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Visitors to RNLI at Dun Laoghaire will be able to view the new inshore lifeboat (ILB) that recently arrived when the station holds its annual open day on Saturday 31st July 2010 (11am to 5pm).

For the first time, the recently-formed Sea Safety team will also be on hand to offer advice to visitors on how best to prepare for trips afloat and boating activities.

Equipment demonstrations and model boat displays will also be part of the attractions including the station's All-Weather lifeboat (ALB). Crew-members, who operate on a fully-voluntary basis will be demonstrating various items of rescue equipment and the ALB " Anna Livia" will be alongside offering close-up views of this €2 million rescue craft.

There are two lifeboats at Dun Laoghaire, a Trent class ALB and a D-Class ILB (Inshore lifeboat) of the new IB1-type that was recently delivered to the 207-year old station and is based in the nearby historic boathouse at the East Pier.  This lifeboat, named 'Realt Na Mara' , was funded by the genorisity of a family in Dublin. The station's shop selling souvenirs and other lifeboat-related items will also be open, helping to raise funds for the voluntary service.

The Sea Safety team, part of the RNLI's stated aim of improving safety at sea through education and information can also take bookings for the free 'Sea Check' service that assists boat-owners. The Dun Laoghaire RNLI station is one of 43 based in the Ireland division that operate 55 lifeboats that launched on 976 occasions and rescued 1,008 people in 2009.

Dun Laoghaire is regularly amongst the busiest and last year launched on 68 occasions and rescued 92 people. For more information, please visit http://www.dunlaoghaire-lifeboat.ie

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Wicklow lifeboat launched at 10.07am on Sunday morning ( 25th July) to assist a 32 foot yacht with mechanical problems. The yacht was at located 11.00am 13 miles North East of Wicklow harbour becalmed and unable to motor. The lifeboat crew quickly established a towline and the yacht with 3 people onboard was taken back to Wicklow Harbour, the vessel was safely alongside the quay by 1.15pm and the lifeboat returned to station. Crew list - Coxswain Nick Keogh, Mechanic Lisa O Leary, Brendan Kavanagh  Wayne Jones, John Docherty and Brian Sinnot.

A few hours later pagers were activated to alert the volunteer crew and the lifeboat put to sea again at 3.42pm, this time to give assistance to a rigid inflatable boat that had broken down with 5 people onboard near the Silver Strand. The lifeboat located the 5 metre Rib South of Wicklow head. 3 children were taken onboard the lifeboat and the Rib was towed back to Wicklow harbour, where all 5 people were landed safely.
Crew list: Coxswain Ciaran Doyle, Mechanic Lisa O Leary, Tommy McAulay , Barry Spencer, Tommy Murphy and John Docherty.

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Wicklow Lifeboat Launches at the Weekend. Photo: courtesy Wicklow lifeboat

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Tagged under

Ballycotton lifeboat was called on to lend assistance to a 23 metre fishing vessel in difficulties, 31 miles south of Ballycotton today. The Irish registered vessel, with five on board, contacted the emergency services when they fouled their propeller. The Ballycotton lifeboat, Austin Lidbury, arrived on scene at 12:00 and established a towline. The vessel was safely towed to Ballycotton harbour.

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Castletownbere Lifeboat was launched this afternoon at 12.20pm to go to the assistance of a 43 ft fishing vessel taking on water 17 miles south west of Castletownbere in county Cork. To view the RNLI Video scroll down to the bottom of the post.

When the lifeboat crew arrived on scene they saw that the three crew had got into a liferaft as their fishing vessel was taking on a considerable amount of water and was in danger of sinking.  

Conditions were described as fair with a large 4 metre groundswell. The Coast Guard helicopter from Shannon winched two of the fishing crew off the liferaft but a third man was in the water.  Castletownbere lifeboat crew immediately recovered the man onto the lifeboat.   With the casualty safely on the lifeboat, two RNLI crewmembers brought a salvage pump on board and proceed to pump the water from the fishing vessel.  It was then taken under tow by the lifeboat and brought back to the harbour.  

The rescued man did not need any further medical attention. The Irish Navel vessel the LE Eithne was also on scene during the rescue.   Commenting on the callout Castletownbere RNLI crewmember Paul Stevens said, “ This callout thankfully resulted in a happy ending with three men being brought to safety.  We were also able to bring the fishing vessel ashore in one piece.  I am sure the three men are in shock but they had a lucky escape.”

