Greetings,

This just in:

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Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, today
launched a public consultation process on how to harness the potential of
Ireland's vast marine resource to tap into a Trillion Euro global market for
marine products & services (including seafood, tourism, shipping, oil and
gas, renewable ocean energy and new applications for health, medicine and
technology).
Launching the public consultation 'Our Ocean Wealth', Minister Coveney said,
"We need to change the way we in Ireland think about the sea and look for
new opportunities to harness the potential of our 220 million acre marine
resource. This government is determined to generate the momentum to drive
forward a new era of sustainable economic development across the maritime
sectors - we must avail of these opportunities to assist in our recovery. We
want your help to shape our plan, to shape our future and to assist in our
drive towards our nation's economic recovery".
This public consultation represents a significant step in a process to
develop an Integrated Marine Plan for Ireland and move from generating only
1.2% of GDP from this vast and diverse marine resource, which covers an area
10 times the size of Ireland's land mass.
Minister Coveney added "We need an Integrated Marine Plan to harness our
ocean wealth, get the environment right for investment and use the potential
of our marine economy to create jobs in a sustainable manner".
Get informed about the issues and join the debate at www.ouroceanwealth.ie
The consultation phase will be open until 31st March 2012 and it is
envisaged that an Integrated Marine Plan will be published during summer
2012.

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A website has been set up which includes a bunch of briefing documents, a
survey which can be done on or off-line, and an on-line discussion forum.
You can also make suggestions directly to the secretariate.
Full details at www.ouroceanwealth.ie
While a lot of the discussion relates to the seas and ocean around the
country, there are topics which could have implications for inland
waterways.

Best Wishes,

Colin Becker
GMY Chang Sha

Having had a quick flick through that Colin, I believe I'll let you answer on my behalf. The only idea I could come up with was that they could sell off most of the acronyms they use in the docs. Might make a few shillings there...!!

M(W&W)F

Our government gave away our ocean wealth when we allowed the EU to take our fish in return for a few short term shekels. Look where it's got us.

Ditto our gas at Kinsale. I don't know what the tax take is but it's very low.

Oil off the West Coast, ----------Up Mayo!

Speaking of gas ,why doesn't our government act now and prevent fracking in Leitrim and Northern Counties. Do we want the source water of The Shannon polluted forever?They should act now and stop this project in it's tracks.


All we have left are the wind and the waves and the tides.

They can't sell those,can they???


Pj

Hi PJ. The giveaway of our fishing grounds was done by a FF Government (remember them?).

But it was approved by the people in the accession referendum.

Back then only the late and much missed John de Courcy Ireland and a few others gave a 541t about our fisheries.

Keeping the farmers happy with the Brussels deontas got a lot more votes/was far more important than our fisheries.

Agree about offshore gas/oil.

Disagree about fracking.

It should be allowed subject to huge royalties to the State (us) and relentless regulation.

Hire a few dozen Norwegians to keep an eye and then Drill Baby Drill.

John
Yacht Breakaway

John, I googled "Fracking". The sites were American and all were negative. Apparently, everywhere there were massive problems afterwards.
Is there evidence to the contrary. I'd certainly listen to it.

If it's possible to do it cleanly, I too, would be in favour. And ,Yes,charge them well for the privelege.
Yes ,bring in the enviro. experts.

P

Quote:

pj norris
John, I googled "Fracking". The sites were American and all were negative. Apparently, everywhere there were massive problems afterwards.
Is there evidence to the contrary. I'd certainly listen to it.

If it's possible to do it cleanly, I too, would be in favour. And ,Yes,charge them well for the privelege.
Yes ,bring in the enviro. experts.

P

Hi PJ.
I Googled too - the verdict is IMO not clear.
For example [e360.yale.edu]

But I dont think we have the luxury of NIMBY-ing in the present state of the country.

Pay those Norwegians 500K pa (making them unbribeable) and insist that they bring their families to live next to the plant...
And that they drink the water from local wells.

Time to get serious IMO about exactly how we are going to get out of the hole that the Soldiers of Dysentery have got us into...

John



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/02/2012 22:38 by John.Kinsella1.

I agree ,it's not clear. Advocates on both sides seem very rigid in their views.

Mining in Ireland has had a bad history. Gortdrum mine inTipperary left behind large residues of mercury.
Tynagh Mines,CoGalway, has left an open scar on the landscape and a toxic tailings pond with high concentration of poisons including cyanide.
Silvermines ,near Nenagh has left a dried up tailings pond. Nothing will grow on it.It's a toxic dust bowl.
Tara Mines,in Navan, has an enormous tailings pond,full of residues from the flotation process in the mill. They are heavily monitored by Meath COCO. Imagine the carnage if the tailings pond,it can be seen from space, burst. The walls are mud. What's to happen to it??

We can be shortsighted when a few hundred jobs are dangled in front of our noses. We have a poor record at asking hard questions.
EPA are charged with protecting the environment. We have an abbatoir in Navan. Apparently it's the most complained about business in the country[to the EPA] because of noxious odours. It's still in operation after twenty years.

I don't trust mine opeators, the Irish government, Irish business interests ,etc, to run this enterprise .

Their track record is appalling.

Pj

Well said, PJ. Given the track record of oil, gas, mineral, logging,
etc, companies worldwide I see no logical reason to accept any
assurances given either by them OR by the tax hungry governments we
elect to protect our interests. See what happened to the Green Party
when they conflicted with big business interests.
We don't need to follow the short term path of fossil fuels when we
could put all our efforts into sustainable wind power projects.
Phil.

--
Phil

Fracking Free Ireland

Keep the frogs in and the frackers out!


Thanks Philip. The above is from Fracking Free Ireland.

P

Sorry Phil.
I can't let that go...
Big business had only a small part to play in what happened to the Grey, sorry, I mean Green party!
The damage inflicted on the environment by "Green Policy", at enormous expense to the taxpayer, was becoming recognised, as was their complicity in the looming disaster.
They, along with their government colleagues, got what they deserved, or as close to it as allowed by Irish Law!
Not that I think the current lot are doing much better, mind!
I hope all you early retirees have your CVs ready for the temporary positions that will shortly be available!
Nursing homes are preparing for the influx of public patients and looking forward to the availability of trained experienced staff. Now, who do you suppose will be paying the nursing home fees, to care for these public patients?
Yep, the same people paying the pensions to the new staff employed there... us!
Obviously a well thought out scheme with "value for money" as a priority!
God help us!
For the first time ever, I find myself in agreement with Mr Dunphy. Now there's an unpalateable thought!

Duncan

How come we never had any Public Consultation on Ireland's Owing Wealth.....?? I wonder how many people would have suggested that we bail out the banks.....?? Its just a bit too much like returning stakes to anyone who backed a faller over Beechers Brook, if you ask me....!!

M(W&W)F



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2012 16:47 by Mick Farrell.