West Coast Marine-Mammal Centre of Excellence

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

This project seeks to explore the development of a Marine-Mammal Centre of Excellence to raise awareness of and study local and regional marine life with the goal to ensure its protection. 

PROJECT JUSTIFICATION & OBJECTIVES

The Shannon Estuary is home to more than 100 resident bottlenose dolphins and other marine mammals like otters and seals. In addition other cetaceans as well as basking sharks regularly visit the area.

With a biodiversity crises at hand, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group already based in Kilrush and in advance of planned offshore wind farms, developing a centre of excellence to showcase and study these animals is timely. In addition to the environmental benefits a centre like this would bring, it would also provide employment opportunities and options to further develop nature tourism in the area.

This project also has the potential to inspire and partner with similar projects on the Shannon Estuary and further afield for the benefit of nature education and conservation.

This project contributes to: 

• tourism

• environment

(POTENTIAL) PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS

• Kilrush Town Team

• Irish Whale and Dolphin Group / Shannon Dolphin & Wildlife Foundation

• Kilrush Tidy Towns

• Kilrush Chamber of Commerce

• Kilrush Community School

• Other communities on the Shannon Estuary

• Clare Co Co