Shell and the Wild Birds of Erris

mayo | environment | opinion/analysis Saturday July 05, 2008 14:19 by m.m.mccarron

Shell, the State and EU/Irish law

Shell to Sea is currently drawing persistent attention to the flouting of EU/ Irish law in relation to the Wildlife Act of 1985 amended in 1995. It received statutory significance through its signing by the then, Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, Michael D Higgins

A recent comment in a news item suggests that Michael D Higgins expressed anxiety about the wild bird situation in Erris.

As a Minister of State in the mid-nineties he signed into Irish law , S.I. 31/1995 - European Communities(Conservation of Wild Birds)
( Amendment) Regulations, 1995.

The Explanatory Note on the Statutory Instrument explains the classification of "seven sites as Special Protection Areas in accordance with Article 4 of the Directive and to provide that contravention of the provisions of these Regulations shall constitute an offence".

These seven sites include Blacksod and Broadhaven Bays on the County of Mayo.

Has the State explained to the citizens why this legal instrument is being broken through the netting of the rare sandmartin nests on the machairs of Glengad. Surely the Shell to Sea photograph of a bird which has beaten itself to death in its effort to reach its nest through Shell netting spells out an offence against the said statutory instrument.