Bord Iascaigh Réigiúnach an Oirthir
‘Something Fishy’ is an education resource that was produced by the Central Fisheries Board in conjunction with Blackrock Education Centre and the Regional Fisheries Boards.
The resource is aimed at fifth and sixth classes in Primary School and comprises of 9 double-sided activity cards for pupils, which explore different aspects of fish life, e.g. water, fish, the life cycle of a salmon, fish stocks, angling, conservation of our rivers and lakes, and fish as part of the food chain. Teachers’ notes which accompany each individual activity card include relevant background information and guidelines on working through the lesson. The pack is accompanied by a high quality poster, developed by Liam O’Briain, an experienced teacher, angler and artist, and aims to aid the learning process in order to keep the children interested once the activity cards have been completed.
Angus and Tara Corps acting fishy
The response regarding the pack has been extremely positive to date. The pack is available in Irish and English and is also supported with an interactive website, www.somethingfishy.ie. The website consists of interactive games, quizzes and activities that refer to the information in the pack. The website can help to reinforce the lessons learnt in class and in doing so, educate children about the importance of the environment, fish species in Ireland and how we can work together to ensure conservation of fish and fishing in Ireland.
A number of Eastern Regional Fisheries Board staff have completed Child Protection Training courses and are in a position to visit local schools to give talks to children on the lesson plans in relation to their local stream or river etc. Field trips are also organised with the schools to give pupils hands on experience of their local river/stream habitat.