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Consultant to the Marine Sector
 Captain Alex M Blackwell
Master Mariner
Alex Blackwell has a long standing involvement in and a deep commitment to the Irish Marine Sector. He has been consulting on marine (tourism) infrastructure, navigation, seamanship, mariculture projects, as well as business development, and marketing.
With a Master of Science degree in marine biology, Alex launched one of the first oyster hatcheries in Ireland. At the same time he shipped oysters throughout Europe and introduced them to the local restaurant trade. He is past chairman of the shellfish growers committee of the Irish Aquaculture Association, and was also a director of the Clew Bay Oyster Cooperative Society and worked as a commercial fisherman. As a result, Alex has a deep understanding of the development and regulatory processes in the marine sector.
Alex is an entrepreneur who has successfully launched several companies. Most recently he is starting up Knowledge Clinic Limited. Utilizing online seminars via the Web ("webinars") and other technologies, Knowledge Clinic will deliver continuing medical education to patients diagnosed with chronic disease through the Best Patient social enterprise program, assessing their comprehension and rewarding appropriate behaviour over time. The benefits include improved health outcomes and lower cost of care because an informed patient becomes an active partner in healthcare decisions.
Alex has a host of business management experience and innovative marketing expertise. He was a partner and co-owner of Starnet Media Group, a general services marketing, graphic production, and commercial printing company in the United States, which was recently acquired by a consortium. There he managed client services, as well as studio, internet, IT, and print operations. Alex’s personal client base covered a wide range of industry sectors. These range from commercial and consumer electronics, to energy management, medical marketing, medical device manufacturing, machine tool manufacturers, automobile manufacturing, engineering, food distribution, medical implant manufacture, travel and leisure, catalogue sales, and many more.
In addition to the business aspects, Alex is a water sports enthusiast and adventurer, as well as strong proponent for the maritime heritage and aquatic ecosystems of our Irish waters. He holds a commercial Master’s license from the US Coast Guard with sailing and towing endorsements and serves as co-owner and master of a 57-foot sailing boat. He has sailed across the Atlantic three times since 2008 and spent years sailing both sides of the Atlantic as well as throughout the Caribbean and Atlantic Islands. Alex has also provided contract services to sailing clubs and county councils on swing mooring installation and maintenance.
Aboard their cruising sailboat Alex and his wife, Daria, are frequent visitors to harbours and islands along the western Irish coast. Alex is a BSAC and PADI US Divers licensed sub-aqua diver. He is also a passionate fly fisherman, sea and lake angler, enjoys fishing and sailing in smaller boats in local waters, and spends as much time as possible introducing others to the sea and inland waters.
Qualifications & Certifications
- Commercial Master Mariner’s License (#2748015) with sailing and towing endorsements issued by the US Coast Guard.
- Restricted Certificate of Competency in Radiotelephony – VHF with DSC
- Certified Diver - PADI and BSAC
- First Aid with CPR - Red Cross
- Master of Science, Christian Albrechts Universitaet, Kiel, Germany. Specialization in Fisheries Biology with emphasis in marine aquaculture.
For more information on Alex, please click here
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