New Chair for exploring the sea
14th January 2010
Dr
Manuel Barange has been appointed as the new Chair of the Science
Committee of the International Council for the Exploration of the
Sea (ICES). Dr Barange, who will also become Director of Science
at PML from April 2010, will take up his ICES post from
January 2010.
“Since it was founded in 1902 it has gone from strength to strength
to become the largest and most influential organisation of its kind
in the world. ICES provides a fantastic opportunity for scientists,
in and around the North Atlantic region, to speak with one voice
and be heard especially since the Scientific Committee has national
representation and hence great authority”, said Dr Barange, “I feel
privileged to be the conduit of that voice. This is especially
important now, as the North Atlantic will face major environmental
changes in the near future that will affect human societies in ways
that we do not yet understand, so there is no better time to
undertake this role”.
Dr Barange’s appointment follows the publication of the ICES
Science Plan in 2008, which recognises that ICES’ leading role in
the North Atlantic should be enhanced and expanded. With many of
the issues that concern the Council being global in nature, ICES is
likely to extend its disciplinary scope and geographic footprint
through alliances with non-member countries, international and
intergovernmental organisations and conventions. Manuel Barange
sees this as one of the key roles in his new post: “I want to open
ICES up to a wider customer base which should include other
scientists’ organisations, NGOs and similar groups, not just the
government laboratories that are its mainstay up until now. This
will bring greater strength to ICES through the different
experience and expertise needed to face the interdisciplinary
challenges of the next few years.”
Externally, ICES has often been regarded as a purely fisheries
organisation but this is far from the case, according to Barange:
“The issues we all face now require a wider influence and
increasingly we will have to answer questions around socio
economics, climate change, biodiversity and spatial planning from a
broader regional perspective, as well as maintaining a leading
position on aspects of fisheries science.” ICES is perfectly placed
for such an ecosystem based approach to understanding the oceans
with its existing network of over 3000 scientists arranged in more
than 100 working groups.” Dr Barange sees ICES as becoming more and
more a worldwide player, co-operating with similar organisations to
ensure that those who manage the oceans are supplied with the best
available science to underpin any decisions they have to make.
PML Chief Executive, Professor Stephen de Mora, is delighted
that Dr Barange has been selected for this post: “Manuel is the
perfect person for this role and will bring a considerable body of
expertise to bear on the problems faced by the oceans of today and
tomorrow. As Director of GLOBEC, for the last ten years, he is well
aware of the need to work in partnership across the world and over
subject areas. We are particularly pleased that Manuel will be
coordinating our science at PML at the same time as playing a key
role on the wider front that is ICES.”