Continued collaboration between Canada and Ireland

CFER receives funding for 2016-17 survey work_Photograph courtesy of the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University Newfoundland
The Provisional Government of Canada recently announced that funding provided to the Memorial University Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research (CFER), Newfoundland and Labrador for 2016-17 will allow it to continue to charter the Irish Marine Institute’s state-of-the-art fisheries research vessel, RV Celtic Explorer.

This will be the sixth consecutive year that the RV Celtic Explorer will be used to support CFERs continued research and focus on ecosystem fisheries surveys.

“We’re delighted to continue this partnership with our colleagues at CFER to carry out important fisheries research in Newfoundland and Labrador” said Dr Peter Heffernan, CEO Marine Institute.

“We place huge value on this charter by Memorial University/CFER, and through it, we’ve developed strong collaborations on transatlantic ocean research.  Earlier this year we carried out the first transatlantic seabed mapping survey under the Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance on the RV Celtic Explorer, and this was directly facilitated by the 2015 charter by CFER. We’re very excited about opportunities to expand the scale and impact of the transect mapping with AORA partners in 2016.”

The collaboration with Newfoundland and Labrador builds on the strong relationship established since the first Newfoundland survey on the RV Celtic Explorer in 2011.

 “Such cooperation is key to improving our ocean wealth and promoting the sustainable management of its resources. It’s hugely important for Ireland and brings us closer to achieving the goals of the ‘Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation’ signed here at the Marine Institute Galway in May 2013 by the EU, USA and Canada”, said Dr. Peter Heffernan.

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