Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 September 2006
220 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of days the research vessels Celtic Explorer and Celtic Voyager spent at sea from 1 January 2006 to 1 September 2006; the research projects undertaken in that period that were on fish stocks; and the duration of said projects. [30270/06]
View answerI am advised by the Marine Institute, which has responsibility for the research programmes undertaken by the research vessels, that Celtic Voyager spent 158 days at sea from 1 January 2006 to 1 September 2006, and Celtic Explorer spent 223 days at sea during the same period. The following fisheries research projects were undertaken by the two vessels during that period:
|
Project |
Duration |
|
Ground fish survey Irish Sea |
10 days |
|
Spawning stock survey |
24 days |
|
Underwater TV prawn survey |
21 days |
|
Survey of Scallop Fishing grounds Celtic Sea |
24 days |
|
Project |
Duration |
|
North West herring acoustic survey |
21 days |
|
Blue whiting survey |
21 days |
|
Lesser Antilles Pelagic Ecosystem project for the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation |
24 days |
According to the Marine Institute, a further 81 days of fisheries research activity is scheduled to be undertaken by Celtic Explorer in the period from 1 September to 31 December 2006. These include:
|
Project |
Duration |
|
Deepwater Survey |
13 days |
|
International Bottom Trawl Survey |
47 days |
|
Celtic Sea Herring Acoustic Survey |
21 days |
