Sir, - As one who has campaigned consistently for more than a quarter of a century, for the development of our marine potential, the seabed survey, reported in Marie O'Halloran's article on September 6th, was very welcome news. In particular the statement, attributed to Mr Geoffrey O'Sullivan of the Marine Institute, was exciting when he said.
We have a very large continental shelf and we know very little about it. We should be staking our claim in this area so as to encourage and lead others in developing a strategy for marine resources.
Mr Raymond Kenny's contribution, for the Geological Survey Office, was equally important when he described the survey as "a significant advance in our study of offshore Ireland". He pointed out, however, that a lot more remains to be done to map this vastly undeveloped area.
In this latter connection, while the survey covered the deep water area as far west as the edge of the Rockall Trough, it is pertinent to point out, as we have so often in the past, the need to update the charts for inshore coastal navigation, most of which date from the end of the last century.
Congratulations are due to the Department of Marine for the establishment of the Marine Institute, a measure which should have been taken on the formation of the State. Yours, etc.,
31b Ballsbridge Terrace,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4.