Count Down to World Ocean Day
Marine Institute and Galway Atlantaquaria are joining forces to celebrate the World Ocean Day at Atlantaquaria in Salthill, on Sunday 10th June. A family fun day of events have been organised including Puppeteers, Children’s Art Competition, Spot Prizes, Cartoon Drawing Classes, Treasure Hunt, Touch Pools, Tank Diving. Demonstrations and exhibits will also feature other Irish partners including BIM, the Western Regional Fisheries Board, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, the Irish Wildlife Trust, NUIG, GMIT, Galway Bay Sailing Club and many others to celebrate Ireland’s 220 million acre marine resource. For more information about entering the World Ocean Day Art competition visit www.nationalaquarium.ie or phone Galway Atlantaquaria 091 585 100
Activities surrounding World Ocean Day are being supported by the European Commission Directorate-General Fisheries & Maritime Affairs. The European Commission is currently engaged in a consultation process on the basis of the Green Paper – “Towards a future Maritime Policy for the Union: A European vision for the oceans and seas”. The aim of the Green Paper is to stimulate an open and in-depth debate on the possible advantages of a holistic approach to areas of maritime policy which have previously been treated in isolation from one another. The Commission wishes to explore with stakeholders and citizens the idea that such an integrated approach could create synergies, and thus help harness the wealth of Europe's oceans for genuinely sustainable growth which would preserve the natural environment for the benefit of future generations. The Commission is keen to ensure that the views of stakeholders and interested parties in Ireland are taken into consideration, and aims at forging a consensus among all stakeholders – both private and public sector, as well as academia and NGOs - within the member states of the European Union.
Stakeholders are welcome to send their contributions by post or by email to the EC Maritime Policy Task Force, which may be published in full or in part on the EC Maritime Affairs website: E-mail: ec-maritime-green-paper@ec.europa.eu. Post: European Commission - Maritime Policy Task Force “Maritime Policy Green Paper”, B-1049, Brussels, Belgium. The consultation process will end on the 30th of June next.
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