The 2009 / 10 winners of the National “Something Fishy” competition have been announced. As ever the standard of entries was very high making the judges deliberate for several hours before the National Winner was chosen.

The winning school is The Robertson National School from Ballintra, Co. Donegal. The children will be presented with their prize at the Central Fisheries Board, Swords, Co. Dublin on the 11th of June 2010. The winning entry is a presentation on eels called “Eel”usive. It looked at the eels life cycle, examined how they live, behave, the decline in the eel population and what is being done about it.

CEO of the Central Fisheries Board, Dr Ciaran Byrne said “I was impressed at not only the standard of research but also the quality of work produced by the 5th class pupils. They demonstrated a great understanding of fisheries science. We may even have a few budding fisheries scientists for the future”.

“Something Fishy” is an educational resource originally designed and promoted by the Central and Regional Fisheries Boards in conjunction with Blackrock Educational Centre. “Something Fishy” is aimed at fifth and sixth year students at primary level. It is based on the life cycle of salmon and gets students to explore, water, fish, fish stocks, angling, conservation of rivers and lakes and fish as part of the food chain. As well as class based work Fishery officers take students into the ‘field’ to get hands on experience of their work.

Schools taking part in the program was asked to produce a class project based on any part of ‘Something fishy.’ The projects ranged from posters, poems, stories, drawings songs, documentaries and science experiments. The students demonstrated imagination and an extensive level of both understanding and learning from the projects that were entered.

The “Something Fishy” program is continuing for the 2010 / 11 year and packs are available in both English and Irish. The packs are supported by an interactive website: www.somethingfishy.ie . All involved in “Something Fishy” would like to thank the teachers, children, co-coordinators and fishery officers who help make this years competition so successful. The Central and Regional Fisheries Boards and all the staff at Blackrock Educational Centre hope that the interest and standard of entries for the 2011 competition will be just as high.

Something Fishy Presentation will be held at 12pm the 11th of June 2010 at the Central Fisheries Board Swords, Co. Dublin.

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For media enquires

Linda Mc Kenny,
PR and Communication Officer,
Central Fisheries Board,
Swords Business Campus,
Swords, Co. Dublin

Tel: 01 8842639 Mobile: 087 3294440
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Notes to Editor:

The Central Fisheries Board (CFB) is a statutory body operating under the aegis of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was established under the Fisheries Act 1980.

Its principal functions are to advise the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on policy relating to the conservation, protection, management, development and improvement of inland fisheries and sea angling, to co-ordinate and provide specialist and support services to the Regional Fisheries Boards, and to advise the Minister on the performance by the Regional Fisheries Boards of their functions.

The seven Regional Fisheries Boards have primary responsibility for fisheries management in their Regions. The role of the Regional Fisheries Boards is to conserve, protect, develop manage and promote inland fisheries. The Boards are also responsible for developing and promoting sea angling and protecting molluscs

Under the rationalisation of state agencies outlined in Budget 2009, The Central and Regional Fisheries Boards will be merged to form Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in early 2010.