It’s go, fish! Big aquarium gets nod
WATER result! An aquarium that will be Ireland’s largest has been given the go-ahead.
The landmark, which is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, will be located next door to the Titanic visitor attraction in Belfast.
However, for ethical reasons, the aquarium will not feature any whales, dolphins or sharks.
Once built, the €13.5million attraction expects to bring in 300,000 visitors a year – which is just over a third of the number who go to the award-winning Titanic exhibition in a normal year.
Belfast City Council has just granted planning permission. Keith Thomas, of developers reefLIVE, said: ‘We are thrilled with the decision to approve our aquarium which has received a tremendous amount of public support since its original announcement last year.’
ReefLIVE Aquarium will be the largest marine-life centre on the island and will add another major attraction to Belfast. It hopes to open in early 2022 with building work expected to take 18 months.
The reefLIVE aquarium will create 50 new jobs once operational.
Mr Thomas added: ‘The reefLIVE Aquarium Belfast will respond to huge public interest in the marine environment, the wonderful creatures that live there and the pressures on their habitats, communicating a strong and inspiring conservation message and showing how we can all make a positive difference.’
He also said that ‘cutting-edge digital technologies’ will be used to tell the stories of sea creatures whose habitats are under strain and will create a ‘stunning and immersive visitor experience’ and an aquarium for the 21st century.