Celtic_dawn_1

Celtic_dawn_2

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Baltimore RNLI inshore lifeboat Bessie, was launched this morning to assist a yacht that had gone aground at an area called the Sound, North West of Baltimore Harbour. The alarm was raised at 11:52am when the 36ft Sun Odyssey yacht was seen aground across the Harbour. Helmsman Youen Jacob with his crew of Kieran Collins and John McDonagh made their way to the stricken vessel on an RNLI twin engine Atlantic 75 RIB. On arrival at the scene they found the crew hauling on their anchor line in an attempt to pull themselves off the rocks. The inshore lifeboat gave assistance by creating a wash which lifted the boat from its rocky perch. The lifeboat then escorted the yacht back to Baltimore Harbour. The yacht did not suffer any significant damage and all four passengers on board, two men and two women were uninjured.

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Tagged under

At 5.45pm yesterday evening Monday July 5th, Fenit RNLI Lifeboat launched to assist a 40 foot Catamaran which was taking on water. The vessel which had left Donegal en route to France was 20 miles west of Loop Head and there were 2 people on board.

On arriving at the location of the stricken vessel volunteer crew members with Fenit RNLI Lifeboat immediately boarded the catamaran with a salvage pump and proceeded to pump the water from the vessel. Once they were happy that this process was working satisfactorily they put the vessel on tow and proceeded towards Fenit.

On arrival back in Fenit just before 1am this morning, arrangements were in place by Fenit RNLI members on shore and the catamaran was lifted onto the Pier by the Fenit Harbour Board Crane.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

A stricken vessel was located in trouble on Lough Erne using lat/long data from an iPhone. 

 

A 999 call from the Motor Cruiser ‘Wee Rascal’ on Lough Erne in the early hours of this morning called on all the investigative powers of Belfast Coastguard as the vessel wasn’t even close to its reported position.

The vessel was on passage from Kesh to Enniskillen in windy, wet conditions when it called 999 to ask for assistance. Despite an extensive search of the area around its reported position neither the Enniskillen RNLI Inshore Lifeboat nor Erne Coastguard Rescue Teams could find the vessel.

Because the vessel had no flares, flash lights or VHF Radio on board to show rescuers where it was, Belfast Coastguard resorted to mobile phone technology. A locator i-phone application finally gave rescuers the vital latitude and longitude they needed to locate the vessel

The vessel was finally located 25 miles away from its reported position, dangerously amongst the rocky shoreline off Eagle Point. It was carefully brought away from the rocks by the skill of the  Enniskillen RNLI Inshore Lifeboat crew and taken to the safety of Beleek marina.

Coastguard Watch Manager Steven Carson said:

“A combination of luck and technology saved these four people from imminent danger this morning. They had charts onboard but obviously no real idea of how to get to their destination or how to report their position in an emergency.

“Vital hours were wasted eliminating one possible location after another, time that we wouldn’t have had if the vessel had struck the rocks and sunk. I hope that this experience will help the crew to realise why navigation training is essential for all mariners, whether you’re on a Lough or the open sea.”

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Tagged under

A 999 call from the Motor Cruiser ‘Wee Rascal’ on Lough Erne in the early hours of this morning called on all the investigative powers of Belfast Coastguard as the vessel wasn’t even close to its reported position.

The vessel was on passage from Kesh to Enniskillen in windy, wet conditions when it called 999 to ask for assistance. Despite an extensive search of the area around its reported position neither the Enniskillen RNLI Inshore Lifeboat nor Erne Coastguard Rescue Teams could find the vessel.

Because the vessel had no flares, flash lights or VHF Radio on board to show rescuers where it was, Belfast Coastguard resorted to mobile phone technology. A locator i-phone application finally gave rescuers the vital latitude and longitude they needed.

The vessel was finally located 25 miles away from its reported position, dangerously amongst the rocky shoreline off Eagle Point. It was carefully brought away from the rocks by the skill of the  Enniskillen RNLI Inshore Lifeboat crew and taken to the safety of Beleek marina.

Coastguard Watch Manager Steven Carson said:

“A combination of luck and technology saved these four people from imminent danger this morning. They had charts onboard but obviously no real idea of how to get to their destination or how to report their position in an emergency.

“Vital hours were wasted eliminating one possible location after another, time that we wouldn’t have had if the vessel had struck the rocks and sunk. I hope that this experience will help the crew to realise why navigation training is essential for all mariners, whether you’re on a Lough or the open sea.”


Published in Coastguard

Members of Ballyglass RNLI responded to an emergency callout yesterday (Sunday 20 June 2010) afternoon for a man reported missing after he went swimming in a remote mountain lake outside Bangor Erris in County Mayo.  The volunteer lifeboat crew were unable to take their inshore lifeboat inland to the lake as the location was extremely remote but they are trained in search and rescue techniques and were called on to assist.

The request for help was received by Ballyglass RNLI Coxswain JT Gaughan from the Gardai at 4.10pm yesterday (Sunday 20 June 2010) when the girlfriend of the man reported him missing after he had gone for a swim in Stoney Lake.  The mountain lake is three miles from the nearest road and in very rough terrain.  The lifeboat crew along with the Gardai, Belmullet Sub Aqua Club, the Coast Guard and members of the North Western Regional fisheries board immediately went to give assistance.

Due to the remote access of the lake the Irish Coast Guard helicopter carried the search and rescue teams as near to the location as it could safely land and a search of the lake commenced.  The search was called off at 10.30pm and was resumed first thing this morning.  A man was recovered at approximately 10am and pronounced dead at the scene.  His body has been taken to Castlebar hospital.

Commenting on the callout Ballyglass RNLI Coxswain JT Gaughan said,  "this was a very sad and difficult callout for all involved.  Everyone in the community and the various search and rescue agencies worked together in extremely challenging conditions to search for the young man.  Our condolences go out to his family and friends."

Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Tagged under
21st June 2010

Man Found Safe and Well

The man whom had been thought missing near Baltimore in West Cork has been located safe and well. All rescue services have been stood down. It is a reminder of the importance of letting people know where you are and where you are going.


Published in RNLI Lifeboats
Tagged under
Page 158 of 159

Aquaculture Information

Aquaculture is the farming of animals in the water and has been practised for centuries, with the monks farming fish in the middle ages. More recently the technology has progressed and the aquaculture sector is now producing in the region of 50 thousand tonnes annually and provides a valuable food product as well as much needed employment in many rural areas of Ireland.

A typical fish farm involves keeping fish in pens in the water column, caring for them and supplying them with food so they grow to market size. Or for shellfish, containing them in a specialised unit and allowing them to feed on natural plants and materials in the water column until they reach harvestable size. While farming fish has a lower carbon and water footprint to those of land animals, and a very efficient food fed to weight gain ratio compared to beef, pork or chicken, farming does require protein food sources and produces organic waste which is released into the surrounding waters. Finding sustainable food sources, and reducing the environmental impacts are key challenges facing the sector as it continues to grow.

Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.

Aquaculture in Ireland

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties.
  • Irish SMEs and families grow salmon, oysters, mussels and other seafood
  • The sector is worth €150m at the farm gate – 80% in export earnings.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming
  • Aquaculture is a strong, sustainable and popular strategic asset for development and job creation (Foodwise 2025, National Strategic Plan, Seafood
  • Operational Programme 2020, FAO, European Commission, European Investment Bank, Harvesting Our Ocean Wealth, Silicon Republic, CEDRA)
    Ireland has led the world in organically certified farmed fish for over 30 years
  • Fish farm workers include people who have spent over two decades in the business to school-leavers intent on becoming third-generation farmers on their family sites.

Irish Aquaculture FAQs

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants, and involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions- in contrast to commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats. Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, mariculture, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish. Particular methods include aquaponics and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and plant farming.

About 580 aquatic species are currently farmed all over the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which says it is "practised by both some of the poorest farmers in developing countries and by multinational companies".

Increasing global demand for protein through seafood is driving increasing demand for aquaculture, particularly given the pressures on certain commercially caught wild stocks of fish. The FAO says that "eating fish is part of the cultural tradition of many people and in terms of health benefits, it has an excellent nutritional profile, and "is a good source of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients".

Aquaculture now accounts for 50 per cent of the world's fish consumed for food, and is the fastest-growing good sector.

China provides over 60 per cent of the world's farmed fish. In Europe, Norway and Scotland are leading producers of finfish, principally farmed salmon.

