On April 18th, the biggest ever trade delegation from Ireland, led by the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney visited the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute (YSFRI). Delegates from Ireland also included the Irish Ambassador Mr. Declan Kelleher, Secretary General Tom Moran and Chief Veterinary Officer Martin Blake of Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Chief Executive Officer Aidan Cotter of Bord Bia, Chief Executive Peter Heffernan of Marine Institute, Chief Executive Officer of BIM Jason Whooley, Director of Research for Teagasc Frank O’Mara, and others. The Deputy Director Guifeng SUN of European Division of Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture of China, President Xianliang ZHANG and Vice President Qing LIU of the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences accompanied the visit. Director General Qingyin WANG and Deputy Director General Xianshi JIN of YSFRI received the guests. The formal meeting hosting the Irish delegation was chaired by Qing LIU.

At the meeting, Qing LIU said, Qingdao is a beautiful coastal city, and is currently building a Blue Silicon Valley, by which she referred to the outstanding research work done in Qingdao by scientists from Ocean University of China, Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Science, and YSFRI, etc. The YSFRI has made excellent achievements in the field of marine fisheries science and technology and made important contribution for fishery economy development of China.

Minister Coveney appreciated the warm reception, and introduced the ambitious plan of Ireland to develop its marine resources, including marine fishing and marine aquaculture. He said that the purpose of his visit to the YSFRI, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, is to exchange marine fishery science and technology, to share development experiences, and to advance the communication and cooperation in the fields of marine fisheries, thus to achieve mutual benefit.

Prof. Qingyin WANG, Director of the YSFRI, introduced the research development of the Institute, and focused on the general situation of fishery, aquaculture development in China, as well as the support function made by the YSFRI in the field of marine fishery science and technology of China.

The two sides also discussed the ocean environment, breeding pollution, resources proliferation issues and explored the cooperation opportunities in the field of fisheries.

After the meeting, Minister Coveney visited the Laboratory of Maricultural Organism Disease Control and Molecular Pathology (OIE Reference Laboratory).