Scoil Chroí Naofa, Bunninadden Sligo named National Winners.

Scoil Chroí Naofa of Bunninadden, Sligo has been named the national winners of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s ‘Something Fishy’ 2016 competition. The students from the senior class in the school were awarded the prize at an event in the Clarion Hotel, Sligo. The ‘Something Fishy’ programme is an educational initiative of Inland Fisheries Ireland, in partnership with Blackrock Education Centre, which allows students to learn about fish and the environment in a local context.

The 2016 ‘Something Fishy’ programme saw 3,776 children from across the country taking part in 118 schools and 11 education centres nationwide. Students were invited to submit project entries into the competition with this year’s entries addressing the theme ‘Focus on Learning’. Since the inception of ‘Something Fishy’ in 2005, approximately 50,000 children have participated in the initiative which aims to promote interest and understanding in fish and their habitats.

The winning group of 24 students from Bunninadden, Sligo wrote, edited and produced a digital and artistic photo story during the previous school term along with their teacher Mr Adrian Ormsby. They were announced winner of this year’s ‘Something Fishy’ competition after an independent judging panel, comprising of fisheries officers and education staff, selected their entry. They were commended for their impressive animation video of the life cycle of the salmon. The students received the National ‘Something Fishy’ Award and a €700 prize for the class.

As part of the educational programme, Inland Fisheries Ireland’s Fisheries Officers visit schools and provide classroom based assistance with a full range of resources for teachers and children also available on the ‘Something Fishy’ website (www.somethingfishy.ie). Together, they explore the themes of fish, habitats, angling, water environment and the protection and conservation of Ireland’s rivers and lakes. Aside from school based learning, Fisheries Officers take students into the field to give them some practical experience of their work.

Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: “The standard of entry to this year’s ‘Something Fishy’ competition was particularly high and it is fantastic to have so many children engaged on our fisheries resource. ‘Something Fishy’ gives children an opportunity to learn valuable lessons about the importance of protecting and conserving the aquatic environment but perhaps more importantly, they are also empowered to share their learnings with their peers via digital projects which can be enjoyed by all.

I would like to acknowledge the wonderful efforts of all of the children and teachers who participated in this year’s ‘Something Fishy’ programme. A huge congratulations to Scoil Chroí Naofa on taking first place with a strong, entertaining entry which really brought fish and their habitat to life.”

Ms Bernie Burke, Principal of Scoil Chroí Naofa said: “We are thrilled to accept this year’s Something Fishy national title. It is a fantastic achievement by the students involved who have thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the programme. They have discovered the magical world within our waterways and enjoyed learning all about the aquatic environment. I would like to congratulate each of them and their teacher Mr Ormsby on all their hard work.”

To view this year’s winning entry and for more information on Inland Fisheries Ireland’s ‘Something Fishy’ programme, visit www.somethingfishy.ie. For more information on Inland Fisheries Ireland, visit www.fisheriesireland.ie.

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