Sir, – I am a regular visitor to the Beara Peninsula, west Cork since I discovered the amazing sea angling on offer back in 2005. Those initial trips were eye opening in terms of the biodiversity displayed in what was then a pristine marine environment, particularly in the area between Crow Head, Dursey Island and Cod’s Head close to Allihies.
I have just returned from a trip to Dursey accompanied by three friends, Roger Ball, Dave Hoskins and Rob Howe, from the UK, who are also regular tourism sea angling visitors to the area. We are appalled by what we witnessed over the previous few days.
The reason we travel is to immerse ourselves in a pristine environment that delivers a marine biodiversity experience. The coastal seas in and around Dursey Island and Allihies Bay up until five years ago presented an experience akin to being within an episode of The Blue Planet.
Today David Attenborough would be horrified, as Ireland has taken its eye off the ball and allowed the violation and tarnishing of a marine biodiversity jewel to occur under its watch. On our visit this month, my friends and I saw at first hand the destruction of an amazing natural resource, all legally allowed by the Irish State.
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What we had suspected since 2014, was presented in front of our eyes: industrial-scale fishing using monofilament gill nets up to 500 metres long set along productive marks that sadly are shadows of what they were five years ago.
Monofilament gill nets are indiscriminate in what they catch and are seriously damaging to marine biodiversity, wiping out local fish stocks very fast, while lost nets continue to trap fish and as they eventually break down are a major contributor of micro-plastic to the marine environment.
Since 2014, the once prolific grey mullet shoals in the bays around Dursey Island and Allihies have been wiped out, with species such as pollack, wrasse, conger and flatfish greatly diminished both in quantity and size.
Between 1997 and 2014 the marine biodiversity which presented between Crow Head, Dursey Head and Cod’s Head never changed in our experience, a consistent wonder of which I highlighted on my website www.anirishanglersworld.com and in various published magazine articles.
However, post-2014, this once wonderful Irish example of a local pristine marine environment has changed radically, as a result of increasing fishing pressures.
Tourism angling is worth €100 million plus to the Irish State and a pristine marine environment is priceless.
Ireland needs to manage its wild places better for all of its citizens, as these resources belong to all citizens of the State and not just a few individuals.
My UK-based friends and I are urgently advocating the setting up of a community-managed marine protected area between Crow Head, Dursey Head and Cod’s Head, in west Cork to protect and help restore the local marine biodiversity before it is too late and also calling for the Government to completely ban the use of monofilament gill nets in Irish coastal waters.
Managed marine protected areas enhance the returns and benefits accruing from marine resources for all citizens, including fishermen/women and do not, as is subjectively argued, impinge on traditional rights.
With new legislation coming into play from 2020 limiting trawlers over 50ft long from working inside six miles and a greater focus being afforded to inshore fishers, how Ireland manages its inshore coastal waters for all citizens (to include local commercial fishing, sea angling and marine biodiversity tourism interests) could potentially have serious negative implications in the future if it is not dealt with effectively.
My experience in west Cork over the past week is a sad lesson in how not to do things. – Yours, etc,
ASHLEY HAYDEN,
Gorey, Co Wexford.