As chill winds blow for commercial fishing, innovation and research in the industry are vital, Marine Institute's Peter Heffernan tells Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent

When Dr Peter Heffernan looks at the proverbial emptying glass, he only sees it half-full - with pristine, resource-rich sea water. Now marking over a decade as head of the Government's Marine Institute, he is as enthusiastic, optimistic and determined as he was when first appointed.

He has good reason to be. Over 10 years ago, when the Marine Institute was initiated, the Mayo-born scientist and returned emigrant had a handful of staff and start-up funding of about €400,000.

Turnover is now about €34 million, the institute has two research ships, and Irish scientists head up five working groups under the aegis of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).

What's more, Heffernan and his 190 colleagues are preparing to move from temporary premises in Galway and a permanent base in Dublin into a purpose-built €50 million headquarters at Rinville Point on the south end of Galway bay. They are also looking forward to yet more EU funds for marine research under the European Commission's seventh framework programme for research and technological development.

The elliptical shape of the new building's main office, designed by Ciarán O'Connor of the Office of Public Works, embraces the Atlantic.

There's an element of serendipity, for the site is close to Ireland's first shellfish laboratory, set up by a former chief inspector of Irish fisheries, Ernest Holt, at Ardfry in 1905. "Start a winkle farm!" Holt is said to have instructed a young assistant, noting that it might prove to be of "some economic value", apart from its scientific benefits.

A century later, Irish shellfish production is outstripping finfish farming in terms of economic success, and is part of a marine sector worth €3 billion annually. An 80-year infrastructural deficit has been bridged, Heffernan says. "And that €3 billion translates into employing 40,000 people - 50 per cent directly. Service sectors such as shipping take up the greatest proportion of this, but marine resources, including fishing, fish processing, aquaculture, renewable energies and seaweed, are worth over €850 million annually," he points out.

What's unquantifiable is their impact on the fabric of peripheral and "less well-developed" parts of the 7,000-kilometre coastline.

The EU recently announced that it was working on a new maritime policy for the community. Some 20 European states have coasts stretching to almost 70,000 kilometres. Almost half of the EU population live less than 50 kilometres from the coast, and 63 per cent of the Irish population live within 10 miles of the coast, according to the Central Statistics Office.

Maritime regions of the 15 member states already account for over 40 per cent of the GNP with shipbuilding, ports, fisheries and related services industries employing 2.5 million people.

Chill winds have been blowing,however, particularly in commercial fishing. "Marine resource interests are going to need research and innovation to compete, and there are significant new opportunities for Ireland in renewable ocean energy, marine biotechnology, environmental and aquaculture technology," Heffernan says.

An invaluable "roadmap" has been the national seabed survey, run by the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) in conjunction with the Marine Institute. "It has discovered living organisms on every acre of some 220 million out there, and the inventory of this material is going to prove vital."

The seabed database will "serve Ireland for a century and more", he predicts, and other EU member states have "marvelled at our foresight in carrying this out", he says. But is it not a database that can be sold off to the highest bidder - as with information on potential oil and gas resources, and commercial fish stocks.

For even as Heffernan speaks, there's a reminder of this coastline's value to our European neighbours. A Portuguese gillnetter has been escorted into Galway docks by the Naval Service patrol ship, LE Eithne. On board are about 120 tonnes of monkfish - multiples of the Irish annual quota for this species. The vessel has been under surveillance, without detention, in these waters for close on nine years.

"Knowledge is power," Heffernan replies, adept at steering clear of political debates. "The sort of information gathered during the seabed survey will empower Ireland to make the right choices, and it is better to face the challenges with it than without it. The market for seafood is insatiable, but the consumer is making the call. The consumer will be asking, more and more frequently, if fish sold is sustainably caught - and that is coming down on us like a freight train."

He cites the Irish Box - now reduced in size, and with fewer restrictions on Spanish activity - as an example. "Ireland would never have retained any of the Irish Box without the scientific information we had,and it was that science that supported our negotiating team. The fishing industry appreciates this, but good science doesn't always mean more fish."

The Marine Institute's main lobbying focus over the past year relates to further EU funding, under the new framework programme for research and technological development for 2007 to 2013. It has also been preparing its own five-year development plan for 2006 to 2012, hosting foresight group meetings for stakeholders. Ireland, Norway and Portugal have been to the forefront in terms of trying to influence policy in the European Research Area (ERA), he says, and all three states produced a joint submission on the issue last December.

Earlier this month, a draft position paper was published by the EU which clearly reflected Irish influence in relation to marine science.

"Our own mission statement, published by the Government in late 2002, refers to the need for a thriving maritime economy in harmony with the ecosystem and supported by the delivery of excellence in our services," Heffernan says.

The new EU commissioner for fisheries, Mr Joe Borg, recently spoke of his vision for "a thriving marine economy in harmony with the environment, supported by scientific excellence in the ERA".

Ireland is well placed to play this "leadership role", he says, and last year's Eurocean conference, hosted by the Marine Institute in Galway as part of the EU presidency, copperfastened this State's position, he believes

"We already have the nursery grounds for fish, we have world-class fishery scientists leading scientific teams on an international scale, and the fact that we are so small has to be one of our greatest competitive advantages.Once we have made a decision, our rate of implementation has to be faster than anywhere else in Europe. The distance between the industry voice here and a Government decision is very, very short."

Yet if there's interest in Brussels, is there anyone listening in Leinster House? Heffernan has served under many ministers in his time. Now they don't sit at the Cabinet table anymore.

"That's market forces," Heffernan says. "Nothing ever stays static - the ability to adapt is vital, and Government policy still states that it wants to establish Ireland as a world-class centre for excellence for scientific research. We have made sure, and will continue to ensure, that marine science has its place."