Sir, – Dublin’s Bull Island is a nature sanctuary recognised in designations such as the Special Amenity Area Order and the Dublin Bay Biosphere Reserve.
It has long been a haven for birdwatchers. Biosphere reserves are places where nature and people connect and, like all wildlife resources, they have a finite carrying capacity.
The vulnerable habitats at Bull Island are now being stressed, and the problem caused by careless dog owners requires intervention.
Recent visits to Bull Island have been marred by dogs roaming uncontrolled.
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They chase away the shore birds feeding along the tide line.
This must prompt questions about nest destruction in the sand dunes.
Bull Island has long been famous for its wild Irish hares, so nature lovers will be disappointed to see reports that they have been killed off by marauding dogs.
The traffic of motor cars, and the dog owners using those cars, has grown beyond the carrying capacity of the nature reserve. Visitors will find dog droppings that carry pathogens and viruses that damage the protected food chain at Bull Island.
Local authorities are gradually limiting access by dog owners to bathing places where young children might be sickened by dog droppings.
Three years ago Unesco greatly expanded the North Bull Island Biosphere designation to include Dublin Bay, and the management regime must now take account of this.
Uncontrolled access to Bull Island by dog owners in motor cars has to be controlled to protect the habitat.
The current management regime has failed. – Yours, etc,
Dr DIARMUID Ó GRÁDA,
Clonskeagh, Dublin 14.