Dr. Colm Lordan has been officially announced as the incoming Chair of the Advisory Committee (ACOM) at the 111th ICES Council meeting (International Council for Exploration of the Sea).
The ICES advisory committee ACOM is made up of the foremost marine science advisors from the ICES 20 member countries. ACOM provides independent scientific advice on the sustainable management of marine resources and ecosystems in the North Atlantic Ocean to a range of requestors including the European Union, the UK, Iceland and Norway. Dr. Lordan was first involved with ICES in 1993, and since then has participated in over 70 different ICES expert groups and has chaired 20 working groups. He previously served as Vice-Chair of ACOM from 2018–2020.
Dr. Lordan is a staff member at the Marine Institute for over 25 years. He joined the Marine Institute in 1998 researching deep sea fisheries and assessing demersal fish species including monkfish, megrim, whiting and haddock. In 2001, his focus moved to Nephrops stocks and developing innovative underwater television surveys and assessment methods. His research specialties included mixed fisheries, stakeholder engagement, impact of fisheries on the ecosystem and impact of the environment on fish stocks. Dr. Lordan is currently Integrated Advice Manager in the Fisheries Ecosystem Advisory Services (FEAS) section, which provides stock assessment and scientific advice mainly to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
On his appointment, Dr. Lordan said, “I am honored and delighted to be taking up the role of chair of the Advisory Committee at ICES. My appointment comes at a time of accelerating pace of change and increasing anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems. I believe ICES is well placed and will respond effectively to address the existing and emerging advisory needs of policymakers and managers. I very much look forward to working with, and leading, ACOM as we generate state-of-the-art evidence-based advice to meet conservation, management, and sustainability goals".
Dr. Ciaran Kelly, Director of Fisheries Ecosystem Advisory Services at the Marine Institute said, “I congratulate Colm on this great honor. Dr. Lordan is the third secondment of a Marine Institute scientist to a position of international scientific importance, which clearly demonstrates the Marine Institute’s leadership and standing in the international marine science field”.
Dr. Lordan will begin his 3-year term on December 1, 2023.
