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CONSERVATIONISTS SAY THAT species of fish and other marine life found in Irish waters need better protection.
A new report from the Irish wildlife trust sets out 48 species of fish (including sharks and rays) and other animals that they say should be included.
Some of these are already threatened with extinction. Some are only found in limited areas off the Irish coast.
The organisation, which runs educational programmes and carries out surveys of marine life, says the absence of such protections has led to certain species being chronically over-exploited in the past.
“The Basking Shark is the second largest fish in the sea, but Ireland is the only country in its range where it is not legally protected,” said a statement from the group, outlining the current state of a number of species.
“The native oyster once spread out in vast carpets across inland bays and estuaries but now struggle for survival in a handful of deplete populations.
The short-snouted seahorse is known only from the coasts of Dublin, Clare, East Cork and Belfast Lough.
The trust says it is calling for “full legal protection” for the fish and invertebrates named on its list.
While many native animals – like deer, pine martens and nesting birds – have been afforded protections in terms of restrictions on hunting and protection of their habitats, the organisation says that, to date, no marine creatures have been afforded protection under the Wildlife Act.
The report includes species assessed on four criteria:
As part if its report, released this week, the Irish Wildlife Trust examined the fate of the Angel Shark, which was last spotted in Irish waters three years ago.
Although a member of the shark family, it doesn’t have the classic shark shape, but a flatter appearance and a broad snout. Adults can grow up to two-and-a-half metres long.
Until the 60s, they could be found all around the Irish coast, according to the trust – but they were targeting in sport angling competitions during the 60s and 70s.
According to the report:
Like many shark species, the female Angel Shark gives birth to live young, bearing a relatively small number of pups (7-25). Gestation is long, up to ten months.
Because of these characteristics overfishing can take a heavy toll, and species are slow to recover.
It is for this reason that so many endangered species of marine life are sharks and rays.
In the late 1980s Clew Bay in County Mayo and Tralee Bay in County Kerry were still considered to have ‘really large’ Angel Sharks.
In 2005 it was clear that the Angel Shark was in big trouble and it was taken off the Irish Specimen Fish List – but this was too late to save it from disappearing from many of its haunts. In recent years the Clew Bay population has been lost. Until recently Tralee Bay was the last known location, and even here the most recent confirmed sighting was in 2015.
Its conservation status is now ‘critically endangered’. Is it too late to save the Angel Shark from complete extinction in Ireland?
The trust says extending protection to the species on its list “would close all harmful commercial or non-commercial activities until such time as that species was no longer threatened”.
Targeted hunting, either in a commercial fishery or for recreational angling would be regulated (i.e. a licence would be required). The National Parks and Wildlife Service would oversee the licencing and ensure that conditions are attached which ensure the use of appropriate gear, handling, open seasons, etc. – as is done for existing protected species, such as deer.
Some classifications of protection for fish and marine animals already exist.
Many Irish bays and estuaries are already protected under an EU Habitats scheme – although the Irish Wildlife Trust argues that some harmful fishing practices are still permitted in these areas.
The Common Fisheries Policy allows for a total allowable catch for fish species of commercial interest – but the organisation contends that this is often impossible to enforce because of commercial fishing systems which catch many species at the same time.
The full Irish Wildlife Trust list of 48 species can be found here.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said in a statement:
DAFM, through the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy, the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, is committed to ensuring the conservation of biodiversity around our coast and minimising and managing interactions with fisheries.
We work closely with the relevant departments, agencies and stakeholders in this work.
The Department’s statement added that the establishment of marine protected areas is the responsibility of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government.
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How many of those 5,000 were able to travel to Spain this summer…
@Paul:
I really despise the likes of you.
Pitiful and sad!
@Paul: You can get a basic holiday package cheap for a low side of a few 100, a mortgage requires you to have 5 figures saved up and rent even split between three people would be about 125+ a week when some of them are on 188 or as a family 400
@Paul: I agree with you. The number of parents I know who moan about the cost of school, and in the same breath tell you about their foreign sun holiday, while eejit here doesn’t go on foreign holidays to pay for school!
People give out about the cost of shoes for school…do they go barefoot during the summer?? The cost of uniform? They wear it 5 days a week for 10 months!! My issue is that all books have to be new, I would be happy if the govt even tackled that issue
Yeah guys, stop trying to enjoy life and just work to survive. You’re all so materialistic…
@Ryan Carroll: its not about the cost but the fact some can afford to go on a holiday but not to send kids back to school
@Paul: Well going back to school is more expensive, depending.
@Ryan Carroll: except you are simply saying this as you believe poor people deserve every misery they endure.
@Paul: ….. or are down in the pub most nights.
