Shannon dolphins could be endangered by green energy plan, say campaigners
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Government plans to transform the Shannon Estuary into a multi-billion euro hub for renewable energy could lead to the extinction of a unique and protected species of bottle nose dolphin.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last month unveiled the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce report, which aims to create 50,000 new green energy jobs and 30GW of green, off-shore wind energy before 2050.
The Clare-based Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) believes the developments could jeopardise the protected dolphins that live in the estuary, and has called on the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce to engage with local environmental stakeholders as soon as possible.
The IWDG says the unique species of dolphin in the Shannon Estuary is already under pressure because of loss of habitat and climate change, and any further encroachment could push them into further difficulty or even extinction.
Simon Berrow of the IWDG said a number of practical measures, such as introducing a speed limit on the large vessels using the estuary, could prevent the destruction of the dolphins and other species.
Mr Berrow said the IWDG raised these concerns with Mr Varadkar, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan, and the Shannon Estuary Taskforce itself, but it is yet to receive a response.
“We are lucky to have these dolphins, they are unique and it would be a tragedy if they were not there anymore in 30 years,” he said.
“The sooner they [the taskforce] start managing this issue, the better. It isn’t going to go away. We are talking about a small, genetically unique population of dolphins, so if you lose a few individuals, the population can spiral to extinction very quickly, especially if we were to lose a few adult females. We have modelled data for this, we know how precarious their position is.”
The Shannon Estuary is a designated Special Area of Conservation, a Special Protection Area and has also been designated as a European Marine Protected Area.
Dolphins use sound to navigate and communicate, and increased traffic in the Shannon Estuary is expected to have a negative impact on their ability to feed and breed.
As noise is now considered a pollutant under European law, companies and local authorities have an obligation to both measure and manage it.
Mr Berrow believes a speed limit in the estuary, coupled with the installation of power banks to allow large ships to plug-in to the national grid rather than running noisy generators while docked, could lead to a significant reduction in the noise levels.
“We need a noise map of the estuary so that we can determine the present level of noise and we can monitor how that changes over time. What we could do is set a noise threshold, a level that won’t impact on the dolphins and fish, and then manage how to maintain operations within that threshold,” said Mr Berrow.
“There is always solutions, but unless there is an acknowledgement that there is an issue and there is an open and respectful forum where we can share these issues then we can’t find these solutions.”
A spokesperson from Clare County Council said the local authority was committed to the environmental protection of the Shannon Estuary.
“As lead authority on the Strategic Integrated Framework Plan [SIFP] for the Shannon Estuary, Clare County Council has always advocated for a holistic approach to the sustainable development of the Shannon Estuary based on scientific evidence,” said the spokesperson.
“In this regard, we welcome the inclusion of an action within the recently launched Shannon Estuary Taskforce Report to re-establish the Shannon Estuary Integrated Framework Planning Working Group to recommence ‘preparatory planning and environmental activities’.
“As an SIFP lead partner, Clare County Council will ensure any concerns are brought to the taskforce and will work to ensure the economic development of the estuary into the future is undertaken with the necessary appropriate knowledge and scientific evidence to support any planning applications that may arise.
"Such an integrated and forward planning approach on an estuarine and ecosystem basis will ensure all development is carried out in the most sustainable approach.”
A spokesperson for the Shannon Estuary Economic Taskforce did not respond to queries.
Mr Berrow said his group was in favour of the planned development of the Shannon Estuary but has urged those involved to take environmental factors into account before they become a serious issue.
“These developments will put increased pressure on the dolphins at a time when they are already under pressure. We are seeing a phenomenal change in the sea water temperature so we really need good quality, scientific information about what is happening and how these proposed developments might impact on that,” he said.
“We need to have open and honest conversations with the people who are planning these developments. We need a mechanism where all the information that we have collected for the past 30 years can be fed into the planning process.
“These developments are important for the national infrastructure, they are important for local jobs and for renewable energy, but that doesn’t have to come at the expense of the wildlife. They can both go hand in hand. The Shannon Estuary is already industrialised and it is still a fantastic place for wildlife, we need to preserve that balance.”