capacity. There are technical issues too of course, as there are in any livestock business, but the key constraining factor is the ability to have enough licence capacity to meet market demand. And despite Herculean efforts by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine (DAFM) to shift the backlog in shellfish licences, the issue with salmon farm licensing remains static.
Licensing sea-farmed salmon has been difficult and contentious for a long time, why is that?
Aquaculture is a complex business, that’s one reason. It is also a complex and difficult area to licence but, at a fundamental level there is, what I would describe as a schizophrenia in the State regarding this industry in particular. And while DAFM is in line with European Union policy of increasing aquaculture production, Inland Fisheries Ireland - an agency under the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment (DCCAE) - has for the last two decades or more, systematically objected to or appealed against pretty much every salmon farm licence decision that DAFM has made.
"Ireland has two government Departments operating on diametrically opposed points of view. "
But then you have DCCAE who is led to believe – mistakenly - that the aquaculture industry is a threat to wild salmon. Therefore, one of their own agencies, Inland Fisheries Ireland, opposes licence applications. This has caused an impasse where it has
How did the debate on finfish farming in particular, become so bitter and poisoned?
In the Irish context it was particularly poisoned during the rod licence issue of 30 years ago and more. Salmon farming got tied up with that and in the minds of the Irish angler. Finfish aquaculture suddenly became a bogeyman and that’s been retained as an article of faith ever since. As regards the shellfish sector, it’s not that there’s anything inherently better or worse about it, but they didn’t face the same obstacles. From time to time, the shellfish sector has had a tough time and has suffered public backlash. For example, the increase in market value for oysters has attracted more players into the sector, which in turn has raised some fairly vociferous opposition. Nevertheless, the oyster and mussel farmers were not subject to the really systematic and mischievous vilification that the salmon industry has had to endure. And this isn’t an Irish phenomenon. We know for certain that several of the large American organisations: the Pew Charitable Trusts; the David Suzuki Foundation, and others, at one time spent hundreds of millions of US dollars vilifying the international salmon farming industry. The amount of effort spent giving that dog a bad name was just enormous. And this isn’t paranoia on my part, this is well established, it has been exposed in several different situations and articles.
Give an example of a proposed salmon farming project that has stalled as a result of what you regard as unreasonable objections?
The classic example would be the Mowi Ireland licence application at Shot Head in Bantry Bay which took four-and-a-half years to get through DAFM. The Minister determined that it was a good application and that its licence should be granted. But the decision was immediately appealed by proxies for Inland Fisheries Ireland.
What about the science? Has it been shown that sea-farmed salmon are not the primary cause of sea lice infestations on wild migrating salmon?
The science is clear; salmon farming is not, does not and cannot be seen as any sort of significant negative impact on wild salmon. Nevertheless, it’s held on to as an issue, and despite the fact that organic certified salmon is in under supply, and despite the wonderful opportunity to create wealth and jobs in coastal communities, salmon farming is opposed. And then, with two government agencies [Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Marine Institute] and their Departments essentially at loggerheads, what happens is the stalemate we’re seeing now.
Are you saying the scientific evidence is unequivocal: that the decline in wild salmon populations is not due to sea lice from salmon farms?
Yes, that argument is over, scientifically. The decline in wild salmon stocks is multi-factorial. It’s highly affected by climate change and other factors; it’s a marine survival issue, and we know now that the influence of sea lice – whether they are from salmon farms, or whether naturally occurring - is a minor and irregular influence. The sea lice argument is being used as a distraction from the real and thornier issues that need to be tackled if people are serious about halting the decline in the numbers of wild migratory salmon.
How could this issue begin to be resolved in the short term?
A mechanism needs to be found to come up with a unified State policy that will determine which way the aquaculture industry is to go. As I said, the aquaculture industry of course faces other challenges in terms of climate change and increasing competition from countries that recognise this wonderful market opportunity and wish to move into that space. That window of opportunity will not stay open for ever, so the licencing impasse needs to be resolved as quickly as possible if the opportunity is to be grasped.
How did it get to a situation where two government departments and their agencies have a role in adjudicating on salmon farming?
The situation was better when both agencies [Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Marine Institute] were under the aegis of what was then the Department of the Marine, which then morphed into Marine and Communications.
Under the Department of the Marine, the worst excesses were kept in check because it was all under a single Secretary General who could act as referee.
As things stand today, because it’s now under two departments, that is not easy to achieve. A forum of some kind is required that would be adjudicated with the agreement of both Ministers and both Secretaries General, and where a few very senior and disinterested scientists would listen to both sides of the debate. They would then weigh up what little evidence there is against the aquaculture industry, weigh up the opportunities and then arrive at a single unified policy and put this to bed, once and for all. Then at least, when a licence application is made, and while it may attract objections from the public, the government agencies involved would be ‘on the same page’.
The Report of the Independent Aquaculture Licensing Review Group in 2017 gave rise to optimism in Ireland’s aquaculture industry. Was that optimism justified?
No, not really. The Review Group took a fairly political view; they followed a path of least resistance, but in fairness, they also took quite a pragmatic approach. They were however operating under the aegis of DAFM only and didn’t have any remit to engage the other side. In their terms of reference, they didn’t have any ability to suggest something as radical as a single policy formation approach for the State as a whole. In other words, the Review Group failed to grasp the nettle.
There have been calls for a stand-alone Department of Marine. Would that benefit the aquaculture industry?
It would be helpful but I don’t think the matter of salmon farming on its own would be enough to justify trying to set up another Department. The counter argument, which has some merit, is that by keeping food under the Department of Agriculture has meant that the image of the aquaculture industry - and Irish food in general - has been very well looked after and very well promoted. There are counter balancing arguments there. What’s really required is a commitment to be bound by the facts and the science, and to put that forward in a ’no-holds-barred’ examination and debate - in a detached way - that looks only at the facts and the evidence, the pros and cons for the aquaculture industry.
Do you think the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could be an alternative to the Marine Institute in assessing aquaculture projects?
Application for either a salmon farm licence or a renewal requires enormous levels of Environmental Impact Assessment. It’s an incredibly complex study. For example, the amount of work involved is a fraction of what’s required to install a major effluent treatment plant, which is self-evidently much more impactful than a salmon farm. The application process is enormous and very complex, and therefore, the State’s ability to access aquaculture needs to be equally complex.
DAFM succeeded in clearing the backlog of shellfish licence applications. Why can’t that be done with the backlog in marine finfish licences?
By clearing the 600 shellfish licences that had been backed up for over a decade in two years flat, DAFM has demonstrated it can be done if there’s determination and an absolute priority. So, it’s not beyond the ken of Man and Womankind to deal with it.
At least the Marine Institute already has people with the knowledge and expertise who can do this work. But I’ll say it again, it really is an under-resourced area.
The resources required to do this however are still not in place, and that in itself is a significant issue. Handing it all over to the EPA would make the problem even worse, I believe, because whatever knowledge and expertise the EPA has in terms of general environmental work, the highly specialised nature of aquaculture means they would have to start from scratch.
Other countries deal with this routinely, but what’s required is a clear policy direction rather than the situation where nobody is quite sure whether the State wants this industry or not.
FISSTA's response to maguire
The perspective that Donal Maguire expresses is disputed by many, and by FISSTA in particular whose volunteers still campaign without the support or funding of a State body such as BIM. Sadly, Inland Fisheries Ireland, the State protectors of our wild fish, were silenced in 2011 during the four-year debate on the Inis Oírr salmon cages application in Galway Bay that BIM eventually withdrew. Therefore, “proxies for Inland Fisheries Ireland” as claimed by Maguire we are not, and have never been since our campaign was first launched against open net cage salmon farming in 1992. At that time, research scientists were confirming our suspicions and reporting that the decimation of wild Connemara sea trout populations was due to the sea lice from salmon cages which eventually wiped out the angling tourism industry and jobs in the great fishing houses and hotels along the western seaboard. By 2003, the salmon farming industry was here to stay, producing circa 25,000 tonnes, similar to Scotland. Around that time, Irish and UK anglers met at the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO) conference of 2002, and in conjunction with the North Atlantic Salmon Fund, agreed to oppose the unbridled increase of net cage licence applications in order to protect the impact on our wild salmonids.
