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Thousands of Lugworms dead on Glengad and Rossport beaches

category mayo | environment | news report author Monday July 02, 2012 18:47author by C - Rossport Solidarity Camp

Today, 2nd of July, thousands of dead Lugworms were found in the sands around Sruwaddacon estuary.
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The dead lugworms were on both sides of the estuary, both on Glengad beach and Rossport beach. Further dead lugworms were also found at the east end of Sruwaddacon estuary, just opposite Shell's tunneling compound in Aughoose.
Lugworms are almost never be seen above the sand yet sections of the beaches were littered with both dead and almost dead lugworms.

It is unknown at the moment what is the cause of the mass lugworm deaths.

All pictures are from Glengad.

Related Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugworm

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Comments (12 of 12)

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author by leftypublication date Mon Jul 02, 2012 21:53author address author phone

send a bunch of them into NUIG zoology dept to see exactly what killed them perhaps??

author by Joe - S2Spublication date Wed Jul 04, 2012 00:53author address author phone

A few years ago we tried to have our local water analysed when it was suspected that Shell were allowing uncontrolled run-off

from the Ballinaboy building site. The two labs we contacted told us that because it was part of the Corrib Project, they 'wouldnt

get involved'. We, and our environment, are on our own down here. A suggestion such as the above would be a no--brainer

anywhere else in the country, but we live under Shell Law, and that's a different can of (dead) worms altogether.

author by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite partypublication date Wed Jul 04, 2012 12:57author address author phone

send a sample to Greenpeace or FOE..they should be able to get objective reads...send worms, sand and water samples from a few locations.

author by johnpublication date Thu Jul 05, 2012 14:20author address author phone

the deaths of these lug worms is due to an Natural algae bloom which is occuring all along the west coast of Ireland at the moment. Karenia mikimotoi is a species of phytoplankton of the dinoflagellate group that produces dense blooms and often results in similar mortality of marine organisms.

Trying to associate the mortalities of these Lug worms with the shell works is clutching at straws at best.

author by leftypublication date Thu Jul 05, 2012 15:20author address author phone

can we have some actual proof before we accept this john? We only have your say so so far which means nothing, since you are just another anonymous internet poster.

Anyone with half a brain and a vested interest in "muddying the water" could just easily research possible natural causes of death of marine life along the west coast then quote one.

How can you possibly know the cause of death conclusively without conducting a scientific examination of a batch of these particular worms.

It could very well be something shell is doing. We won't know for sure until the worms are actually examined.

author by Lughpublication date Thu Jul 05, 2012 15:26author address author phone

Algal bloom in west kills lugworms

LORNA SIGGINS, Marine Correspondent

Thu, Jul 05, 2012

A MASS mortality of lugworms and shellfish on the west coast has been caused by a seasonal algal bloom, the Marine Institute said.

Thousands of lugworms have died on the north Mayo coastline since last weekend, while dead cockles have been found on the sand at Rossport, Glengad and Broadhaven Bay.

Marine Institute scientist Joe Silke, who runs the national phytoplankton monitoring programme, said the deaths were caused by an algal bloom or “red tide” which was toxic to bottom-dwelling marine species, such as shellfish and certain species of fish.

The bloom has been identified as a type of Karenia red tide, which can also affect seabirds and other species including dolphins. However, the bloom was “naturally occurring”, formed by phytoplankton or microscopic plants, and posed no risk to human health, Mr Silke said.

Evidence of the bloom has been identified from Donegal to the Clare coastline, he said. A previous bloom or red tide on this part of the coastline lasted throughout the summer of 2005, but it was “very difficult to predict” how long this bloom would last.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0705/1....html

author by Joe - S2Spublication date Thu Jul 05, 2012 20:01author address author phone


.........brown - nosed, arse-licking deference to Shell and its agents started in North Mayo about eight years ago and shows no

sign at all of abating. It's brought the worst kind of self-serving bottom feeders to the surface, where they justify everything Shell

does, good and bad, with the mantra that 'there'll be jobs', - the coverall that has provided justification for every rotten deed carried

out by the likes of Shell all over the world for the past 100 years. If there's 'jobs' it has to be good - never mind that neighbours are

at each others' throats and the concept of justice and due process in Belmullet District Court is a distant memory. I wouldn't get

too excited about this lugworm thing - I've seen this kind of mass destruction of marine life in other parts of the world where no

industrial activity was taking place, so the jury is out as to whether it's got anything to do with Shell's current work. But it's

interesting to see how quickly an expert has been found to scotch this particular concern. If his explanation is correct, could we

have it corroborated by readers of this site who live along the West coast - if this phenomenon is widespread, as suggested,

there should be ample evidence of dead marine life all the way from Donegal to Galway. I'm reminded of the time when we had

concerns about the water in Carrowmore lake and the Council 'mislaid' their records relating to that particular period. When you

live under Shell Law you take everything with a pinch of salt until events ultimately provide clarity.