For farmed salmon, the feed conversion ratio, which is the measurement of how much feed it takes to produce the protein, is 1.1, as in one pound of feed producing one pound of protein, compared to rates of between 2.2 and 10 for beef, pork and chicken. However, scientists have also pointed out that certain farmed fish and shrimp requiring higher levels of protein and calories in feed compared to chickens, pigs, and cattle.

Tilapia farming which originated in the Middle East and Africa has now become the most profitable business in most countries. Tilapia has become the second most popular seafood after crab, due to which its farming is flourishing. It has entered the list of best selling species like shrimp and salmon.

There are 278 aquaculture production units in Ireland, according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) *, producing 38,000 tonnes of finfish and shellfish in 2019 and with a total value of €172 million

There are currently almost 2,000 people directly employed in Irish aquaculture in the Republic, according to BIM.

BIM figures for 2019 recorded farmed salmon at almost 12,000 tonnes, valued at €110 million; rock oysters reached 10,300 tonnes at a value of €44 million; rope mussels at 10,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; seabed cultured mussels at 4,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; "other" finfish reached 600 tonnes, valued at €2 million and "other" shellfish reached 300 tonnes, valued at €2 million

Irish aquaculture products are exported to Europe, US and Asia, with salmon exported to France, Germany, Belgium and the US. Oysters are exported to France, with developing sales to markets in Hong Kong and China. France is Ireland's largest export for mussels, while there have been increased sales in the domestic and British markets.

The value of the Irish farmed finfish sector fell by five per cent in volume and seven per cent in value in 2019, mainly due to a fall on salmon production, but this was partially offset by a seven per cent increased in farmed shellfish to a value of 60 million euro. Delays in issuing State licenses have hampered further growth of the sector, according to industry representatives.

Fish and shellfish farmers must be licensed, and must comply with regulations and inspections conducted by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute. Food labelling is a function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. There is a long backlog of license approvals in the finfish sector, while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine says it is working to reduce the backlog in the shellfish sector.

The department says it is working through the backlog, but notes that an application for a marine finfish aquaculture licence must be accompanied by either an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). As of October 2020, over two-thirds of applications on hand had an EIS outstanding, it said.

The EU requires member states to have marine spatial plans by 2021, and Ireland has assigned responsibility to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). Legislation has been drawn up to underpin this, and to provide a "one stop shop" for marine planning, ranging from fish farms to offshore energy – as in Marine Planning and Development Management Bill. However, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine confirmed last year that it intends to retain responsibility for aquaculture and sea-fisheries related development – meaning fish and shellfish farmers won't be able to avail of the "one stop shop" for marine planning.

Fish and shellfish health is a challenge, with naturally occurring blooms, jellyfish and the risk of disease. There are also issues with a perception that the sector causes environmental problems.

The industry has been on a steep learning curve, particularly in finfish farming, since it was hailed as a new future for Irish coastal communities from the 1970s – with the State's Electricity Supply Board being an early pioneer, and tobacco company Carrolls also becoming involved for a time. Nutrient build up, which occurs when there is a high density of fish in one area, waste production and its impact on depleting oxygen in water, creating algal blooms and "dead zones", and farmers' use of antibiotics to prevent disease have all been concerns, and anglers have also been worried about the impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild fish populations. Sea lice from salmon farmers were also blamed for declines in sea trout and wild salmon in Irish estuaries and rivers.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

Yes, as it is considered to have better potential for controlling environmental impacts, but it is expensive. As of October 2020, the department was handling over 20 land-based aquaculture applications.

The Irish Farmers' Association has represented fish and shellfish farmers for many years, with its chief executive Richie Flynn, who died in 2018, tirelessly championing the sector. His successor, Teresa Morrissey, is an equally forceful advocate, having worked previously in the Marine Institute in providing regulatory advice on fish health matters, scientific research on emerging aquatic diseases and management of the National Reference Laboratory for crustacean diseases.

BIM provides training in the national vocational certificate in aquaculture at its National Fisheries College, Castletownbere, Co Cork. It also trains divers to work in the industry. The Institute of Technology Carlow has also developed a higher diploma in aqua business at its campus in Wexford, in collaboration with BIM and IFA Aquaculture, the representative association for fish and shellfish farming.

© Afloat 2020

At A Glance - Irish Aquaculture

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties
  • Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. 
  • In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming

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