Noel carr
FISSTA
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
In Ireland, following a number of controversial press articles (on illegal salmon dumping in bogs and washups on beaches), FISSTA gained public support through a major public awareness campaign and protest demonstrations outside key venues such as the offices of the ESB (which owned the Carrolls Salmara farms for a period) and other State offices. This was further built on by a very informative newsletter and a monthly publicity campaign edited by the late Professor Graham Shaw of Trinity College Dublin who excelled in arguing the science that convinced planners to reject many salmon farming licence applications. At the same time in Scotland, the angling campaign collapsed due to their failure to match the Irish multi-federation approach (TAFI & NARA joined forces) under the campaign banner of ‘Save Our Seatrout’ poster campaign that involved the intensive lobbying of politicians at that time. We oppose BIM’s claim, and continue to campaign to protect the habitats of wild salmon and seatrout from unsustainable salmon farming. In order to confuse this proven fact, BIM and Bord Bia conveniently include unsustainably farmed salmon under the ‘aquaculture’ banner and market it alongside other produce such as mussels, oysters, crab, whelks etc. Yet despite spurious labelling, Irish farmed salmon production has fallen to about 10,000 tonnes today (from a peak of 25,000 tonnes in 2003) due to our success in contesting all licence applications since 2002. This is because the Irish salmon farming industry failed to copy Norway, world leaders in salmon farming, by adopting closed contained RAS technology which is more considerate to the marine environment and much more acceptable to consumers. BIM must encourage Irish producers to follow this path which will lead them to new levels of prosperity. Norwegian innovation has practically eradicated mortalities caused by sea lice and disease. Irish salmon farmers are still forced to pre-harvest or remove inferior stock from their cages due to Amoebic Gill Disease - a direct result of climate change and increased water temperature during the summer months. We can all survive and prosper together under this new technology.
become very difficult for DAFM to licence marine finfish farming. In fact, the licensing process has actually ground to a halt.
Donal Maguire
Funding for mussel and oyster farmers impacted by coronavirus
Ireland’s rope mussel and oyster farmers are to receive financial support in recognition of significant Covid-19 impact in first six months of 2020. Announcing the new support scheme at an IFA Aquaculture webinar (October 22), marine minister Charlie McConalogue noted market access and price difficulties caused by the pandemic. “While these issues eased as the first wave of the pandemic passed, the impacts of lost sales and production left a lasting financial burden on these aquaculture enterprises.” Rope mussel farmers suffered a 34% fall in sales between February and June; and sales of oysters fell by 59%. “Continued viability of these SME enterprises is jeopardised by these unprecedented shocks to their businesses with many struggling to cover their fixed costs and to fund the cost of purchasing seed to grow their next crops.”
Aquaculture mussel and oyster funding
Ireland’s rope mussel and oyster farmers are to receive financial support in recognition of significant Covid-19 impact in first six months of 2020.
Payment scales
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Payments will vary according to three size classes based on records of previous production levels held by BIM. “I anticipate that BIM will be inviting applications in early November with a view to paying successful applicants in 2020.” The one-off payment of between €6,800 and €16,300 to each eligible oyster farming business and between €1,300 and €9,000 for rope mussel producers is funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Programme 2014-2020, co-funded by the government and EU. Further information will be announced by BIM shortly.
Marine R&D
INFOMAR publishes two peer-reviewed articles with the Geological Society of London From paper to drones: GSI celebrates milestone anniversary Understanding the past to help predict the future Marine Institute and NPWS breeding programme aims to safeguard rare freshwater pearl mussels
Key aspects of the programme are detailed in their own words through case studies and descriptions of the impacts and benefits that have arisen through Ireland’s innovative seabed mapping efforts to date.
Blue knowledge
The relevance and impact of this ‘blue knowledge’ is further discussed in the context of national, European and international activities and initiatives, placing the achievements of Ireland’s seabed mapping activities to date in a contemporary framework. Far-reaching implications both at home and abroad of the decision to comprehensively map Ireland’s marine territories are clearly evident. The publications are also available on the Publications section of the INFOMAR website. It is hoped they will serve as useful references for future conversations on the benefits and positive impacts of seabed mapping at a critical time for the world’s seas and the commencement of the UN’s Decade of the Ocean 2021-2030.
INFOMAR publishes two peer-reviewed articles with the Geological Society of London
Ronan O’Toole
GSI
The INFOMAR seabed mapping team featuring personnel from Geological Survey Ireland and the Marine Institute have had two peer-reviewed articles published by the prestigious Geological Society of London (GSL).
CASE STUDIES
Key aspects of the programme are detailed in their own words through case studies and descriptions of the impacts and benefits that have arisen through Ireland’s innovative seabed mapping efforts to date. These include a full background on the origins and progress on of Irish seabed mapping to the present day, along with explanations of how this activity has resulted in the generation of ‘blue knowledge’.
Founded in 1807, GSL is the UK national society for geoscience and is a global leader in earth science publishing. The new articles feature as part of GSL’s Special Publications Journal: ‘From Continental Shelf to Slope: Mapping the Oceanic Realm’ and the ‘Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology’. Publication of the articles, ‘Mapping Ireland's coastal, shelf and deep-water environments using illustrative case studies to highlight the impact of seabed mapping on the generation of blue knowledge’ and ‘INFOMAR data supports offshore energy development and marine spatial planning in the Irish offshore via the EMODnet Geology portal’ represents a significant milestone for the INFOMAR team.
The featured case studies range from an exploration of possible submerged landscapes off the coast of Hook Head, Co. Wexford, where terrestrial rock formations have been inundated after the last ice-age by rising sea levels, to the characterisation of never-before-seen visualisations of large-scale marine channels on the Irish continental shelf including, ‘The Trench’ - a prominent feature on the Celtic Sea shelf. An approach is described for mapping and constraining the presence of mobile sediment waves on the seabed off Ireland’s north coast that pose potential risk to the selection of sites for offshore renewable energy. Also provided is a detailed explanation of how Ireland’s most recent offshore geology model has been complied through the EMODnet Geology project. The combination of case studies serves to illustrate how data from INFOMAR seabed mapping surveys can be analysed across a broad spectrum of activities to generate new insight and knowledge and further our understanding of the marine and oceanic realm. An outline is also detailed on the approach taken to deliver a multi-scale seabed substrate dataset derived from high resolution INFOMAR data for inclusion in the EMODnet (European Marine and Observation Data network) Geology data portal.
The benefits arising from incorporating INFOMAR data and knowledge outputs in the pan European EMODnet Geology data portal, is considered in light of knowledge requirements from Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) activity and an emerging Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) sector. Programme outputs form a valuable resource for supporting the development of these key areas.
Coastal bathymetry near Waterford Estuary detailing possible submerged glacial features and submerged landscapes
Prominent channel features in the Celtic Sea
We need to continue to build on the good work of the GSI and use their data, maps, science and expertise to make informed decisions on energy resources, smart farming, water protection, planning and resource management.
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From paper to drones: GSI celebrates milestone anniversary
A roadmap for using Ireland’s geothermal potential Monitoring coastlines for sea-level change Using soil geochemistry data to improve farming methods Supporting the Just Transition in the Midlands for a move away from peat Gaining a better understanding of groundwater systems Looking at sustainable processes for extraction and management of economic mineral resources
International projects
In the 1800s, surveyors would walk the land to gather information for Ordnance Survey 6-inch maps. Today, GSI work includes mapping Ireland’s marine territory, geological heritage, understanding soils, studying groundwater systems and underground minerals resources, along with aspects of climate change. The initial requirement was to map the bedrock and overlying sediments and to look for coal and other economic minerals. Since its inception, time, history and world affairs have shaped the Geological Survey and have altered its work focus.
July 31 marked the 175th anniversary of the Act of Parliament that created a Geological Survey of Ireland. The Act was to ‘facilitate the Completion of a Geological Survey of Great Britain and Ireland, under the Direction of the First Commissioner for the time being of Her Majesty’s Woods and Works’.
Today, the GSI is a division of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and has evolved into a ‘world standard’ national Earth science centre of over 100 scientists, cartographers and support staff, working on national and international projects. Its work supports Ireland’s economic, social and environmental development, with an emphasis on climate change, increased pressure on land use and the need for secure renewable energy sources. It uses modern and innovative technologies installed on a fleet of research vessels, to geophysical equipment mounted on planes, drones, satellites and drill rigs to carry out the work. These tools also support modern field and laboratory work, along with modelling methods to refine the geological maps and data.
