Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Marine Institute

"Massive cloud of suffocation" moving off west coast

60 per cent of oysters dead in Donegal, one farmer tells TheJournal.ie, as algal bloom moves into its fourth week.

FISH AND OYSTER farms along the north-west coast are reporting massive losses, as a toxic algal bloom or “red tide” that formed in May shows no sign of receding.

Experts said that the bloom, which is caused by a “species of phytoplankton” was naturally occurring, but that it would kill anything that could not swim away from it by sucking the oxygen out of the water.

“It is like a massive cloud of suffocation,” Padraic Fogarty, Chairman of the Irish Wildlife Trust told TheJournal.ie.

Unless you can swim away from it it will kill you. The tide is washing up dead marine creatures, as marine invertebrates like star fish and crabs can’t get away.

According to the Galway based Marine Institute, it was difficult to say how long the bloom would last. “It may subside quickly to be replaced by the more typical mixed summer algal community, or it may continue over the next month or so as was the case in 2005″ it said in a statement on its website.

However, shellfish farmers said that this year’s bloom was far more devastating than the 2005 one.

“This is very bad for us,” Damian Reid of Donegal Oysters Ltd told The Journal.ie.

In 2005 up to 40 per cent of the oysters died but now we have a 60 per cent mortality rate on our stocks and this is probably going to rise. There are always deaths in oyster farming, but i’ve never seen anything on this scale.

The algal bloom showed no signs of receding, said Reid, who farms between 500 and 600 tonnes of Oysters a year in Donegal Bay.

Most of our oysters go to France. But we’ve had to ring them and say you will be lucky if you have 30 or 40 per cent of what we promised unless you’re interested in dead shells, because we have no shortage of them.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

View 17 comments
Close
17 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adam Murphy
    Favourite Adam Murphy
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 11:16 AM

    Article thankfully didn’t live up to it’s title!

    42
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Thomas Mc Grory
    Favourite Thomas Mc Grory
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 11:21 AM

    Your right Matthew, phytoplankton are responsible for much of the oxygen present in the Earth’s atmosphere – half of the total amount produced by all plant life. I think the author is trying to say that the food life at the bottom of the ocean would not recieve light from the sun and therefore die, no fish food for the fish as a result of this.

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dec Rowe
    Favourite Dec Rowe
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 11:14 AM

    Bloomin eck!

    20
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sinead Kiely
    Favourite Sinead Kiely
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 4:13 PM

    Lol FFs!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seán Ó Briain
    Favourite Seán Ó Briain
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 11:19 AM

    Revenge of the Plankton!

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michelle Rogers
    Favourite Michelle Rogers
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 1:41 PM

    It’s my understanding that scientists believe these red tides are caused by coastal pollution from human sewage, agricultural run-off, along with rising ocean temperatures. Good old chemical farming, good old global warming!

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barry O'Brien
    Favourite Barry O'Brien
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 1:44 PM

    That’s what first popped into my mind but now I’m not so sure. I think that was a surge in sea lettuce that was caused by the runoff of nitrate fertiliser from farms.

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jody Clarke
    Favourite Jody Clarke
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 2:02 PM

    That has been suggested. But both the Marine Institute and Wildlife Trust said it is probably down to natural causes. These blooms happen all the time but usually don’t come into the coast

    4
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Derek Durkin
    Favourite Derek Durkin
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 4:43 PM

    This isn’t the first time ive read stories about this. Seems to be a growing problem around the world.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fagan's
    Favourite Fagan's
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 12:52 PM

    Thanks a lot Enda. ;) Might as well be the 1st to say it.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Quinn
    Favourite Alan Quinn
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 1:17 PM

    god I thought we were all going to die. do scare me like that journal

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matthew Donoghue
    Favourite Matthew Donoghue
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 11:11 AM

    doesnt photoplankton give off oxygen and take in carbon dioxide?

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Matthew Donoghue
    Favourite Matthew Donoghue
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 11:14 AM

    phyto not photo

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute mattoid
    Favourite mattoid
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 2:06 PM

    But zooplankton feed off it and they remove the oxygen. When the plankton die the decomposition process also reduces oxygen levels…

    11
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Aranthos Faroth
    Favourite Aranthos Faroth
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 2:43 PM

    Fascinating when you think of it.
    Like a chemical weapon generated by the sea itself!

    14
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Richie Flynn
    Favourite Richie Flynn
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 4:00 PM

    It is a natural bloom similar to others recorded over the past few decades. The action of death can be related to a depletion of oxygen levels but it is more likely that the plankton itself is toxic to shellfish which are filter feeders and also fish when it passes through their gills. It has been a very out of character year for plankton blooms with lots of unexpected species turning up, in all likelihood due to increased amounts of freshwater and unusual prevailing winds. The great pity is that oyster farmers like Damien can’t move their stock or have multiple sites to avoid complete destruction of their livelihoods due to government inflexibility and red tape for aquaculture licences. Minister Coveney has a huge job to clear out the 600 fish and shellfish farm licence applications on his desk, some of which have been languishing for over 7 years without progress. Having access to alternative sites would have saved a lot of shellfish and human hardship.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute PeeedOff
    Favourite PeeedOff
    Report
    Jul 19th 2012, 1:05 PM

    Natural selection at work…Survival of the fittest….!!!

    3
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds