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Tom MacSweeney PODCAST

    POLITICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS WITHOUT ACTION ARE WORTHLESS

    A bit of realism is needed at times and, when it does, it can be pretty effective. In the context of all the debate about climate change at present it is more needed than ever, I feel. Sometimes as a journalist statements come across, bold and direct, which stand out from the piles of media releases with their jumble of repetitive statements and show this realism.

    Two have drawn my attention particularly in the past week.

    One was the blunt assessment of the Dáil decision, announced in the presence of just six of the 158 Deputies who represent the nation, that Ireland is in a climate emergency. It wasn’t an impressive attendance for a statement of this importance and that was summarised pretty correctly in my view by Simon Berrow, the Chief Executive of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group who said that political announcements without action are worthless.

    So, what does the Dáil declaration that Ireland has a climate emergency mean for the maritime sector?

    Dr. Berrow explains on my Podcast where you can also hear the other statement which drew my attention, from Jim O’Toole, Chief Executive of Bord Iascaigh Mhara because another aspect of climate change is the decline in fish stocks. This you can also read more of in the May edition of the MARINE TIMES. In the context that one of the effects of climate change is said to be overfishing which, it should be observed, is added to in the richest waters in Europe, those around Ireland, mainly by the concentration of European fleets in Irish waters - that presence deriving from the failure of the Irish Government to ensure that the Irish fishing industry should be the dominant one in Irish waters. With wild stocks declining, aquaculture/fish farming is becoming more and more important… Jim O’Toole wants more public understanding of the importance of aquaculture/fish farming and you can hear him make the point on the Podcast.

    Click on image to listen to the Podcast ....

    There are many other stories featured in the wide, varying and always interesting niche maritime programme, THIS ISLAND NATION, presented by Tom MacSweeney. Listen to the latest full show by clicking on the player below.



May issue in shops from Friday 26th April

  • Differences Over Quota Balancing

    There are clear differences between the industry’s representative organisations over the introduction of the Quota Balancing Scheme. After an initial consultation process, the Department called a meeting of the representative organisations to discuss whether the scheme should be implemented or deferred. Sources in the industry disagree as to whether this was because the majority of submissions to the consultation suggested a suspension of the implementation of a pilot scheme. Information to the Marine Time suggested that this meeting was called to discuss if there was a majority view in favour of the suspension. However, the outcome appears to have been the Department taking the view that the majority wanted it be implemented, but with the need for “further conditions.”

  • RNLI is Asking the Public to ‘Give It Some Welly’ and Answer Their Mayday Call

    The RNLI is calling on people to support their volunteer lifeboat crews as Mayday, the charity’s annual fundraising campaign, is launched. Volunteer crewmember and comedian PJ Gallagher joined members of Dun Laoghaire RNLI, where he volunteers, to help well-known fundraiser, Mary Nolan Hickey on her way as she cycles around Ireland for Mayday.

  • Sole Surviving, 100 Year Old Lifeboat ‘Dunleary’ to be Restored

    An important piece of Ireland’s maritime history, the 100 year old “Dunleary” lifeboat was recently brought back from the UK, where she was destined to be scrapped. A group of local enthusiasts recognised the important historical significance of the vessel and formed a community association: The Dunleary Lifeboat Project. This group garnered enough support to safely transport the boat back to The Coal Pier in Dún Laoghaire, where she is currently stored.

    Pick up a copy in your local shop or online »




WOMEN IN IRELAND’S SEAFOOD INDUSTRY »

Bord Iascaigh Mhara to Increase Visibilty of Women in Ireland’s Seafood Industry

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, today, 6th March 2018, launched a promotional campaign to profile the important role women play in Ireland’s Seafood Sector. The Irish Seafood Sector contributed €1.15 billion to Ireland’s GDP in 2017. However women’s participation in the industry remains low. Just over one in ten (11.7%) employees in fishing, forestry and agriculture sectors in Ireland is female. This is significantly lower than the EU average of 36.9%. ‘I'm Trudy McIntyre, from Dunmore East, Co Waterford. I'm the daughter of a fishing family and now the wife of a fisherman, Shane McIntyre with two young daughters. I came into fishing through my father, spending time with him when he was out working on the boat.'

INTERVIEW»

The Future of the Legendary Galway Hookers

The legendary Galway Hookers are the subject of our monthly interview in which the Chairman of Cumann HúcéirÍ na Gaillimhe, the Galway Hookers Association, Dr. Michael Brogan, talks to Marine Times Deputy Editor, Tom MacSweeney, about the future of these iconic West of Ireland boats and says they are a maritime art, the preservation of which deserves official support. The sight of a Galway Hooker under full sail is a wonderful spectacle, which can lift the heart of anyone with a maritime feeling. To helm one is even more stirring – and demanding. The feeling of power which comes through the tiller is astonishing, as I found on the helm of the MacDuach, the biggest of the Hookers.


Great Lighthouses of Ireland RTE Documentary »

Great Lighthouses of Ireland RTE Documentary

Irish Lights has announced its involvement in a four-part documentary series with RTE 1 that tells the story of Ireland’s lighthouses and the associated aids to navigation network around the island of Ireland and the vital role it plays in ensuring safety at sea for all. The documentary, Great Lighthouses of Ireland, illustrates Irish Lights’ leading role in safe navigation at sea from the 1800s to the present day, and the advances that have taken place in relation to Aids to Navigation from an engineering and technology perspective during this period.

opinion »

Segmentation of Fleet Capacity

Art Kavanagh: I remember some years back being at a presentation from a County Manager – as they were called at the time which he entitled “Running the County as a Business”. Since then the title of County Manager has been replaced with the title of “Chief Executive” which is probably more appropriate given the size of the Business actually being managed with Huge Budgets, large Numbers of Employees and responsibilities for many aspects of life within the County.



Rogues Gallery in the Marine Times Newspaper

    Joefy checking images and of his 'younger days' in the September issue of the Marine Times in Power's Centra in Dunmore East - Photo courtesy William Power

    Video Gallery on the Marine Times Newspaper website


      If you would like a picture of your crew in the Marine Times print edition or your video to appear on our website please email us at editor@marinetimes.ie