author by leftypublication date Fri Jul 06, 2012 08:36author address author phone

it appears there is indeed some problems with algal blooms along west coast

http://www.marine.ie/home/aboutus/newsroom/pressrelease...t.htm

http://www.marine.ie/home/publicationsdata/data/Habs+Se...y.htm

So for once it's probably not shell fucking up the environment.

author by Fiorgaelpublication date Fri Jul 13, 2012 16:20author address author phone

Ah yes I suppose the Marine Institute must be agents of Shell also issuing such a coverup. I have come to the conclusion that some not all opponents of Shell see them not as a gas/oil comapny but some sort of meglomaniac company who are actually trying to take over the world. Anybody who seems to defend shell or absolve them from blame of alleged wrongdoing must be in on it. So far we have the Irish Government, Mayo County Council, An Bord Pleanala, An Garda Siochana, the judiciary and many others who if people on this site are to be believed are all subservient to shell.

I have done a little digging and it appears that there are many historical references to Shell agents throughout history. Shell it would appear have been around since the dawn of man in some form or another. The earliest reference to a Shell agent was in Genesis when a Shell agent was seen in the garden of eden. Judas himself was thought to be a Shell agent but the Catholic Church erased all reference to him as such at the council of mycenae as by then they had successfully infiltrated the church to the highest level ( as it happens Pope Benedict is also a shell agent). When Julius Caesar was stabbed he actually said "Et tu Shell" as Brutus was a well known shell activist but Shakespeare was bribed by Shell to omit this from his play. The most prolific Shell agent to have visited Ireland was Cromwell who's "to hell or to Connaught" plan was actually a cunning plan by Shell for a future operation in the West of Ireland as only Shell with their scientific advances knew of the potential of Natural Gas at that time. Adolf Hitler was a top agent of Shell but even he answered to a higher authority the then CEO of Shell Eamonn De Valera. In fact WW2 was waged not for land or power but for control of natural gas fields as of yet unrevealed by Shell. Some assassinations have been attributed to Shell including Martin Luther King, JFK, Bobby Kenned and, John Lennon.

Sources close to the inner circle have been recently overheard saying that if Jim Corr keeps up his crusade he will be next. Where will this all end I wonder and when the truth comes out how many double agents will be unmasked ?

author by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite partypublication date Fri Jul 13, 2012 16:32author address author phone

Or is it Fine Gael?

So is it your theory that Shell are incapable of conspiring, would not dream of conspiring, have never conspired and will never conspire..due to their saintly renunciation of such common corporate methodologies?

I suggest you go google Ken Saro Wiwa.

Or you could just crawl back in your Shell.

author by Joe - S2Spublication date Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:08author address author phone


Fiorgael's analysis, limited as it is by his clumsy attempts at irony and humour, has a certain ring of truth. It is true to say that

throughout history a conflict has existed betwen those who would pursue personal gain and enrichment without any consideration as to

the effect they might be having on their immediate neighbours, the wider community and the envitonment, and those who would

oppose their plans, either out of necessity (the various invasions of Ireland, German expansion, etc.), or for idealogical reasons based

on the belief that this world supplies enough for everyone if we share it out fairly, but not if we view the world as a trough that has to be

emptied as quickly and inequitably as possible. It's interesting that, in order to expand his laboured, asthmatic attempt at irony,

Fiorgael is forced to use some of the great monsters of history as his exemplars. He's right - for Cromwell, we can read Shell, in

terms of a total rejection of the rights of the communities he chose to invade. Equally so for Hitler, and if you want to talk about cover-up

and conspiracy in rural Iraland, look no further that the Catholic Churc circa 1950. So yes, Fiorgael, in a roundabout way you've actually

nailed what this controversy is all about. What you neglected to mention, though, is that at every twist and turn there has always been

a cohort of slimy, bottom feedig beneficiaries like yourself who refuse to see the logic placed before them and will ooze along for the

ride, always ready to muddy the waters with poorly presented prose and badly structured apologia.

author by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite partypublication date Mon Jul 16, 2012 13:32author address author phone

..are conducting a campaign across the disunited queendom today to highlight the Shell cleverality of going after Arctic oil even as the climate gets decidedly and overtly stroppy..and the consequent ice retreat allows then deepen the problem.

Is Homer running the oil as well as the nuke industry?


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