Earth sciences
INFOMAR – the national marine mapping programme, managed in conjunction with the Marine Institute – and Tellus Ireland (Ireland’s airborne and ground sampling environmental baseline mapping project) are among their internationally-recognised projects. To support climate change policies, GSI is developing a number of initiatives:
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Eamon Ryan, Minister with responsibility for the GSI said a robust understanding of the rocks, soil, water along with onshore and offshore physical features was the basis of planning for a sustainable future: “We need to continue to build on the good work of the GSI and use their data, maps, science and expertise to make informed decisions on energy resources, smart farming, water protection, planning and resource management. “Ireland has been, and can continue to be, a world leader in geoscience data acquisition,” he noted.
GSI Director, Koen Verbruggen said he was proud to be part of a “dedicated team of people” who worked hard to further our understanding of the natural systems for the benefit of all aspects of society: “As we face the challenges of climate change, the need [to transition] from fossil fuel to more sustainable sources such as geothermal and offshore renewables, and the need for protected sources of water, the staff at GSI are ready to meet these challenges through our expertise, high-quality data collection, national and international collaboration and innovation solutions.” The GSI supports economic development through high-quality, free data for all stakeholders. It promotes the sector through the Geoscience Ireland business cluster, and provides financial and technical assistance to the Irish UNESCO Global Geoparks. In 2017, the geoscience sector was worth €3.3bn to the Irish economy. The sector contributes to research and education by through funding and through national and international research projects.
This long-term perspective is crucial and will help us to better understand our environment and the environmental consequences of human activities
An Irish-led team of scientists on board the Marine Institute’s RV Celtic Explorer returned to Galway Harbour on September 16 following 24 days in the Nordic and Greenland Seas investigating past climate change in the Arctic region. Scientists from NUI Galway, University of Southampton UK, University of Bremen, Germany, and Bergen University Norway, have been monitoring and capturing temperature, salinity and the carbonate system to improve our understanding of essential climate variables in the Nordic and Greenland Seas, and how they are recorded in geologic archives. “One of the key challenges in climate change science is assessing the magnitude of future climate change, due to our short observational records which are limited to the past 150 years. Our research is unique, as we are not only observing modern essential climate variables, we will also look into the past to assess how essential climate variables have evolved since before pre-industrial conditions.
Understanding the past to help predict the future
The CIAAN survey on the RV Celtic Explorer returning to Galway, after travelling to the Arctic region for the first time.
marine r&d
Polar Code Certification
- remarked lead scientist, Dr Audrey Morley, School of Geography and Archaeology, NUI Galway.
The CIAAN survey (Constraining the Impact of Arctic Amplification in the Nordic Sea: A biogeochemical approach), aims to define a more comprehensive description of the Nordic Seas ecosystem and provide insight into how essential climate variables are recorded in geologic archives. Assessing the impact and magnitude of past (pre-industrial) climate changes is critical to further our understanding of how the climate system will respond to a rapidly changing Arctic ecosystem.
“The Arctic is a sensitive and vulnerable environment with regards to global warming. The North Atlantic and Nordic Seas are a key region for the formation of North Atlantic Deepwater and the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Whether or not this region will remain a carbon sink during rapidly warming climates is a question that remains to be answered,” added Dr Morley. As part of this research survey, RV Celtic Explorer travelled to 79°N in the Greenland Sea, which is the highest latitude reached by the marine research vessel. To operate in the Arctic region, RV Celtic Explorer was required to obtain a Polar Code Certification and was the first Irish vessel to receive this certification, which greatly increases the vessel’s ocean research capabilities. Dr Paul Connolly, CEO of the Marine Institute noted the growing need for international scientists to work together to get a better understanding of the Arctic region, “particularly in relation to what happened to climate variables in the past. The RV Celtic Explorer is crucial to facilitate this type of international research. “This research will deepen our knowledge of the region and will improve models that can forecast changes to our oceans and climate. This will inform effective policy and management decisions to meet the challenges posed by climate change.” Dr Audrey Morley is also President of the Network of Arctic Researchers in Ireland (NARI), which was launched by the Marine Institute and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in February 2020. The Network aims to create, maintain and develop an informal all-island network of Arctic researchers in Ireland to facilitate collaboration of scientific activities linked to the Arctic, and to provide independent scientific advice to the public and policy makers. The CIAAN survey received funding from the Marine Institute’s National Research Vessels Ship-Time Programme.
Chief-Scientist Dr Audrey Morley from NUI Galway is waiting for crewman Philip Gunnip to secure a gravity core. Photo Stephen Churchett.
Svalbard’s glaciers. Photo Stephen Churchett.
Captive breeding programmes are already well established in several countries, and we are hopeful that over time this joint project between the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service will lead to a positive outcome for the freshwater pearl mussel in Ireland - remarked Dr Áine O’Connor, NPWS.
Freshwater pearl mussels are on the verge of extinction but a new joint initiative between the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) aims to revitalise their populations through a pilot captive breeding programme based at the Marine Institute’s Newport Research Facility in Co Mayo. Pearl mussels are capable of surviving for up to 140 years, making them Ireland’s longest living animal. The species is listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, and is one of the 365 most endangered species in the world. In Ireland, 19 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) have been designated in an effort to conserve the pearl mussel in its native habitats.
Ian Killeen looking for the pearl mussels in the Newport River using a bathyscope: Photo Evelyn Moorkens
Marine Institute and NPWS breeding programme aims to safeguard rare freshwater pearl mussels
Ageing population
One of the reasons for this is the low survival rate of juveniles, which are extremely sensitive to slight changes in environmental conditions. This is leading to an ageing population, not capable of replenishing itself. Juvenile survival depends on a clean riverbed, with little silt, sediment or algal growth. These mussels also have a very unusual life cycle, in that they depend on Atlantic salmon and brown trout to host their larvae(glochidia), for about 10 months. The captive breeding programme is targeted at this crucial life stage. Welcoming the initiative Malcolm Noonan, Minister of State for Heritage, said “the freshwater pearl mussel is an important and iconic species on the brink of extinction. "I am delighted that my Department is leading on this conservation initiative with the Marine Institute.”
The Marine Institute’s Newport Research Facility is situated in the Burrishoole catchment - the adjoining catchment to the Newport River - which contains one of the last remaining reproducing populations of freshwater pearl mussels. The facility operates fish rearing facilities, where salmon and trout are routinely produced for research purposes. In June 2020, a tank in the Marine Institute’s hatchery was set up with 300 juvenile salmon. On July 30, adult mussels were removed from the Newport River and transported to the tank. The project team are now waiting to see if the mussels will release glochidia and whether these will naturally attach themselves to the gills of the salmon. If successful, the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service will maintain this small experimental population for one year to see if the juvenile mussels grow to the stage where they can detach themselves from the fish and settle in a suitable habitat.
Newport freshwater pearl mussels: Photo Ian Killeen
“Historically, we know the Burrishoole catchment contained pearl mussels, which gives us some confidence that the water supply to the hatchery on Lough Feeagh is suitable for long term maintenance of the mussel populations,” remarked Dr Elvira de Eyto, zoologist at the Marine Institute. The pilot captive breeding programme is a partnership between the Marine Institute and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in conjunction with freshwater pearl mussel specialists Evelyn Moorkens and Ian Killeen.
For more information, follow the Freshwater Pearl Mussel project on the Marine Institute’s Twitter @MarineInst and @NoticeNature
MariTIME NEWS
ECJ rules against Ireland’s Marine Casualty Investigation structure European ruling starkly highlights Ireland’s maritime safety failings
There is a clear conflict in officials investigating their own regulatory framework and supposedly making recommendations to themselves.
ECJ rules against Ireland’s marine casualty investigation structure
MV Betelgeuse, the oil tanker that exploded at Whiddy Island in Bantry Bay on January 8th, 1979 killing 50 people. Photo Ian Vickery Snr
Ireland has failed to provide for an investigative body into maritime accidents that is ‘independent in its organisation and decision-making of any party whose interests could conflict with the task entrusted’.
The European Court of Justice judgment delivered on July 9 and based on an action taken by the European Commission, states Ireland failed to comply with its obligations under a Directive that establishes the fundamental principles governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector: ‘Ireland has failed to comply with its obligations under Article 8(1) of Directive 2009/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 establishing the fundamental principles governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector and amending Council Directive 1999/35/EC and Directive 2002/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.’
In its findings, the Court noted inter alia that under Section 8 of Ireland’s Merchant Shipping Act 2000, the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) comprises five members including the Secretary-General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTS) or his or her deputy, and the Chief Surveyor of the Marine Survey Office (MSO). ‘In view of its functions performed simultaneously by both these members, on the one hand within the DTTS or the Marine Survey Office and, on the other hand, within the MCIB, their presence demonstrates that Ireland does not fulfil its obligations under Article 8(1) of Directive 2009/18.
During a Dáil debate (July 30) reported by KildareStreet.com, Deputy Mattie McGrath (Independent) said an additional requirement for compliant officials was “clearly set out” in the European directive and reflected international law: “This is a damning indictment of our MCIB. I have raised cases in the Chamber, including cases regarding Whiddy Island and many other places nationwide. The Judgment also explains that independence is critical “if we are to learn from the tragedies and save other lives…There is a clear conflict in officials investigating their own regulatory framework and supposedly making recommendations to themselves.”
Dáil debates
In a second debate (August 14), Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Sinn Féin) said any ECJ Judgment was “weighty and significant” but was especially so in the context of the work of the MCIB. Since it was established in 2002, the board has issued over 300 reports on marine incidents and casualties. Noting “significant events and tragedies” and “families left grieving”, Ó Laoghaire added it was vital that incidents were properly investigated and that the people “affected, bereaved and injured” had confidence in the system: “The fundamental point is quite straightforward. It is difficult to understand why the case was fought by the State given that many commentators were of the view it was bound to fail,” he added.
Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State with responsibility for the maritime sector, said the main issue of concern was the presence of two department officials on the board who were seen as persons whose interests could conflict with the task entrusted with the board. “There is no finding of impartiality [sic] on the part of the board…” she said. Deputy Ó Laoghaire acknowledged the minister’s remark but added it seemed “very apparent” that the board was not independent: “The European Court of Justice has found that in the context of maritime safety, this State is in breach of EU legislation. It matters because the Department [DTTS] is responsible for safety on the water and for the legislation and relevant codes of practice.” Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Eamon Ryan, said his department was examining the Judgment and had received legal advice on possible next steps “including the likely amendment of the relevant legislation”. Noting the European Commission’s key concern of potential conflict of interest, Minister Ryan emphasised that the Judgment had no partiality in the actions of the MCIB: “Nor was there any suggestion of partiality on the part of the MCIB with regard to any case. Accordingly, it is not my intention to seek any form of inquiry into this matter.
Government responses
Deputy McGrath also noted “failed reports” regarding the deaths of two constituents, (John O’Brien and Pat Esmonde, Helvik Head, 2010) as well as “the deaths of all others in respect of whom investigations were carried out while this conflict of interest prevailed. “I have been reliably told that, due to these fundamental failings, full information was not included in the MCIB report, which had the effect of compromising the Garda investigation. This needs to be investigated,” he said. “I am happy that the Garda Commissioner [Drew Harris] has directed the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation to reopen this case and look at it again. “I thank Michael Kingston, the maritime lawyer [and son of Tim Kingston who was killed in the Whiddy Island terminal disaster in 1979] and Ms Anne O’Brien for the sterling work they have done in an effort to get justice for Ms O’Brien’s late brother and his colleague, Pat Esmonde, who died on that beautiful but fateful day ten years ago. Their families, and many others, need justice.” Michael Kingston said it “defied belief” that the DTTS would try to defend the action brought by the European Commission, “costing the Irish tax payer millions in legal fees”. This could have been spent on “rectifying our maritime safety framework, knowing the truth about their handling of tragedy investigations and failure to implement safety recommendations”. The proper analysis of maritime investigations “is the fundamental right of those who die, as is the proper involvement of their families in inquiries, under the European Convention of Human Rights. “The ECJ Judgment conclusively shows that the Irish State has denied the victims and their families those rights, and there must now be an immediate public inquiry as to how this has been allowed to occur, and all MCIB investigations must be reviewed,” Kingston maintains.
Maritime deaths
Chairperson: Claire Callanan Members: Dorothea Dowling | Frank Cronin | The Secretary to the Board, Denise Hyland
Note: MCIB website (August 18) Board members
The very purpose of maritime investigation under international law is to make changes that will prevent further injury and death.
European ruling starkly highlights Ireland’s maritime safety failings
Michael Kingston and Mattie McGrath TD with Anne Marie O'Brien
Michael Kingston
Anne-Marie O’Brien with her brother John who drowned along with his friend Patrick Esmonde while fishing from a dinghy off Helvick Head, Co Waterford on the afternoon of Sunday, 23 May 2010
This could not have been more starkly and embarrassingly illustrated on the world stage than the Judgment of the European Court of Justice on July 9, 2020 ruled: ‘Ireland has failed to provide for an investigative body into maritime accidents that is ‘independent in its organisation and decision-making of any party whose interests could conflict with the task entrusted.’
In the Spring edition of Ocean Focus under the article: ‘Ireland’s maritime safety regulations: time for a root and branch review’ I explained: “It would appear there is a complete failure to understand the importance of maritime safety regulation in Ireland”.
Put simply, on the five-person Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) a major and obvious conflict has been in place since it was established in 2002 under the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000. The MCIB has included the Chief Surveyor of the Marine Survey Office (MSO) and the Secretary General or his/ her nominee of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS), now called the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment (DCCAE). As stated by deputy Mattie McGrath in the Dáil (July 30): “If we are to learn from tragedies and save other lives…there is a clear conflict in officials investigating their own regulatory framework and supposedly making recommendations to themselves.” The very purpose of maritime investigation under international law is to make changes that will prevent further injury and death. This includes critical analysis of DTTAS/ DCCAE’s regulatory framework. Additionally, the proper analysis in maritime investigations is the fundamental right of those who die, as is the proper involvement of their families in enquiries under the European Convention of Human Rights. To achieve this, investigations need to be done properly without this fundamental conflict. That Ireland should have established the MCIB with such an obvious flaw, as the ECJ Judgment conclusively shows, has denied victims and their families their fundamental rights. The critical need for independence underpins the very purpose of investigations: to fully learn lessons, including highlighting regulatory failings and make proper regulatory recommendations. What makes this situation incredible, is the State’s apparent disregard of the process, on behalf of Irish society and in particular the maritime community.
Conflict of interest
In May 2008 at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), with Ireland’s departmental delegation present, the IMO Casualty Investigation Code (the IMO Code) was adopted, and came into effect in January 2010. It states: ‘Investigations should be impartial, objective and free from direction or interference from any parties affected by their outcome, in the sense that such investigations are to be inter alia independent from parties involved in the incident, anyone who may make a decision to take administrative or disciplinary action against an individual or organization involved in a marine casualty or marine incident and judicial proceedings (SOLAS Chapter 16 (1).’
IMO Code
The Code was then reflected in Directive 2009/18/EC which came into effect in Ireland on June 17, 2011, under S.I. No. 276/2011 - European Communities (Merchant Shipping) (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations 2011, signed by Leo Varadkar. In addition to independence, the Code and Directive require that the MCIB must have sufficient competence. To date, the politically appointed chairperson has always been a lawyer with no maritime expertise or experience. And the latest ministerial appointees are a marketing professional and a former insurance ombudsman. By appointing board members without maritime experience demonstrates that successive DTTAS Ministers (Varadkar, Donohoe, Ross) have failed to understand the international legal requirements of the 2009 Code and Directive. The European Commission first wrote to Ireland on July 13, 2015, highlighting this obvious breach.
It defies belief that DTTAS would try to defend the action, costing the Irish tax payer millions in legal fees. This money could have been spent on rectifying our maritime safety framework. Meanwhile, injuries and tragedies have not been investigated in accordance with international law, and we have not learnt the lessons we needed to prevent further injury and death, and many incidents, particularly involving fishermen, have not been investigated at all, despite the MCIB’s clear obligation to do so under the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Casualties) Act, 2000. It is hugely significant that the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation is ‘examining allegations of misconduct in public office in relation to investigations into seafaring tragedies and the implementation of maritime safety regulation’. The latest development is that Minister Ryan of (DCCAE) has indicated that both the Chief Surveyor of the MSO and the nominee of the Secretary General of his Department have resigned from the Board. There must now be an immediate public inquiry into how this was allowed to happen. A review of all MCIB investigations and incidents not investigated is required, and a radical overhaul of our approach to maritime safety and implementation of international law. Michael Kingston is an international maritime expert.
Defending the indefensible
OCEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY
Floating wind energy: Ireland’s most exciting economic prospect Government is using outdated legislation to fast-track wind farm development
Wave is of great interest to Ireland, from the point of view of the industrial bases that might be developed to support wave and tidal and also because of the extraordinary offshore wave resource we have off the west coast.
Floating wind energy: Ireland’s most exciting economic prospect
SUBHEAD
Peter Coyle
Eirwind, the MaREI Centre industry-led collaborative research project has been a welcome shot in the arm and confidence boost for Ireland’s fledgling offshore renewable energy sector as it prepares for the giant leap from laboratory projection to commercial production.
With 70% of Ireland’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030, initially from floating wind over tidal or wave, there is no time to lose. An Offshore Renewable Energy Plan (2014) outlines the long term development of Ireland’s “abundant, diverse and indigenous renewable energy resources” and is a “defining element of this Government’s energy policy,” remarked Pat Rabbitte, Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources. Against this backdrop, Ocean Focus spoke to Peter Coyle of the Marine Renewables Industry Association (MRIA) about the road ahead for the emerging marine technologies sector.
With the focus now very much on floating wind, has wave and tidal failed to sufficiently develop and live up to expectations?
In 2011 we all underestimated the time it would take to develop tidal and wave energy. Back then, wind energy was only ten or eleven years old and was becoming ubiquitous.
I’m talking now about the kind of wind energy that you see off Arklow - the world’s second oldest bottom-fixed wind farm where the turbine stands on the seafloor, out to a water depth of around 55 meters. Today however, we’re also talking about floating wind which in 2011 was just a dream. Tidal energy is gradually moving towards a consensus regarding the form of technologies that apply. Similar to wave, tidal energy faced enormous engineering and physics challenges. Today, tidal energy is important to the Republic of Ireland in so far as there are companies l such as G Kinetic in Limerick and Tidal Flyer who are showing great promise in the technology area. But Ireland has no current flows resource that can be exploited by current or foreseeable technology. Tidal flow in the Republic compared to the Antrim coast, is too low and simply wouldn’t be economic.
Has wave energy a future in Ireland?
Wave is a technology for the 2030s and is making progress around the world and we’re beginning to see devices going into the water. At the moment Ocean Energy Ltd, the Cobh company promoted by John McCarthy and Tony Lewis, have a scaled-down device of twelve hundred tonnes in Hawaii - the size of a small ship - awaiting deployment once Covid-19 allows a US Navy test site. And there are other examples of that around the world. Wave is of great interest to Ireland, from the point of view of the industrial bases that might be developed to support wave and tidal and also because of the extraordinary offshore wave resource we have off the west coast.
What makes you so enthusiastic now for the potential for floating wind in Ireland?
Floating wind is the most exciting offshore energy from an economic standpoint. In terms of technology, floating wind is about to burst onto the world scene, and it’s going to be critically important to Ireland. Bottom-fixed wind is already ubiquitous with 84 offshore wind farms operating in Europe supported by annual investment of €4 billion. Government targets for onshore energy give Ireland one of the most exciting economic opportunities in our history, and this will unfold over the next 20 years.
Why are you excited by the prospects offered by floating wind; is the time right now to develop the resource?
It arises for a number of reasons. Firstly, the extraordinary energy resource that Ireland has particularly off the west coast. That’s very exciting. We have a significant, if not a majority proportion of all offshore energy in western Europe. All sources: solar, wind, wave etc etc. Secondly, we’re now in a world where there’s a race to de-carbonisation that will be very challenging. And even during the recession, government policy was by and large very supportive. During the height of the recession, the great ocean energy test facility in Cork (MaREI) was built at a time when the country didn’t have two bob to put together. Ireland still managed to put money into research and facilities, but there’s a lot more to be done. Thirdly, the market need in Ireland has changed. Until quite recently we didn’t need offshore renewable energy. All of our renewable energy needs could be met by onshore wind. But the targets now set by government and the European Union for 2030 are extremely demanding in the renewables area.
Outline the targets?
By 2030, 70% of electricity generated must be from renewable sources. At times that implies one hundred per cent and at other times it implies less than 70%. Technically, it’s enormously challenging because you’re dealing here with intermittent forces of energy. And obviously, by definition, you don’t know where the wind is going to blow and when it’s going to blow. You can predict tides 120 years ahead, and waves can be predicted about five years ahead. Wind is intermittent, and the grid doesn’t like intermittency, the laws of physics determine that. So to get to 70%, the government set targets in the Climate Action Plan published in June 2019. If we don’t achieve that, in the first place we’ll fall out with public opinion that will be pushing for a decarbonised electricity system by that stage. Secondly, we’ll incur enormous EU fines and thirdly, it’s actually possible for us to do it despite the engineering and scientific challenges involved. The Climate Action Plan says we’re going to increase the amount of renewable energy by 12GW. We have a little more than 4 GW of terrestrial wind currently and that must be increased by 12 GW to reach our target. The target is for 8.5 GW from the land (wind and solar), and 3.5 GW from the sea. The Programme for Government has now increased the sea component to 5 GW, which is more than all of what we have on land currently, just to put it in perspective.
Where will the wind developments take place, and won’t it be hugely expensive to develop?
In the first instance it will happen in the Irish Sea because there are already projects operating there. The Parkwind project off Clogherhead, and the SSE Airtricity project off Arklow have been around for years. They are we what we refer to as ‘legacy projects’. For historic reasons, they have some sort of legal right to be at least considered for consent by the relevant authorities. Some projects in the Irish Sea have already spent millions such as Parkwind who have spent tens of millions but that is still a drop in the ocean in this industry. With any one of those projects – Parkwind and SSE Airtricity - you’re certainly talking around a billion Euro or more to develop them. So, because of their advanced nature and because they can use the current technology of bottom-fixed wind, they are the ones most likely to get off the ground first.
Is there pressure coming from government to get wind energy projects up and running as soon as possible?
There’s huge pressure within government, political and civil service, to sort things out and get things done. I’m very confident that by this time next year we should be well on the way to having all the mechanisms we need in place and be holding the first RESS auction – the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme. To put that in perspective, it now costs more to produce a unit of electricity from all renewables than it does from traditional sources such as gas or coal generating stations. Hence, there’s a public service obligation on your electricity bill to make up the difference between the market price and the price at which they can produce. As onshore wind develops however, that will drop away as more devices are deployed onshore and efficiency improves. The same applies with offshore wind, but certainly in the early years State support will be necessary. And that applies throughout Europe, and the world in fact.
Some of the structures will be visible from land. Do you expect challenges from the public?
It’s important to realise that the early gigawatts can be sourced from traditional technologies in the Irish Sea. The Celtic Sea is essentially, but not exclusively floating wind, so hopefully a lot of floating wind will be over the horizon, or barely visible. And certainly in the Atlantic, because of the water depths, wave and floating wind devices will be largely out of sight, hopefully. The challenge may well be in the Irish Sea in the early stages. But I think we can deal with that issue of visual impact first of all through communication. I do know that the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government is looking at involving local communities and I have no doubt they’ll soon be announcing some of the novel ways they intend to involve fishers and coastal communities in particular.
Could you expand on that?
It will be important to communicate the likelihood of local economic impact, and every wind farm must have an operations and maintenance centre close by. For example, SSE Airtricity is going to build an operations and maintenance base in Arklow that will provide permanent employment to 80 people. From my days in the IDA and EI I can tell you that level of employment in a town like Arklow is quite a prize. Nevertheless, it will be very challenging and I think it requires a major effort in communications and consultation, and to show the long and medium-term economic opportunities that the wind industry will create. There will also be wider community benefit in terms of actual pounds, shillings and pence because under different government policies, wind farms (on shore and offshore) will have to pay some sort of a tithe, based on units of electricity produced, to local communities. Leadership will be required from everyone, including us the industry.
