New CEO appointed at Inland Fisheries Ireland – Award for its App
The Board of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has announced the appointment of Francis O’ Donnell to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Francis is currently Director of the Western River Basin District with IFI. He will take up his position in the coming weeks.
Prior to rejoining the inland fisheries service, Francis was the CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO). He has also worked with the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.
Inland Fisheries Ireland is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and was established under the Fisheries Act on 1st July 2010. Its principal function is the protection and conservation of the inland fisheries resource. Inland Fisheries Ireland promotes supports, facilitates and advises the Minister on the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries, including sea angling. Inland Fisheries Ireland also develops policy and national strategies relating to inland fisheries and sea angling and advises the Minister on same.
Irish Fisheries App One of 51 awardees in Rethink Ireland Innovate Together €3 million fund.
The Abalobi fisheries app, a pilot undertaken by the Irish Islands Marine Organisation Cooperative Society is one of the 51 awardees under the first round of the Innovate Together Rethink Ireland philanthropy fund. This is the first pilot for the app in Europe of an originally South African project.
Problem (impact of Covid-19) Markets which usually take fish and shellfish from island fishers have collapsed. As a result most island based fishers cannot sell their catch and are completely dependent on the emergency COVID payments. The lack of income or alternative supports for fishers will have a disproportionate impact on fishery dependent island communities.
Project description The project consists of the development of an innovative and integrated online and phone app system that will facilitate small scale fishers to log their catch and direct sales to consumers, of traceable fish and shellfish from the islands. The programme aims to promote traceable, storied seafood by empowering small-scale fishers from catch to customer, in a manner that is not only ecologically responsible, but also socially fair. This will ensure access to market and income generation for fisherman in the area. The IIMRO-Abalobi partnership will see the first rollout of the system in Europe and promises to make major changes to the way catches are documented and sold.
What will this investment will enable them to do?
The funding will be used to adapt the app suite to the Irish requirements for species, sales notes and reporting. The investment will also cover costs associated with marketing, recruiting and enrolling fishers and customers onto the system.The Abalobi app was designed in South Africa for small fisheries suffering during Covid 19. This trial in the islands of Ireland is the first tme it has been piloted in europe to date.
Fifty one projects receive € million in grants under the Covid 19 response Innovate Together fund.€3 million in awards announced in first phase of Innovate Together Fund, after 481 projects apply for grants.
Rethink Ireland are delighted to announce the 51 Awardees of Round 1, €3 million in awards, of our €5.6M Innovate Together Fund.
The Government of Ireland, through the Department of Rural and Community Development (via the Dormant Accounts Fund), committed €5M to this Fund as part of a €40M support package to the community and voluntary sector in May. Rethink Ireland have since received additional donations from the Z Zurich Foundation, Medtronic, Twitter and Oakfield Trust. The Fund supports charities’ innovative responses to the COVID-19 crisis that will also provide lasting change.
