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Displaying items by tag: Climate Change Adaptation Plan

Marine Minister Michael Creed yesterday (Thursday 27 June) helped launch the public consultation process on the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the agriculture, forest and seafood sectors.

“I am very pleased to launch this public consultation on adaptation planning,” said Minister Creed. “We have very much taken a joined-up approach to adaptation planning across the Department [of Agriculture, Food and the Marine] and have prepared a single plan covering the agriculture, forest and seafood sector.”

He added that in addition to reducing our emissions, “we need to ensure that our food production system is resilient and ready to adapt to future climate risk.

“Farmers, landowners and fishermen are very much to the forefront of dealing with the impacts of a changing climate in their everyday activities. However, climate change is not just an issue for the primary producer; it is something that everyone in the production chain needs to consider.

“The Irish agriculture, forest and seafood sector will not only be impacted by changes in climate here at home, but also by climate change globally.”

Andrew Doyle, Minister of State for food, forestry and horticulture, said the plan is “a next step in climate action planning. To successfully deal with the challenges facing us, we need to work together to make the right choices. While there will be challenges, there will also be opportunities.”

The draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan highlights a number of case studies identifying how the sector has and will continue to be impacted by changing weather patterns, and steps towards building resilience.

Feedback on the draft plan and suggestions as to how the department and the sector itself can best prepare to operate in a changing climate should be forwarded before the closing date of Friday 16 August.

Speaking ahead of the Our Ocean Wealth Summit in Cork earlier this month, Tánaiste Simon Coveney said the State is particularly aware of the threat posed by climate change to this island nation.

The subsequently launched Climate Action Plan from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment has been welcomed in many quarters, but has also been criticised for showing “little ambition”.

Published in Fishing

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!