Image Credit: BIM
Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has launched a groundbreaking initiative known as the Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC) to address the challenge of retaining young people in the aquaculture sector.
With funding from the European Union, this mobile classroom is addressing the struggle faced by small-town coastal communities, especially on Ireland’s west coast, to engage the younger generation in the culturally significant aquaculture industry.
The ARC, part of the European Commission’s “Inseparable” and “#FarmedintheEU” initiatives, is a truck-sized mobile classroom that travels to small towns, delivering aquaculture education to primary schools free of charge.
The project aims to enhance the “social license” of the aquaculture industry by improving public perceptions and garnering support for new aquaculture investments in local communities.
Máirtín Walsh from BIM emphasizes the project’s focus on educating young people about aquaculture, noting that public opposition to aquaculture is often due to a lack of knowledge rather than outright resistance.
Since its inception in 2019, the ARC has visited 71 primary schools, providing engaging lessons to 2,627 students. Despite pandemic-related challenges, the project adapted by hosting 28 webinars, reaching an additional 7,976 students through online workshops.
The classroom, equipped with high-tech tools, offers a hands-on introduction to aquaculture through lessons taught by a team of scientists from BIM and local partner H2 Learning, as well as in-person demonstrations by local aquaculture producers.
The ARC’s impact extends beyond schools, as it actively engages with the local aquaculture industry representatives. At seven public outreach events, the project interacted with 7,155 individuals and received 460 expressions of interest in its services.
The increasing number of engagements reflects a growing public interest in aquaculture education, indicating the success of the initiative in inspiring and informing communities about the significance of Ireland’s aquaculture industry.