Call to Delay Blasting of Protected Irish Bird Site

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday June 30, 2002 19:36 by Tony Lowes - Friends of the Irish Environment fie at eircom dot net Allihies, Beara, Co. Cork +353 27 73025

The nesting site of a rare species of bird is threatened by the “premature” construction of the offshore pipeline trench in Broadhaven Bay, according to the environmental group Friends of the Irish Environment [FIE]. A warning notice was issued stating that the “controlled blast explosions would commence within the next few days.”

The nesting site of a rare species of bird is threatened by the “premature” construction of the offshore pipeline trench in Broadhaven Bay, Co. Mayo according to the environmental group Friends of the Irish Environment [FIE].

The group claims that a sand martin nesting colony lies at the exact point where the Broadhaven Bay pipeline meets the foreshore. A warning notice was issued by Enterprise Oil/Shell stating that the “controlled blast explosions would commence within the next few days.”

Last week, in a surprise decision, the Planning Appals Board sought further information from Enterprise Oil about alternative locations because of the environmental problems raised by the sensitive and remote location.

The Board stated: that “It has not been demonstrated that the remote siting of an onshore processing terminal eight kilometres inland from the landfall constitutes the best alternative.”

FIE claims that the preparation of the pipeline trench is therefore “clearly premature”.

FIE says the site is protected under European legislation as both a Special Area of Conservation under the Habitats Directive and a Special Protection Area under the Birds Directive. The group claims that sand martin’s nests are also protected under the Bern Convention and the Irish Wildlife Amendment Act 2000 and that they have been unable to trace any license which would be required to “damage, destroy or disturb a sand martin nest in use or with dependent young.”

“The trial trench has already disturbed this habitat. The proposed “controlled blast techniques” will result in the complete destruction of the habitat, as well as all live adults and young birds. Sand martins regularly have two broods with the young remaining in the nests until late August or early September. With no planning permission for the terminal in place the destruction of this rare bird nesting site is senseless and sickening”.

The Group is seeking the intervention the Minister for the Environment and has appealed to the Royal Dutch Shell Group of Companies who recently purchased Enterprise Oil

It is seeking the assistance of the public in faxing, calling, or e-mailing
Mr. Martin Cullen,TD
Minister for the Environment
Phone: 1890 202021 or 01 8882000
Fax: 01 878 8640
Email: minister@environ.irlgov.ie

And to Shell Oil at:
tellshell@shell.com

Photographs and more details at
htpp://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.org