Update: Irish Sea Maritime Forum Biennial Conference

IRISH SEA MARITIME FORUM BIENNIAL CONFERENCE, Pierhead  Building, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff – Tuesday 15th of January 2019, 10.00am to 4.00pm.

We welcome you to join us for the first Irish Sea Maritime Forum Biennial Conference to be held in Wales. We are delighted to have the opportunity to host this in the spectacular Pierhead building that is part of the National Assembly for Wales estate in Cardiff. The event aims to bring together stakeholders from across the Irish Sea to learn about and discuss issues of current and shared interest.

The morning session provides an update from across the Irish Sea on marine planning (including the forthcoming Welsh National Marine Plan) and the development of the network of Marine Protected Areas. Over lunch delegates will be able to view an exhibition of Irish Sea related projects and meet some of the partners that have been involved with these. The afternoon session spotlights climate change and associated activity in the Irish Sea region including the response of coastal authorities in Wales associated with their duties under the 2015 Wellbeing of Future Generations Act. The day concludes with a presentation on the new Irish Sea Centre that is being established in the Isle of Man and plans for the ISMF conference that will be held in the Isle of Man in 2020.

The conference is free of charge. We gratefully appreciate the support of David Melding AM Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Heritage, Culture and Media in sponsoring this event in the Pierhead building.

To register for the event please click here

The conference programme can also be downloaded below:

Irish Sea Maritime Forum Biennial Conference 2019 Programme

For any further information please contact info@irishseamaritimeforum.org

Summer Newsletter

We have now published our newsletter for Summer 2018. This includes news on:

  • The continuing role of Senator Gerry Horkan as ISMF Chairman;
  • The Future Celtic Seas Collaboration workshop which took place last year and follow-up activities, such as the
  • ISMF Key Stakeholder Review;
  • European Maritime and Fisheries Funding (EMFF) applications; and
  • The 2018 Irish Sea Maritime Forum Biennial Conference, to be held in Wales in Autumn 2018.

You can download the newsletter here: ISMF Newsletter Summer 2018

Stay Connected

New General Data Protection Regulations come into force on 25th May 2018. These will provide you with greater certainty about how your data is kept and used. For more information see https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/. The new Regulations mean that the Irish Sea Maritime Forum must have your consent to store your personal data. We will be contacting people on our mailing list to ensure that you would like to keep in touch, so please look out for our email and remember to respond as soon as possible.

Forthcoming Events: Atlantic Action Plan Workshop on Project Funding and Development (12th July) and Future Celtic Seas Collaboration (13th July)

Implementing the Atlantic Action Plan – Workshop on Project Funding and Development @ Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool, Wednesday 12th July
The Atlantic Action Plan, put in place to implement the Atlantic Strategy, has been widely promoted in the UK in order to draw attention to stakeholders of both the opportunities it presents in the UK and also for collaboration with other EU Atlantic Member States (France, Ireland, Portugal and Spain). Following on from the National Event that was held in Liverpool in December 2015, and a series of roadshows that are being organised by the Support Team for the Atlantic Action Plan, a workshop is being planned to help stakeholders develop project ideas. The event, taking place on the 12th July, at the Mersey Maritime Museum in Liverpool, will provide stakeholders with an opportunity to meet others with an interest in developing projects of relevance to the Atlantic Area. Some Interreg Programmes are moving towards final calls for project proposals and this workshop has been designed to help stakeholders develop project ideas.

During the morning session, stakeholders will get a chance to hear about developments in the Atlantic Action Plan, an update on funding opportunities and the experience of projects that have already received funding from the Interreg Atlantic Area programme and other sources. The afternoon session will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss how they might develop project ideas for submission to the final round of calls under the current Interreg programmes.

For more information on the Atlantic Action Plan event and to register please click HERE

Future Celtic Seas Collaboration Event, Thursday 13th July @ University of Liverpool
Following on from the successful Celtic Seas Partnership project and ongoing work through the SIMCelt project and Irish Sea Maritime Forum, the ISMF will be hosting a discussion on future work on Thursday 13th July at the University of Liverpool. This discussion aims to bring stakeholders together to develop mechanisms for future collaboration at the Celtic Seas scale. The agenda will cover:

  • An introduction to the Celtic Seas area
  • Key messages from the PISCES, Celtic Seas Partnership and SIMCelt projects and the Irish Sea Maritime Forum
  • Next steps for Celtic Seas collaboration

To register for the Celtic Seas Future Collaboration event please click on the link below.
Eventbrite - Future Celtic Seas Collaboration Workshop

Election of New Chair for ISMF

Nominations are being sought for the position of a Chairperson of the Irish Sea Maritime Forum to hold the position from September 2015 to August 2017. The position is open to a representative from any organisation with an interest in the Irish Sea or may be an individual who has the expertise and time available to fulfil the role.

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate:

  • A high profile in the Irish Sea region; able to champion the Irish Sea Maritime Forum and its work regionally, nationally and internationally;
  • Leadership to drive the strategic direction of the Forum, including the Forum’s Business Plan, and to encourage engagement of other organisations with the Forum;
  • Commitment to the Forum’s vision and ongoing programme of work;
  • Willingness to support, guide and discuss relevant issues with the Irish Sea Maritime Forum secretariat on an ad hoc basis as necessary;
  • The support of their employer for taking on this role and the cost, time and work commitments necessitated by it.

If you are interested in standing for Chair, or know someone who may be suitable for the position, please see the more detailed role description and nomination form HERE.

Nominations for the role of Chair must be received no later than 31st July 2015. 

Once nominated, all proposed/seconded nominees will be contacted and asked if they are willing for their names to be put forward. They will be asked to supply a 1 page synopsis of relevant experience and what they feel they can bring to the Forum and this information will be circulated to members of the Steering Group for consideration. The election will then take place electronically under a system of one vote per organisation represented on the Steering Group.

ISMF – Nominations for new Chair and Vice-Chair open

A key development for the Irish Sea Maritime Forum in 2013/14 will be the appointment of a Chair and Vice Chair to help steer our activities and raise the profile of the Forum.

Details on what the roles of Chair and Vice Chair involve and nomination forms can be downloaded here (MS Word Document).

The deadline for nominations is 16th August, and the Steering Committee will then vote for their preferred candidates for both positions.

Planning Scotland’s Seas: Marine consultation launched

On Thursday 25th July the Scottish Government launched a joint consultation that will help decide how Scotland’s seas are managed in the future.

The consultation covers Scotland’s first National Marine Plan, which will provide a single framework to manage all activity in Scottish waters, proposals for a network of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) which if designated would increase protection for Scotland’s iconic marine species and habitats, and draft sectorial marine plans which will guide Scotland’s offshore renewable energy industry.

To read the full press release, which includes links to consultation documents and details of consultation events taking place around Scotland, please click HERE (opens in new window)

The consultation runs for 16 weeks until 13th November 2013.