Capt. Brian FitzGerald, South Coast Community Liaison Officer, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications
The fourth annual NMCI Seafarers’ Conference took place at the Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick on Thursday 20th March 2025 proudly associated with the Irish Skipper Expo which also took place in Limerick on the 21st and 22nd of March. The theme of the Conference was Navigating Ireland’s Future Together – Recognising the Future Seafarer, a recognition which was warmly received by the 200 in-person attendees and a further 100 online.
Mark Mellet from Mara addresses the conference
After a thought provoking and detailed keynote speech by Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM, which laid out how the global context is impacting the local, the Conference was treated to a description of the Future Seafarer from the experienced Capt J.P. Kearns and Deirdre Lane (Harbour Master Dunmore East). After such a stimulating start, the four Panel discussions that ensued covered the following topics:
- What the Future Seafarer must look like
- Navigating Ireland’s Seafood and ORE Ambition
- What Future Maritime Training and Education Institutions Will Look Like
- What the Future Will Hold
One of many highlights of the Conference was a Case Study from Norway delivered by Frank Emil Moen – CEO Energy Innovation & Chair of the Board National Competence Centre for Offshore Wind Norway. Frank Emil demonstrated how a near neighbour with many cultural and historic ties has revolutionised its maritime industry, while recognising Ireland’s abundance of natural maritime resources and potential to do something similar.
Central to the Conference was an update on the work and outputs from the Seafood/ORE Working Group, in its third year of operation, and a description of the detailed outputs achieved to date including an Engagement Guide, Guidelines for Commercial Work for fishing vessels, a Dispute Resolution Protocol and an Annual Report. Significant progress has also been made with Coexistence Guidelines between the Seafood and ORE industries and this is the current focus of the Working Group.
Finally, and most encouragingly, the students who populated the final Panel to discuss What the Future Will Hold, stole the show with their most uplifting vision of the future and their obvious enthusiasm for their chosen career as seafarers. They were a wonderful advertisement for a career in the maritime, and inspired many in the audience with their input.
I wish to extend special thanks to Minister’s Timmy Dooley and James Lawless who also addressed the Conference and evidenced the Government’s policy guidance on how we will Navigate Ireland’s Maritime Future Together.
Thanks also to the Conference sponsors: Simply Blue Group; IMDO; Skillnet Offshore Wind Academy; and The Skipper Magazine.
