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Displaying items by tag: World Water Day

EBI, which represents the European boating industry, has teamed up with NGO The SeaCleaners to publish a new Guide to Responsible Boating.

Released on Friday (22 March) to coincide with World Water Day, the comprehensive guide is being touted as “a call to action for boaters worldwide to be involved combatting plastic pollution in our oceans and waterways”.

The guide provides practical recommendations for anyone who enjoys boating or watersports to minimise their environmental impact while enjoying their passion for water.

From reducing plastic consumption to participating in waste collection efforts, they are encouraged to take an active
role in preserving the oceans for future generations.

Stéphanie Poey of The SeaCleaners, an NGO tackling the scourge of plastic pollution, said: “We are proud to partner with EBI, a key player in the boating industry, to get this message across: recreational boating has an environmental impact that is often underestimated.

“Every trip out to sea has consequences for the marine ecosystem and the planet. By adopting the actions set out in this guide, boaters can help preserve the ocean and sail in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.”

A Guide to Responsible Boating can be downloaded in both English and French from the EBI website HERE.

Published in Environment

World Water Day has been marked with funding for over 150 projects to improve water quality across the island of Ireland.

The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), which works for Ireland’s 31 local authorities to protect and restore good water quality, said it is awarding funding to 155 projects in 26 counties under the “Community Water Development Fund Open Call 2024.”

Under the fund, local communities and groups were invited to apply for financial assistance to support the delivery of projects and initiatives to enhance local water bodies and benefit water quality and biodiversity.

Since 2018, LAWPRO has made over €2.7m available through this funding scheme to local communities and groups, assisting in implementing the Water Framework Directive through Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan.

Types of projects approved for funding under this year’s open call include:

  • River and habitat enhancement work, such as planting native tree species and hedgerows, pollinator-friendly planting, river-bank stabilisation, fencing, and installation of riparian buffer zones near water bodies (areas free of chemical and organic fertilisers, cultivation, and spraying).
  • Preparation of reports: feasibility studies, habitat management plans, ecological surveys, and hydromorphology studies.

Awareness-raising initiatives include citizen science workshops, biodiversity information boards, outdoor classrooms, river clean-ups, rainwater harvesting, and wetlands.

LAWPRO is also rolling out a new funding stream, the “Catchment Support Fund”. This funding will build the capacity of community groups to grow and develop to support the delivery of the River Basin Management Plan.

Minister of State with responsibility for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, welcomed the announcements.

Funding applications details for the ‘LAWPRO Catchment Support Fund’ will be available here from Wednesday March 27th and the fund closes for applications on Tuesday, April 16th, 2024.

Published in Marine Wildlife
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Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!