President hails ‘significant’ work on exploiting sea resource

Marine scientists in the North and the Republic are making a significant contribution to exploiting their 220 million acres of shared sea resource, according to President Michael D Higgins.

Speaking at the Nutramara marine science conference in Dublin, Mr Higgins said Ireland’s marine sector — comprising fisheries, seaweed, offshore oil and gas, marine biotechnology, shipping and transport, renewable ocean energy and marine ICT — is valued at €3bn and supports 44,000 jobs.

He said that Nutramara — the Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative — will make a significant contribution to exploiting this resource in a more sustainable way. The Irish agri-food and fisheries sector employs around 135,000 people, has a gross output of €22bn and accounts for 60% of exports by indigenous firms.