The Shannon estuary was the most under-developed resource in the State, the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, said this week as he launched a study on the area called "Special Interest Marine Tourism in the West Clare Peninsula".
The study, which took 18 months to complete, was commissioned by the Marine Institute, Shannon Development and Clare County Council and cost £30,000. It involved consultations with over 60 community representatives and local tourism operators in workshops and working groups.
"The main aspect of the study that is now coming to the fore is the huge potential of marine tourism," Mr Fahey said.
Marine tourism currently contributes £392 million per annum to the economy and supports 14,500 jobs. According to the Marine Institute, it is projected to grow by 50 per cent over the next three years and create a further 5,600 jobs.
As the first study to concentrate on the marine tourism potential of a region, Mr Fahey said it would serve as a model for similar projects around the coast, using local knowledge, external consultants, third-level institutions and State authorities in a co-ordinated approach.
"The overall process was thus critical in bringing together both external and internal perceptions of the area's potential in marine tourism," the report states.
Dr Peter Heffernan, the Marine Institute's chief executive, said the project had come at a time of "great awakening" to the State's 220 million acres which are underwater.
The report emphasises that the west Clare peninsula, which is sandwiched between the Atlantic and the Shannon estuary, has a diverse coastal environment and wildlife whose development as a tourist attraction requires a sensitive, integrated approach. Tourism suppliers in the area currently receive between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors annually, who spend between £11 and £50 each.
As well as the marine attractions of boating, angling and swimming, the study notes that the outer estuary contains the only resident population of bottle-nosed dolphins in Irish waters. They are described as "the very foundation for the tourism industry of the area" with "the potential to provide a strategic brand for the west Clare peninsula".
It points out that 95 per cent of the £2.9 million in revenue made from commercial dolphin watching in 1994 was concentrated in Dingle where a lone dolphin, Fungi, resides.
The study sets the target of attracting 20,000 visitors per annum to the colony of over 100 dolphins within five years. Currently, the fledgling industry generates direct revenues of about £25,000.
Local operators, together with researchers, have formed a Shannon Dolphin Project to ensure the business is developed in an environmentally sustainable way.
The region has also potential for seabird watching. The establishment of an ornithological centre together with a thalassotherapy (seaweed therapy) centre is also proposed.
Other outstanding features in the area include the waters around Kilkee, recognised as being one of the best diving locations in Europe.
Nevertheless, the region is identified as having a low level of tourism development because of its peripherality and strong competition from north Clare and Kerry. The establishment of a co-operative tourism group is recommended.
Market research should also be carried out to build up a visitor profile and training programmes for local service providers need to be implemented.
"The successful branding and marketing of west Clare will be a key to the success of other development measures," the report states.
It notes that the population of the area, which includes the towns of Kilrush and Kilkee, is 4,000. It has fallen by almost 7 per cent since 1981, in contrast to a 7.3 per cent growth rate for the county as a whole.