Sir, - The World Wildlife Federation allocated to Ireland the very worst place among EU countries for failing to protect their species and habitats (The Irish Times, July 2nd). Any angler has known this for years.
When, one wonders, does the EPA intend to start protecting our environment? Most regional fishery boards when obtaining successful prosecutions fail to remind the judge that the polluter is supposed to pay.
Derisory fines are almost never appealed by the boards. Local authorities, farming and forestry all continue to poison our waterways. The evidence is present all over the country and getting visibly worse.
In my view Duchas should resign its custody of the lakes in Killarney to a more competent body. In a most brazen and cynical exercise in disastrous public relations, Duchas offers up to £500,000 to fund a project to protect habitats and species. (The Irish Times, July 3rd).
What more noble and urgent project could there be than to restore Lough Lein. At present hundreds of acres close to almost all the shorelines are covered with thick carpets of filamentous algae. Bay after bay is so thickly populated with aquatic plants that angling is impossible. The evidence of gross enrichment seem to be visible to everyone but Duchas. It now wants to pay someone £500,000 to do the job that its stewardship demands.
If politicians, fishery boards, protection agencies, heritage agencies and local authorities take the money then they should do the work. Is an appeal to the European Commission our only hope? - Yours, etc.,
John A. Cullinane, Ballincollig, Cork.