Ireland's ARC drops anchor in Oban
The mobile aquaculture classroom spent three days in Scotland at the request of Salmon Scotland
A mobile classroom belonging to Ireland’s seafood development agency Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) has made a guest appearance in Oban, courtesy of trade body Salmon Scotland.
The Aquaculture Remote Classroom, or ARC for short, was open to pre-arranged visits from groups, and drop-in visits from members of the public on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week, during the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race’s visit to the west coast town.
Through a virtual underwater journey, visitors could explore how salmon, oysters, and mussels are farmed in Ireland in a fun and engaging way.
Salmon Scotland is considering whether Scotland’s seafood sector would benefit from its own ARC, and the organisation’s operations director, Candice Hale, arranged for the ARC and its staff to come to Oban as a first step to show the sector here what is possible and what is currently being done elsewhere.
Scotland’s salmon producers already visit schools in the areas where they farm to show older pupils what careers are available in the sector, and less is done for younger pupils and the general public, in or outside fish farming areas. An ARC would enable the sector to to educate more people about aquaculture, across a wider area.
Building understanding
“Salmon Scotland were pleased to facilitate this visit with BIM to showcase their Aquaculture Remote Classroom,” said Hale.
“By bringing aquaculture to life through immersive, hands-on experiences, the ARC plays an important role in building a greater understanding of aquaculture and the important role it plays in providing healthy, sustainable food.”
