As we embark on a New Year, the question remains: a pointer to public, political and media failure – SEA BLINDNESS.
How many Irish people appreciate that over 90 per cent of the goods they buy come to this island nation by ship, and, for example, that what they bought in Christmas gifts for family and friends come within that figure?
“Sea blindness” has been pervasive for many years amongst leading, senior Irish government figures and many other politicians.
The national media is similarly affected.
It has been defined as the inability of individuals to connect with maritime issues at either the individual or political level.
Visibility is important to help understand many aspects of life, so why is ‘sea visibility’ blind to so many influential people?
In many years of maritime reporting and attempting to raise awareness, I have yet to find a clear, distinct, explainable answer.
Perhaps ‘sea blindness’ can only be eradicated by promoting ‘sea visibility, which is available in most parts of this island nation through the ports in cities, the seaside, the beaches, all not that distant from even the centre of Ireland, which has its own maritime aspects in the canal system and rivers.
Visibility is the core of social media, which derives much of its usage from smartphone photos, memes, Vines and viral videos. Why not learn more about the maritime sphere?
The difficulties of the fishing industry must be acknowledged, certainly in light of the extraordinary disregard for the threat to around 2,000 jobs, with so little national media and political concern shown. As has been put to me, were it to be the case of so many jobs in any urban-based industry, there would be a national outcry, but fishermen, the coastal communities, the future of the industry and the Irish seafood sectors are blithely ignored.
