“We simply can’t have it every way...”
A stark warning from Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, chair of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA), speaking on RTÉ Radio 1 Seascapes last Friday.
He was commenting on the recent International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) report warning about the impact of offshore wind farms on commercial fishing.
“That's a perspective that is obviously based on some science, but there is a bigger report in terms of what we're facing in the context of climate change,” he said.
“And I don't want to be alarmist…but all the evidence points towards a very, very challenging number of decades ahead. And we simply can't have it every way,” he said, warning that the ocean has become “really stressed”.
Interviewed in a personal capacity, he spoke about MARA’s role, and about how its creation had been an inspired move by the previous government.
He also commented on the State’s approach to the Corrib gas project 20 years ago and the need to involve all stakeholders in future energy plans.
Earlier, the programme addressed the issue of monitoring energy projects. Mary Corduff, who lives in Rossport, north Mayo, outlined her continuing concerns about the impact on the environment of flaring from the Corrib gas Ballinaboy refinery, now run by Canadian owners Vermilion.
Mary's husband Willie was one of the "Rossport Five" who were imprisoned 20 years ago this month over their opposition to the route for the Corrib gas onshore pipeline. He and colleagues spoke in programme 2 of the current series of Seascapes.
Drones to monitor emissions from ships
Last Friday's Seascapes, which is the last in the current series, also carried a fascinating report by Ronan Kelly about the use of drones to monitor emissions from ships.
The “sniffer” on the drone can sniff out the type of fuel mix on a vessel.
Lucas Sapardanis, PhD student with drone carrying 'sniffer' for testing emissions from ships
“We get yelled at a lot,” one of the scientists told him. “Somehow people associate air pollution with air pollution measurement…”
The scientists he interviewed are based at Klaipeda University’s Marine Research Institute, in Lithuania - Klaipeda being a port city on the Baltic.
The institute is also researching ship design for more efficient use of fuel.
Seascapes was presented by Lorna Siggins and produced by Ronan Kelly.
You can hear the full programme here
