Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for allowing me the opportunity to raise this important issue and I thank the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Deputy Deenihan, for coming into the House to reply.
The fishing industry in Howth in my constituency is a vital part of the local economy and the employment it generates is a significant part of the workforce, both directly through sea fishing and indirectly through fish sales, processing and ancillary services. A number of fishing boats from Howth are exclusively engaged in whelk fishing at the Codling Bank in the Irish Sea. The Codling Bank comprises 63 acres of seabed, which is a vital nursery for shellfish. Whelk fishing at the Codling Bank had an estimated commercial value of £4 million in 1995, the last year for which figures are available from the Department of the Marine.
My concern and the concern of the fishing industry in my constituency has been raised by the application by Bray Urban District Council to the Minister for the Marine for a licence to extract 250,000 cubic metres of gravel from the shellfish nursery at the Codling Bank to replenish the beach at Bray. One does not need to be a marine scientist to understand the serious adverse effect of extraction on marine life, shellfish and employment in the fishing community which depends on shellfish and whelk fishing, in particular. If whelk fishing is wiped out, the boats which fish for whelk would have to fish for cod and mackerel and this would depress the overall catch for boats now fishing for cod and mackerel.
I want to refer to the Codling Bank gravel extraction environmental impact statement which was prepared for Bray Urban District Council by Irish Hydrodata Limited and the Aquatic Services Unit in the Department of Zoology at University College, Cork. The statement lists the various fishing interests which were approached for their views. The omission of the Howth Fishermen's Association from this consultation process has caused outrage in Howth among fishermen who depend on whelk fishing for their livelihood. They feel it is unacceptable that the Codling Bank nursery for bottom dwelling fish and shellfish should be disturbed.
There are other apparent defects in the environment impact statement. It overlooks, for example, the existence of live coral in the area of the Codling Bank. During the proposed excavation work, the dispersal of the plume would, in the opinion of the fishermen, travel a greater distance than stated in the environmental impact statement. According to the fishermen, the suggestion to fish the area prior to dredging is also non-viable.
There are many alternative sources of gravel on land in the Wicklow area which could be used to deal with coastal erosion rather than ruining the Codling Bank seabed. I ask the Minister to take into account the concerns expressed when dealing with the licence, which should not be granted.