@Charles Alexander: its probably true and as the saying goes,the truth hurts
I’ve had a lot of stories regarding SVP and although they do great work, their generosity is well know to be abused. I can’t agree with any charity giving people cash, should be in the form of vouchers only.
@Theunpopularpopulist: vouchers would certainly make it a bit harder for those who abuse the system . People already get help of 125/200 per child towards books. Uniforms can be bought cheap in lidl. I think some people just don’t want to pay a things forwards their kids needs and expect hand outs for everything. If people on social are getting their full benefits , rent allowances , med cards , child benefit and don’t have to pay towards anything then that’s a lot of money a month to themselves .. no wonder they can holidays to Spain every year .
@Theunpopularpopulist: I can understand this but a lot of people feel very embarrassed about having to show they needed help from SVP. Maybe instead SVP should provide the stuff directly.
@Suzie Sunshine:
I totally agree with you Suzie nice
To see your back from holiday
Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael hate the people of Ireland.
Varadkar’s reaction to the deaths of 2 homeless people yesterday was to reminisce about where he was when Princess Diana died.
That shows the absolute and utter contempt both he and his party holds for Ireland.
We are effectively on our own as FG represents banks and vulture funds.
The government can be disregarded.
Direct action to address the national housing emergency is not simply justified.
It is essential.
Real people vote FG, banks didn’t elect them, and you won’t get anywhere pretending those voters don’t exist, you have to instead change their minds, and just insulting them as people who don’t care and writing them off as tools of banks only drives them deeper into the arms of more regressive politicians.
Most people, well off or not, are inherently decent, and would want to do things about poverty,. At the moment we have a homeless crises because social housing is no longer being built the way it had been from DeVelera to Bertie, and the reason is they know the people who vote for them don’t live in them so they don’t feel pushed. You have to make them feel pushed by lobbying them – and you don’t convince people by writing them off before you’ve even tried, they needed to be shamed and guilted into it by highlighting the plight of these families not being described as tools of banks.
@Colin Morris: Shinner bot alert!!
@Colin Morris:
Leo and Fine Gael hate the people of Ireland? oh please and stop talking rubbish
@Ryan Carroll: Don’t forget your tooth brush the next time you go to see your local TD. Don’t forget to bring a few smokes as well.
But sure Leo said 70% of the people are middle class . Surely something amiss here !
@Willy Malone: he is not counting poor people though.
According to Leo you are only human when your income reaches a certain level.
Between children’s allowance and back to school allowance there’s no excuse not to be prepared. Everyone knows when their child will be starting school so they could put a little away every week if needs be.
@Mark Daniel: that good advice for those that have a little left over each week but what about those that are struggling to get by and have nothing left over to put aside for the free schooling with voluntary contributions
Wait for FF/FG (both of which hate the people of Ireland) to claim that half the poor people are scammers and the other half have only themselves to blame. But that either way if you find yourself in financial or housing trouble in Ireland then you deserve to be thrown to the wolves / vultures.
Direct action is necessary.
Our government hates this country.
@Colin Morris: Agreed entirely. Government and state have despised the people since it’s foundation . ultimate arrogance . and grossly overrepresented per head of population.
look at the tax take and poor return for tax.
Excessive VAT rates.. stealth taxes shamblolic health services. filthy water . ecoli etc… who is monitoring water quality now ? Dept of Agriculture no less. it’s no wonder the quality of rivers has disproved.
property tax will hike in 2009. wait for the outcry then. still too many quangos.
yada yada
@scanlanavia: we are a population without a government.
FF/FG represent money. Not people.
Direct action is essential.
Since FF exposed the govts lies on that score only a few weeks ago (re numbers who were scamming and what they saved) I doubt that. Since it was FF govts that came up with medical cards, college grants, free primary secondary school, the minimum wage, free travel passes etc etc they have a funny way of showing they hate poor people.
You won’t get anywhere in your knowledge by assuming FG ”hates” the people of Ireland either, people are not cartoon villains, you gotta know your enemy in order to beat them. THey think their approach helps those people too, thats how they look in the mirror in the morning without getting ill. The fact that most of them come from the upper middle class or rich farmers skews their worldview, esp since thats who their voters are too. So instead of their constituents telling them about their poverty they are demanding tax cuts and “those scammers on welfare their whole life” (of which they think there are far more than there really are) be dealt with.
so-called booming economy
The Catholic church still picking up the slack when government turns its back on the people of Ireland.
tell us.
This is typical FF/FG deflection.
Blame the poor.
Always.
Keep The Recovery Going!!
Fg and labour let all these issues grow,they did not stand up to the EU,they accepted 42% of EU debt.the public must remove them from politics or generations of their family will be born on the streets.
have your say