QUESTION
Government targets for onshore energy give Ireland one of the most exciting economic opportunities in our history, and this will unfold over the next 20 years.
Has government and cross-party support been adequate to get projects off the ground and to put the resources required in place?
The only people who own these resources are you and me! There’s no private property at sea, it’s a public good. There are historic rights in the water column for fishers for example, but you can’t play a game of football on an Irish beach without the permission of the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government. So, the seashore and the seabed out hundreds of kilometers is owned by the Irish State which has absolute rights in it. There’s no question therefore of anyone coming in and grabbing our land, or our natural resources. Ireland’s renewable energy production sites will be leased but not in perpetuity to companies who will develop them. They will also pay hefty sums of money for these leases all along the line. In due course this industry will be a significant source of revenue for the Irish State.
Who owns Ireland’s renewable energy resource? Is there any danger that the international investors will ultimately own and control the sector?
Yes, I think there is political support. The overall drive and co-ordination in this area is now coming from the Department of the Taoiseach. Civil service resources are being invested and some very able people and all relevant departments are involved. There is always room for improvement but I think the political support is there, it’s not just a green thing. Over all there seems to be cross-party commitment to get the policies and legislation in place.
Enormous engineering expertise and offshore service locations will be required in the coming years. Is that experience and infrastructure readily available in Ireland?
There’s a fair number of Irish people already working in the offshore industry in the UK and further afield who may well wish to come home. Yes, it will take time for us to develop the supply chain to support offshore industry. We’re not by background a nautical nation but that is changing, and there is already a lot of excitement in the wider marine industry, and the ports are all very interested in this area. The early wind farms will generate local employment and economic impact but probably quite a lot of heavy lifting will have to be done in centres like Belfast or Hull which is already a major centre. But as time goes on, and as this enormous resource, particularly on the west coast, starts to be exploited we will develop the resources ourselves. Important in all of this too is education and training, and it’s very gratifying that the National Maritime College of Ireland in Ringaskiddy – that great institution in Cork and a member of the MRIA - are really gearing up now to identify exactly what this industry needs, when it needs it, and how to provide it.
Produced by La Tene Maps
Government is using outdated legislation to fast-track wind farm development
The government has been accused of using outdated legislation to fast-track foreshore lease applications for a series of wind farms in Dublin Bay through the planning process ahead of the new National Marine Planning Framework.
“Our focus has always been on legislative reform of the Foreshore Act,” a Coastal Concern Alliance spokesperson told Ocean Focus. “The Fianna Fáil government promised this reform before the millennium, and now, twenty years later it’s actually about to happen with the Marine Spatial Plan and we’re really happy about that. “On May 19 however, the government designated a whole string of these so-called ”legacy projects” and have allowed them to progress in advance of the Marine Spatial Plan being put in place. What’s being proposed in terms of size, scale and proximity to shore would not be considered in any other European country right now.” CCA claims that on the Codling Bank site, just 13 kilometres from the Wicklow coastline, construction is proposed of the world’s biggest offshore windfarm (2.1 GW), almost twice as big as the current largest (1.2 GW) sited 120 kilometres from the Yorkshire coast. “The initial lease was awarded on this site in 2005 without a single public submission and without the required ”robust site selection process. “Nor were any of these sites subject to proper Strategic Environmental Assessment. The problem about the east coast windfarms is that all of these sites were developer selected without any input from government in terms of site selection,” says CCA.
GERY FLYNN
Codling Wind Park Foreshore Investigation map
This move could have ‘negative visual impact and degrade underwater sandbanks protected by the Habitats Directive’. Coastal Concern Alliance believes that if the legislation is passed, government will have power to designate Strategic Activity Zones that will then form part of the Marine Planning Framework and will be able to ‘rubber-stamp wind farm developments under the 1933 Foreshore Act which is not only universally acknowledged to be unfit-for-purpose but is non-compliant with EU legislation’.
In its submission to the public consultation on the National Marine Planning Framework, CCA contends: “It is worth noting that in the Foreshore Act 1933, responsibility of the Minister to make decisions ‘in the public interest’ is clearly defined.”
Foreshore Act
‘If, in the opinion of the Minister, it is in the public interest that a lease shall be made to any person of any foreshore belonging to the State, that Minister may, subject to the provisions of this Act, demise by deed under his official seal such foreshore with the buildings and other structures (if any) thereon to such person by way of lease for such term, not exceeding ninety-nine years, commencing at or before the date of such lease, as that Minister shall think proper.’ “Serving the public interest includes assessing the risk of likely significant adverse effects and making decisions accordingly,” says the CCA.
The Foreshore Act states:
COASTLINE NEWS
Virtual Island Summit and Irish hub event With a little effort, dredged material could be dumped more sensitively in Dublin Bay Seaweed bacteria may revolutionise washing
For islanders, the very physicality of their surroundings, the closeness of community and family, is stamped on our psyche and is a huge part of what we are
Virtual Island Summit and Irish hub event
Rhonda Twombly
A key objective of the event was to create ‘digital bridges’ to enable islands globally to collaborate on finding creative solutions that lean on the expertise of every global community, no matter how isolated they may be. Input of these communities was considered ‘invaluable’ to building a sustainable future. Dr Burke however noted the tendency to look inwards to the land for inspiration: “I can understand this. The vast majority of us live and work on land and therefore it is foremost in our minds. It was disappointing however not to see the ocean being highlighted more. “I still feel a better understanding of ocean literacy would assist to drive sustainability and new innovation and the growth of our blue economy. “I’m confident however that with the UN Ocean Decade just beginning, more of our conversations about sustainability will include the ocean in the future.”
GILLIAN MILLS
Bigeumdo, Shinan county Man digs a tidal flat to catch octopus
How can we innovate and connect to help make island economies be more sustainable in a post-Covid World?
That was the key question at an Irish webinar (September 2), staged as a hub event for the second Global Virtual Island Summit. It was incredible to be part of the Irish hub and global event,” remarked Dr Noirín Burke of the National Aquarium of Ireland, Irish Ocean Literacy Network and VIS Ambassador to Ireland this year: “Island communities are leading the way for innovation and sustainability, and it was inspiring to connect with Trish Hegarty from Inis Communication and Rhoda Twombly from Comhdhail Oileain na hEireann (Irish Islands Federation) for the Irish hub.”
Cheongsando island, Wando country landscape and seascape, Korea. Picture: Sun-Kee Hong
La Citadelle Henri (Cap-Haïtien), Haiti ‘As an island, it may feel difficult to tackle the challenges that we experience. However, the Summit has shown to me that there is a big network of islands around the world from whom we can learn and get support. We are one big team.’ Jules Régis.
Participation
The event attracted more than 50 participants from the island of Ireland, offshore islands and the Scottish Hebrides, as well as the founder of Innovation Island and the Virtual Island Summit, James Ellsmoor.
“It was a pleasure to co-chair this webinar with Dr Burke, and to connect with such an impressive range of speakers and participants,” remarked Trish Hegarty, former BBC and Irish Times journalist. “Three things stood out most for me from the event: firstly, the level of engagement from participants and speakers – which is much harder to achieve online.” “Secondly, agreement that the main issues for islanders are high-speed broadband, access to affordable housing and the creation of sustainable well-paid jobs. “Finally, we got great feedback from everyone who took part and they all want to stay together as a network or platform for future events and networking, which is a superb result.”
Derval Barzey
The hub event was held in advance of the second global VIS (September 7-13) involving over 100 island communities worldwide organised by Island Innovation. Topics discussed included technology and connectivity and sustainable island economies.
Advance webinar
Korea (x2 photos (captions in the photo tags). Photos: Professor Sun-Kee Hong, Institution for Marine & Island Cultures Republic of Korea _ La Citadelle Henri (Cap-Haïtien), Haiti Caption: ‘As an island, it may feel difficult to tackle the challenges that we experience. However, the Summit has shown to me that there is a big network of islands around the world from whom we can learn and get support. We are one big team.’ Jules Régis _ Crete Sept 22: As I write, the island of Crete is experiencing the edges of 'Medicane' Ionas. These 'tropic storms' are becoming more common in the Mediterranean region. Crete was spared a battering this time but in 2019 our island was ravaged by Storm Oceanis to a cost of €100m. Still the roads and bridges that were washed away have not been rebuilt. Attending the Virtual Island Summit was a remarkable experience of sharing the real-life stories of how island states across the globe are being impacted by climate change and knowledge sharing about how to take practical action. I was so good to feel connected with other people who understand what we are going through.
