Fair Seas film showcasing northwest coast to be screened in Donegal

An award-winning short film that explores the waters from North Donegal to Sligo through the eyes of its coastal communities will be shown at a special screening in Letterkenny.

The screening takes place at the Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny on Wednesday, February 7 at 7:00pm. Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Martin Harley will open the event which will be followed by a short update on Marine Protected Areas in Ireland from Fair Seas and a panel discussion with community members from the film. 

‘Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest’ is a 14-minute film featuring the views, stories and insights of local communities who depend on the sea to make a living. It won the Exceptional Merit award at the Documentaries Without Borders International Film Festival and was a finalist at the Big Blue Film Festival in Oregon in recent days. 

“Fair Seas: the Atlantic Northwest’ has been incredibly well received and we’re delighted to bring it back to the region for its first in-person screening,” Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer with the Irish Wildlife Trust said.

“The coastal communities of Donegal and Sligo are at the heart of the film and several of the participants will be joining our panel discussion after the film. We will hear from John Shine of Shine’s Seafood, angler Peter MacAuley, scuba dive instructor Aoibheann Gillespie Mules and Auriel Robinson of Seatrails. 

Scuba dive instructor Aoibheann Gillespie Mules who features in ‘Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest’. Picture: Swimming Head Productions

“We are passionate about listening to and telling the stories of coastal communities as we campaign to protect the vital resource that is our ocean.”

Seven things: Wildlife sanctuaries around the county

Donegal is home to a diverse landscape which hosts ten nature reserves displaying a significantly varied range of wildlife and natural habitat such as woodlands and wetlands

‘Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest’ was partly funded by the Networking and Marine Research Communications Awards, funded by the Marine Institute under the Marine Research Programme with the support of the Irish Government. It was produced by Swimming Head Productions.

The Fair Seas coalition has been campaigning for strong and ambitious legislation committing to effectively protecting 30% of the seas around Ireland by 2030, with 10% strictly protected. The group is calling for stakeholder engagement at every stage, clear delivery timeframes and a robust management framework, with targeted, site-specific measures to ensure MPAs deliver for nature.