Students are hooked by fishery website

CHILDREN have been hooked by BIM’s new School of Fish website.

Fourth-class students from Scoil an Chroí Ró-Naofa, Castletownbere, Co Cork, were having so much fun surfing the site in the town’s Regional Fisheries Centre that they forgot all about the tasty nibbles laid on for them after their test run.

The new interactive area is part of BIM’s main website and aims to educate children about the wonders of the sea and its environs.

They certainly seem to be on to a winner, because they caught the attention of 10-year-olds who live beside the second-largest fishing port in the country.

The comprehensive site provides information in a fun and interesting manner on the seashore, fishing boats, fish from Irish

waters, seafood cooking and sea folklore. BIM has already distributed hard copies of the School of Fish to primary school teachers nationwide, but having the resource on its website means individual students can now access it from a home personal computer.

The resource also offers teachers the opportunity to promote awareness of the sea, the range of fish and shellfish caught and farmed around our coasts and, above all, instil a respect for the marine environment.

Scoil an Chroí Ró-Naofa principal Paul Stevens said he was very impressed by the user-friendly site, because it was both exciting and informative. “The children were having so much fun on the site that they had to be lured down to the bit of a spread laid on specially for them afterwards,” he said.

In particular, BIM is hoping the resource will enable the student to become socially and environmentally aware by introducing them to the wonder that is the sea while also providing an enjoyable and rewarding learning experience.

The resource is available at www.bim.ie.