Simon Cocking (Irish Tech News) chaired a session on technology and connectivity that explored the importance of island radio, with UCC researcher Dr Sarah Robinson. Brendan Smith, Insight SFI Research Centre for Data Analytics, NUI Galway, discussed the use of technology to connect isolated communities across the globe. The Sustainable Island Economies session, chaired by John Walsh - chair of ESIN (European Small Island Federation) - a diverse range of speakers included Gerald Sullivan (Bere Island Boatyard); Máirtín Ó Méalóid (manager of Cape Clear Island Cooperative) and Cathy Ní Ghóill (manager of Comharchumann Forbartha Arann) who joined in while en route to Inis Mór Island. Rhoda Twombly, secretariat of Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann and ESIN, and Aine Ryan, journalist from the west of Ireland, spoke about what it means to be an islander.
Noirin Burke, Galway Atlantaquaria Ltd
Inisbofin
“For islanders, the very physicality of their surroundings, the closeness of community and family, is stamped on our psyche and is a huge part of what we are,” explained Rhoda Twombly. Islanders love their independence “but also realise the importance of ‘meitheal’ and civic contribution”. While innovation – the necessary adaption of ideas and engineering to suite island life – is integral to island living, “traditions and crafts are very much part of island live too,” she added. And by the very nature of their location, multitasking is a common requirement to successful island living:
“Islanders may have several feathers in their cap: fishing, farming, IT, crafting, construction, and writing!” The importance of ‘being prepared’ and being mindful of the stretch of water between them and medical help, is ever-present in the islander’s mind: “Islanders are keenly aware of challenges to their sustainability, and try to work with county councils, government and European structures for answers and action. “It’s that stretch of water, and the moods of sea and tide that play a huge role in shaping who we are,” she explained.
Biguemdo, Shinan county, tidal flat
Derval Barzey, Trinidad & Tobago "The Virtual Island Summit 2020 delivered on its promise to foster knowledge sharing and global connections. It is remarkable that despite the limitations imposed by the pandemic I was able to expand my network of stakeholders in sustainability including solutions providers and subject matter experts. The summit covered several themes relevant to Small Island Developing States such as clean energy and the circular economy but the session I found particularly outstanding was the one entitled The Next Generation of Island Leaders. I was delighted to see the courageous work of youth involved in climate action and activism across the globe. I am encouraged by their brilliance and commitment to actively promoting sustainability and resilience and bringing about meaningful change in island communities."
A week later the global summit attracted over 10,000 island stakeholders and over 150 speakers from across the globe to discuss technology and connectivity, energy, circular economy, education, sustainability, waste management, plus much more. MEP Grace O’Sullivan, represented Ireland in the political roundtable of island leaders in response to Covid-19.
Global summit
James Ellsmore explained that the roots of the VIS was to encourage connections between “seemingly far-flung islands” that have a substantial amount in common but who may be separated by vast distances. “The idea was born before we were forced to use digital events this year by the pandemic, and the opportunity will extend far beyond lockdown,” he said. “Participants get a unique opportunity to exchange information with an extremely diverse array of people. By keeping the event free, we maximise the opportunities for participation, especially given the specific challenges islands have faced in 2020.” The take home objective from the VIS is to generate concrete outcomes that can be actioned by participants in their own communities, Ellsmore explained.
Pauline Sterling, Isle of Wight I am a retired teacher living on the beautiful Isle of Wight, now working as an independent educational consultant. My interests are language teaching and learning, international links and and global education, PSHE, RSE and Citizen education, outdoor education, walking and cycling. I am the author of Explore PSHE at KS3 which was published by Hodder Education in January 2020. I am also a TeachSDGs Ambassador and a British Council Schools and eTwinning Ambassador. I am a Duke of Edinburgh expedition assessor, a school Governor and school helper. I am now proud to be an Island Innovation Ambassador too.
Abdulwahab Saad Saeed Ali, Socotra Islands I am Abdulwahab, I'm from Socotra. I am an Environmental Engineer. I have worked in the biodiversity conservation field for more than 10 years, the last 3 years I was working on a conservation project as Deputy National Manager in Socotra Islands.
José Palazzo, Brazil An environmental activist, consultant and writer specialising in marine conservation with 43 years of experience, José Palazzo has extensive work towards protecting island biodiversity and promoting its non-consumptive use. He has helped establish Marine Protected Areas in the Brazilian offshore archipelagos; worked in whale conservation programs in Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Chile; and collaborated with the South Pacific Environment Programme and stakeholders in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, for shark and ray conservation and the generation of jobs and income through Ecotourism. José is a Life Member of the Australian Conservation Foundation and recipient of several awards for his efforts towards marine conservation around the world.
Digital bridges
biodiversity conservation field for more than 10 years, the last 3 years I was working on a conservation project as Deputy National Manager in Socotra Islands.
educational consultant. My interests are language teaching and learning, international links and and global education, PSHE, RSE and Citizen education, outdoor education, walking and cycling. I am the author of Explore PSHE at KS3 which was published by Hodder Education in January 2020. I am also a TeachSDGs Ambassador and a British Council Schools and eTwinning Ambassador. I am a Duke of Edinburgh expedition assessor, a school Governor and school helper. I am now proud to be an Island Innovation Ambassador too.
the pandemic I was able to expand my network of stakeholders in sustainability including solutions providers and subject matter experts. The summit covered several themes relevant to Small Island Developing States such as clean energy and the circular economy but the session I found particularly outstanding was the one entitled The Next Generation of Island Leaders. I was delighted to see the courageous work of youth involved in climate action and activism across the globe. I am encouraged by their brilliance and commitment to actively promoting sustainability and resilience and bringing about meaningful change in island communities."
Sharon Jackson, Founder, European Sustainability Academy (ESA) Crete "As I write, the island of Crete is experiencing the edges of 'Medicane' Ionas. These 'tropic storms' are becoming more common in the Mediterranean region. Crete was spared a battering this time but in 2019 our island was ravaged by storm Oceanis to a cost of 100m Euros. Still the roads and bridges that were washed away have not been rebuilt. Attending the Virtual Island Summit was a remarkable experience of sharing the real life stories of how island states across the globe are being impacted by climate change and knowledge sharing about how to take practical action. I was so good to feel connected with other people who understand what we are going through. ."
As soon as the spoil is dumped, tide and wave action across the bank empties all the material and it spreads out all over Dublin Bay. They can dump there forever; it never fills up even after millions of tons of dumping.
Marine Institute response to Ocean Focus query:
With a little effort, dredged material could be dumped more sensitively in Dublin Bay
October 12: 'Diving cancelled again this week at the easterly winds empty the dumpsite off the Baily Lighthouse. Visibility zero at times in the water. Dredging and dumping continuing 24/7.'
Peadar Farrell
When we have heavy rains, Irish Water allows untreated sewage arriving at the Ringsend Water Treatment Plant to flow into the river Liffey so that the volume of water does not swamp or flush out the treatment plant. When the plant is flushed out, I believe it takes some time to get the process working again, and this ‘simplistic’ or the ‘no solution’ they apply, is unfair to all the users of the bay. The local county councils around the bay test water quality (to keep us safe) in popular swimming areas during the bathing season.
Divers and swimmers in Dublin Bay regularly have to cope with ‘no swim notices’ and zero visibility diving conditions.
The bathing season runs from June – September 15 (by statute) however we all know that this is complete nonsense; swimming is and has been a year-round exercise for so many people. For divers, the season is a little different; in our club (the Curragh Sub Aqua Club) we start snorkelling on St Stephen’s Day and continue until around Easter when the diving season proper starts. Even the least enthusiastic of snorkellers must complete three snorkels for water fitness before they are allowed to start diving. We dive until mid-September when we switch chiefly to night diving and then usually take a break for stormy October and November. Some lucky ones take their holidays in warmer waters abroad to extend their season.
