THE future of the fishing industry will be discussed at a major conference in Limerick next February.
The event is a hybrid one, organised by The National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) around the theme of‘Thriving Fishing, Thriving Offshore Wind, Thriving Ports’. It takes place on February 23 in the Castletroy Park Hotel in County Limerick.
Speakers at the event will include Caroline Bocquel, Interim CEO, BIM; Noel Cunniffe, CEO Wind Energy Ireland; Brian Hogan, Chief Surveyor Marine Survey Office, and Norah Parke, Project Coordinator Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation Ltd. Further speakers will be announced closer to the date.
Among the topics for discussion include what the fishing industry needs to thrive; the policy regime for renewable energy; implementation of the ‘future skills needs report’; the ecosystem impacts of offshore wind farms; and the future for Ireland’s fishing ports.
The Minister for Agriculture and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue will launch the conference. “Having opened the first NMCI Seafarer Conference in 2022, I am delighted to launch the second,” he said.
“I am particularly enthused to see the conference appended to The Skipper Expo as it provides an ideal forum within which seafarers and offshore wind developers can meet and discuss a coexistent future. To ensure a sustainable seafood industry in parallel with Ireland meeting its climate action targets, the protection of biodiversity and the building of the necessary skills to achieve all of this, I encourage delegates to co-create solutions towards a sustainable, safe, and secure future for all.”
Cormac Gebruers Head of College NMCI commented: “The NMCI is delighted to ‘get on the road’ and host the 2023 Seafarer Conference in Limerick in association with The Skipper Expo. Preparing for Ireland’s future maritime skills needs most especially in the offshore wind sector is a central consideration for the NMCI. We very much look forward to discussing this with Ireland’s seafarers.”
Captain Brian Fitzgerald, Director of External Affairs and Stakeholder Liaison, of the Simply Blue Group, who are sponsoring the conference said: “If ever Ireland needed its mariners and coastal communities to work together to co-create a sustainable future it is now. Let this Conference be a place to have an open and frank discussion on the challenges ahead, while enabling our ability to plot our own course and navigate towards a sustainable future for the next generation.”
The conference will bring together representatives from Ireland’s maritime industry, supply chain workforce, and training & education institutions to explore the opportunities that exist to support and grow the fishing and offshore wind industries in Ireland in tandem.
Registration for the event is through Eventbrite.ie.