BIOGEARS stakeholder meetings in Ireland

While in Ireland, the BIOGEARS coordinator, Leire travelled to the West of Ireland to meet with seaweed and mussel stakeholders. Leire and Marga from AZTI travelled to Westport in the West of Ireland to meet with some key stakeholders to discuss possibilities and opportunities for implementing the BIOGEARS ropes in Ireland. Leire first met with Maeve Edwards from Irish Seaweed Consultancy, an Irish consultancy that specialises in seaweeds. The team members have extensive experience at the forefront of applied macroalgal scientific research. They provide solutions for the Irish seaweed industry with the speed, flexibility and confidentiality that businesses require. Therefore the group are key actors in understanding the Irish seaweed sector’s market potential, opportunity, needs and requirements. The next meeting, was with Michael Mulloy from Blackshell Farm Ltd, a company that has 46 hectares across three sites in the sheltered Clew Bay, employing seven full-time and part-time staff and operating two boats in the Atlantic Ocean. They grow the naturally occurring mytilus edulis mussels in the pristine waters of Clew Bay. Blackshell Farm have a particular interest in sustainable aquaculture and biobased gears. This meeting was an excellent opportunity to understand the current mussel sector in Ireland and the opportunities for biobased gears within this sector in Ireland.