IN SPITE of a report which highlights the vulnerability of seabird feeding grounds to oil spills, the Government will not impose a seasonal ban on oil exploration.
The decision by the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications follows publication of a report by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), a conservation watchdog for the British government. The report highlights stretches of the Irish Sea, George's Channel, and coastal areas off Cork and Kerry as areas where seabirds are most at risk.
The JNCC's concern over the feeding grounds of the great skua and gannet have led to a forthcoming British ban on exploration in five areas of the Scottish west coast. And seasonal restrictions on drilling and seismic surveys are also expected in another 380 new exploration blocks there.
Also under environmental appraisal are licences for the Schiehallion field, west of Shetland, in which the Irish company, Aran Energy, holds a stake estimated at 22.2 million barrels when it comes on stream in 1997.
The Department told The Irish Times that while it acknowledged the current JNCC survey of seabirds off the west coast, "each proposed exploration activity is assessed on a case by case basis and adequate safeguards are in place which obviate the requirement to impose any blanket seasonal restrictions on exploration activities."
However, data already collected by the survey has led to calls on the Government to bring exploration licensing terms into line with other European countries.
According to Mr Simon Delaney of the Irish Wildbird Conservancy, large seabird colonies breed from the beginning of July until the end of August and exploration work should be restricted in these months.
"The breeding colonies are among the most important in Europe. The storm petrels along the Kerry coast are crucially important in the Irish and British context, so we do have an international obligation to make conservation efforts," he said.
Among the 22 seabird species identified, puffins, razorbills and guillemots are particularly vulnerable during August when the birds are moulting and flightless. And since auks lay only one egg a year and take four years to reach maturity, ornithologists say an oil spill then would have a significant impact on their numbers
But according to Mr Oscar Merne, from the Wildlife Research Division of National Parks and Wildlife Service, restrictions on exploration during parts of the year would be problematic.
"The ideal from a nature conservancy point of view would be for companies to drill in the winter when some species move out of our waters. Unfortunately for practical reasons drilling is impossible then," said Mr Merne.