Vol. 496 No. 1
38 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the reason he intends to extract 250,000 tonnes of gravel from the east coast to counteract coastal erosion at Bray, County Wicklow; if his attention has been drawn to fishermen's concerns in relation to the major impact on fishing stocks due to the situation of water and shellfish grounds and removal of the spawning beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22043/98]
Bray Urban District Council plan to remove gravel from the Codling Bank to be used for coastal protection works at Bray north beach, County Wicklow.
The council followed the normal procedure which involved the preparation and publication of an environmental impact statement. Objections which were made by a number of parties including fishing interests were subsequently examined by my Department's specialist advisers.
Consultants for Bray Urban District Council were asked to address these concerns. According to the consultants the Codling Bank is 200 km square and the proposed dredge area is 0.255 km square or approximately 1/800 of the total area. They consider the possible adverse effects on fisheries to be minimal. They say the whelks neither have specific spawning nor nursery areas and that it is possible to remove all the whelk from the proposed dredge area prior to dredging commencing. The works are to be strictly monitored to ensure adverse effects, if any, are kept to a minimum. A post extraction survey is to be carried out shortly after completion of the operation and one year thereafter.
I have instructed that Bray UDC should ensure that adequate notice is given to allow for the removal of whelks from the proposed dredge area prior to dredging commencing. A liaison arrangement has been provided to ensure that the concerns of fishermen continue to be addressed.
The Minister is probably aware within his constituency of Howth of fishermen's concern about this issue. Does he not consider this is a contradiction in terms because one of the main environmental threats to the conservation of fish and the protection of spawning areas has been the taking of aggregates from the sea? Although he said that only 0.255 kilometres will be affected, that will amount to the extraction of a quarter of a million tonnes of gravel. Has he reassured fishermen along the coastline that there is no cause for concern about this issue? Is he confident they need have no fears about this? If so, why did he decide recently to establish a task force to reassure them? Would it not have been better to have had consultations well in advance of this work rather than set up a task force subsequently?
Howth fishermen are prominent among the fishermen who are concerned. This matter was examined in great detail by the specialists and by those responsible for ensuring the preservation of our fish stocks and the monitoring of spawning beds. They know the business. There was a lack of communication which I addressed by arranging meetings with the Howth fishermen. We indicated that every step that can be taken to preserve the fishing grounds will be taken. We also indicated that only 1/800th of Codling Bank would be affected. The matter has been thoroughly investigated and the experts are confident they know what they are doing in that regard.
Regarding the concerns of fishermen, I said I would establish a liaison group with the fishermen to enable them address any further concerns they may have, particularly in regard to this operation. As the Deputy will know, many good points are made before such proposed work, but when it comes to the operation everything that was talked about is not necessarily done. We want to make sure that everything that was talked about will happen. It is particularly important that the liaison group be kept closely informed of proposed work, work during the extraction and any events thereafter.
