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Displaying items by tag: Capital Programme

#IrishHarbours - Marine Minister Simon Coveney has announced details of a €4.5 million package to assist in the development and repair of 90 Local Authority-owned harbours and slipways.

The package provides funding for the repair of piers damaged by recent storms, in addition to supporting the ongoing development and enhancement of harbour facilities including some marine leisure developments.

“This is a significant investment in the repair and development of fishery and aquaculture linked marine infrastructures owned by the Local Authorities,” said the minister upon the announcement last Friday (19 February).

The Local Authority programme forms part of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marines’ 2016 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, whereby the department co-funds up to 75% the total cost of approved projects with the Local Authority providing the balance.

Last month, Ireland's fishery harbours were announced as beneficiaries of €18 million worth of capital investment under the programme, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

“The 90 Local Authority owned harbours in receipt of funding this year play an important social and economic role in their respective localities by contributing to the ongoing development of fishing-related activities, increasing participation in marine leisure, and augmenting measures to attract greater numbers of tourists which ultimately create the environment for job creation,” said Minister Coveney. “This is a major contribution to the social and economic fabric of these coastal communities and underlines this Government's commitment to rural development.

"The diverse range of projects approved for funding under the programme are geographically spread across 11 Local Authorities which will not only create much needed local employment over the timespan of the projects, but equally will further enhance the amenities provided to the wider marine community in these coastal areas.”

See the full table of Local Authority harbour works and grants for 2016 attached below.

Published in Irish Harbours

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!