Loughs Agency hosts prestigious marine science conference in Derry

Loughs Agency has welcomed Europe’s top marine scientists to the northwest for the European Tracking Network (ETN) Annual Meeting, with delegates from across the continent attending the three-day event in Derry/Londonderry.

The conference, which is funded by the EU’s COST Action programme, took place in the City Hotel Derry from 5-7 April, with attendees taking part in a range of informative workshops and activities.

Loughs Agency is a member of ETN, an initiative devoted to furthering knowledge and management of aquatic species around Europe. The Network has six strategically placed large marine fish counters, known as ‘arrays’, situated across the continent’s waters, with various member organisations involved in the long-term project.

Delegates discussed a range of issues, including the current status of the project, new funding opportunities, key species for research and new projects in the pipeline.

Those in attendance have also embarked on site visits to Lough Foyle and rivers in the Foyle catchment. During the course of these visits, they were able to observe the Agency’s fish counters as well as estuary arrays which are deployed as part of SeaMonitor, the Loughs Agency-led project which has been described as ‘Europe’s largest fish counter’.

The Mayor of Derry and Strabane was in attendance at the City Hotel Derry on 6 April to meet delegates, and the party also had the opportunity to sample some of the region’s finest food and drink at the Walled City Brewery.

Sharon McMahon, Loughs Agency Acting CEO, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to welcome so many esteemed scientists, academics and environmentalists from across Europe to the Foyle catchment area in Ireland’s scenic Northwest.

“The Agency is proud of the incredible work carried out by our Science Function on a daily basis, and as lead partner on the SeaMonitor project, we are fortunate to be right at the cutting edge of fish tracking technology. Through continuous collaboration with our European colleagues, this ETN Annual Meeting will enable us to increase our knowledge of aquatic species, which in turn will help us preserve marine life throughout Europe.”

Dr Jan Reubens, Coordinator of ETN, added: “ETN’s mission is to track aquatic animals across Europe to better understand, protect and manage them. This meeting is an important milestone to boost our objectives by creating network opportunities, strengthening collaborations, sharing knowledge and advancing the science.”

To find out more about the work of ETN, visit https://www.europeantrackingnetwork.org/en.