Dublin Port is situated at the end of a very shallow bay at the mouth of the Liffey. Naturally the depth in the port is roughly 1-2 metres. Construction of the ‘south wall’ helped the Liffey flush out a greater depth and over the years Dublin Port has dredged the river down to a depth of 7.5 metres or 25 foot in old money. In recent years to accommodate much larger vessels, they have deepened the port to 10 metres (33 feet). This new port depth causes a much bigger problem given that the bay outside the port is not 10 metres deep. So, to get these huge container vessels into the port they have to excavate two sea lanes - one in and one out - for a distance of about 12 kilometres out from the East Link Bridge. Well, this is only the start of it; these sea lanes must be kept open. They quickly infill during winter storms so regular ‘maintenance dredging’ is needed to keep open. But were not done yet… Another planning application granted this year allows Dublin Port to excavate a new area to the east and to construct new berths down to a depth of 13 metres (43 feet).
Dublin Port dredging
One must ask: Is the port in the right place? So, what has this to do with diving? Dublin Port must excavate the spoil /sea floor (and inside the port is not very nice stuff, as in any harbour) and they then dump this dredge spoil inside Dublin Bay just off the Bailey light. Why do they do that? Because they have an army of experts who do desktop models and reports that say that this is all ok. The dumpsite is on an easterly sloping bank off the Burford Bank, stretching south from the Bailey Lighthouse down to point off Blackrock.
As soon as the spoil is dumped, tide and wave action across the bank empties all the material and it spreads out all over Dublin Bay. They can dump there forever; it never fills up even after millions of tons of dumping. Over the last three winters, Dublin Port has been dumping under licence from the EPA roughly one million tons of material for the Master Plan (MP) Project which in effect gave them the 10-metre channel depth and remodelled berths. Dublin Port now has a new MP2 project for more depth and more berths and they are looking for a licence to dump a further 424,644 cubic metres - that’s about 750,000 tons of material or 38,000 full builder trucks in the exact same location. This dumping will be added to by the annual maintenance dredging keeping the sea lanes open. This year, maintenance dredging and dumping started on September 10. On September 17, 19 and 20, diving had to be cancelled or abandoned due to poor water visibility. That particular dredger finished dumping at the end of September but another started on October 3. This latest dumping at sea licence (DAS) continues to March 2021 at which time dumping might ease for a few days, only to start again under the maintenance permit. And so it continues…
When the visibility clears, especially if we get frosty weather in the Spring, everything in the water is covered with a layer of silt and the sea weed emits a plume when touched.
Dredge spoil could be dumped the far side of the Burford Bank, thereby avoiding all this material from spreading into Dublin Bay. You would have to ask why this isn’t done but I guess we all know the answer…. When the visibility clears, especially if we get frosty weather in the Spring, everything in the water is covered with a layer of silt and the sea weed emits a plume when touched. Similarly, lobsters and crabs have a coating on their backs. We can see from the EPA DAS web site Permit S0024-01 Sediment Monitoring Results (Summer 2020) there is some concern with test samples showing elevated concentrations of heavy metals. The Marine Institute has expressed concern over PCBs and PAH levels that are ‘marginally above the lower guideline limit at the sample location and have recommended that further investigative work be undertaken, comprising eco-toxicological testing ‘to ensure that the sediments at that location have no biological effect and thereby suitable for disposal at sea.’ (see sidebar) I certainly do not eat lobster or crab from Dublin Bay, and plenty are caught in Scotsman’s bay just outside Dún Laoghaire Harbour. It’s a real case of ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind. Dublin Port often posts pictures of lovely cruise liners that use their facilities during the summer months. I have never seen them publish a picture of the dirty slick at the back of the dredger when its floor opens and 4,100 cubic metres or 7,000 tons cascade to the sea floor killing all below it. Hopefully one day the general public wake up and tell Dublin Port that this is unacceptable in our bay.
Alternative site
Does the Marine Institute have parameters / guidelines on sediment levels that would be harmful to humans? ‘Ireland is a signatory to the OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic. Consequently, Marine Institute input to the EPA on dredged sediment follows the OSPAR guidelines and Ireland’s own 2006 (amended in 2019) national guidelines (based on OSPAR guidelines) to assess the suitability of the material for disposal at sea in terms of minimising impact on the marine environment. The Marine Institute guideline uses a weight of evidence approach, with different lines of evidence including quantity, location and sediment characterisation (by chemistry and occasionally ecotoxicology). It uses upper and lower guidance levels for sediment chemistry to make recommendations to the EPA on whether material is (a) suitable for dumping at sea without conditions, (b) suitable for dumping at sea, with conditions, (c) requires further investigation or (d) is not suitable for disposal at sea. The Marine Institute gives advice to the EPA on the suitability of dredged material from a marine environment point of view only. The Marine Institute has no expertise in human health from a dredged material perspective. Notwithstanding that, we monitor shellfish, farmed finfish and fish landed at Irish ports to ensure concentrations of environmental contaminants do not pose a risk to human health, and do not exceed maximum levels set out in various EU Directives. These data are reported to the FSAI.’
The university team worked with leading cleaning products manufacturer Procter & Gamble (P&G) to harness this power of nature and to demonstrate that it could be used to develop more sustainable laundry detergents that work efficiently and effectively at low temperatures.
Seaweed bacteria may revolutionise washing
“Since seaweed was easier to catch, we decided to explore how seaweed can keep itself clean. The key was discovering that some seaweeds are actually covered in bacteria that can release cleaning compounds. “While bacteria have the capacity to produce powerful adhesives to stick themselves to surfaces, they also produce an 'anti-glue' – a phosphodiesterase – that can break up sticky molecules. “The big surprise was that similar glues are present on dirty clothing where they bind difficult to remove body soils and odours to the fabric. This bacterial enzyme can break down these glues, and can therefore be used to keep our clothes clean as well, when introduced to laundry detergents. “This is a wonderful example of borrowing a cleaning idea from Mother Nature. By studying how a seaweed keeps itself clean, we can now keep our own socks clean and fresh, while at the same time protecting our environment.”
An enzyme released by bacteria living on seaweed is being used by scientists to revolutionise the way we wash.
Dr Michael Hall and Professor Grant Burgess of Newcastle University, UK
The novel phosphodiesterase enzyme, discovered by a team from Newcastle University in the UK, is used by bacteria to unstick themselves from seaweed. The bacteria release an enzyme that breaks down the sticky molecules naturally present on the seaweed surface. This enzyme is a powerful, new type of natural cleaner, which researchers have found can be used to help cleaning in other places.
Isolating the enzyme and testing it under a variety of conditions in the lab, the Newcastle team led by Professor Grant Burgess Professor of Marine Biotechnology at Newcastle University, in collaboration with Dr Michael Hall, found it was not only extremely heat stable but also worked at its optimum at low temperatures as it would in the sea. The university team worked with leading cleaning products manufacturer Procter & Gamble (P&G) to harness this power of nature and to demonstrate that it could be used to develop more sustainable laundry detergents that work efficiently and effectively at low temperatures. “Phosphodiesterases are found everywhere - they are even naturally present on your skin. But what was so exciting about this phosphodiesterase was its resilience. Most enzymes are quite fragile and are damaged by high temperatures, but this one was able to work in both hot and cold temperatures and still be highly effective,” explains Dr Michael Hall, Senior Lecturer in Organic and Biological Chemistry at Newcastle University and project co-investigator.
“Improving cleaning in cold water with more environmentally-friendly products requires new breakthrough technology,” adds Dr Neil Lant, lead scientist in global enzyme technology at P&G and visiting lecturer at Newcastle University. “We’ve been able to develop this exciting seaweed-based discovery into a new ingredient called Purezyme® in partnership with biotech supplier Novozymes. We’re delighted that the unique new enzyme is now helping our Ariel products achieve even deeper cleaning.”
In 2010 the Newcastle team discovered the isolated enzyme from the marine bacterium Bacillus licheniformis when they were researching how to clean ships’ hulls. “Ships accumulate high levels of slime and other organisms on their hulls, a process called fouling, and this leads to more resistance, higher fuel consumption and can cause corrosion,” explains Grant Burgess. “To combat this, we were keen to understand how marine organisms such as fish, dolphins and seaweed, for example, appear to have solved this fouling problem as they are good at keeping themselves clean in the sea.
From ships hulls to washing machines
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