Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, hosted a two day workshop in June on how the seafood sector can prepare and adapt to the potential vulnerability of fish and shellfish to predicted climate change.
Irish meteorologist and former Head of Forecasting at Met Éireann, Gerald Fleming, gave a presentation on climate change and the weather, including the well documented increase in storm severity.
BIM speakers included Captain Shane Begley, Benen Dallaghan, Ronan Browne, Brenda O’Riordan and John Hickey.
“The Bluefish project seeks to highlight the most likely impact of climate change on key marine species such as blue mussel. Changing temperatures, increasing acidity and alterations to hydrodynamic patterns will affect the Irish Seafood sector as a whole”
Other speakers included representatives from the Marine Institute, Bangor University, Aberystwyth University, University College Cork, National University of Ireland, Galway, Marine Harvest Ireland and Bantry Harbour Mussels.
The event, held in BIM The National Fisheries College of Ireland, Castletownbere, forms part of a wider BlueFish, Ireland Wales project for the Irish and Celtic Sea that focuses on climate change, cross border collaboration and community engagement.
The Bluefish project is part funded by the EU Wales Ireland Cooperation fund and is led by Bangor University in partnership with BIM, the Marine Institute, University College Cork, Aberystwyth University and Swansea University.
Participants at the Blue Fish Workshop look on as Gerald Fleming, Irish meteorologist and former Head of Forecasting at Met Eireann, demonstrates some equipment at the recent Bluefish workshop held in Castletownbere.
