Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, are investing over €500,000 in a new fire training facility for the National Fisheries College in Castletownbere and in refurbishments to the Ice Plant to secure continuity in ice provision to the local fishing industry.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, are investing over €500,000 in a new fire training facility for the National Fisheries College in Castletownbere and in refurbishments to the Ice Plant to secure continuity in ice provision to the local fishing industry.
BIM CEO Tara McCarthy made the announcements upon welcoming Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr. Michael Creed, T.D. to the college today, Friday 25th November.
‘Our role as the Seafood Development Agency is to enable progress in the Irish Seafood Industry. The provision of the right infrastructure is essential to delivering this agenda and it is against this backdrop that we are delighted to announce an investment of over €500,000, supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in a new fire training facility and the refurbishment of the Ice Plant in Castletownbere. The addition of a fire training facility to our National Fisheries College will further improve our training capability, testing students with real life scenarios including the recovery of life-like casualties in pitch-dark, smoke and fire filled rooms. On behalf of BIM, I would like to thank Minister Creed and his officials for their support as we collectively work towards achieving ambitious growth targets set out in the government’s Food Wise 2025 report’
BIM has an excellent infrastructure in place to deliver a wide range of training courses to seafood industry personnel through the National Fisheries Colleges in Castletownbere and Greencastle and on board two mobile coastal training units that visit every port in Ireland. This year, BIM will deliver 207 courses in 25 locations catering for some 1,700 students. The new fire training facility worth over €200,000 and located on Dinish Island will be a valuable training asset to the National Fisheries College in Castletownbere.
The announcement of an investment in BIM’s Ice Plant in Castletownbere is part of BIM’s plans to upgrade its ice plant network to ensure continuity of a quality ice supply going forward. BIM’s Castletownbere ice-plant is now under refurbishment and will be fitted with a new 15 tonne and 10 tonne machine at a cost of over €300,000.
Following the launch of BIM’s new brand identity at the BIM National Seafood Awards on the 17th November reflecting BIM’s plans to enable progress in the seafood sector under four key priorities – Skills, Sustainability, Innovation and Competitiveness; this fresh and vibrant new look for one of Ireland’s longest established state agencies, is consistent with its vision for ‘Ireland to become the International leader in high value differentiated seafood products that satisfy growing domestic and international demand for nutritious, safe and responsibly and sustainably produced food’
Minister Creed was given a tour of the college led by Principal Captain Shane Begley that has now adopted the new brand and is set for a busy training schedule in 2017 starting with the Certificate in Aquaculture course on the 30th January. This four month course at QQI Level 5 standard allows students to progress to GMIT’s Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Freshwater and Marine Biology. To book a place on the course, please contact BIM’s National Training College on 027 71231
L to R: Shane Begley, Principal, National Fisheries College of Ireland, Castletownbere; Tara McCarthy, CEO BIM and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Mr Michael Creed TD
