The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) is marking the 10th anniversary of this State's whale and dolphin sanctuary this week with a demand for a proper environmental assessment of the Corrib gas-field development off Mayo.
The IWDG has called on the Government to reassess its position on the environmental effects of offshore oil and mineral exploration.
Ten years ago tomorrow, Ireland's offshore waters were declared a sanctuary for cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) by the former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey.
The non-governmental organisation, based in Kilrush, Co Clare, is appealing to the Government to apply the EU's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive to seismic surveys and exploration drilling in Ireland's marine territory.
It is also calling for application of the EU Habitats Directive by creating marine protected areas for cetaceans.
And it has called on the Minister for Arts, Heritage, the Gaeltacht and the Islands to stop further development of the onshore aspects of the Corrib gas terminal on Broadhaven Bay until a survey of cetaceans has been carried out.
"At present there is another seismic survey under way off north-west Mayo as part of the Corrib gas-field development, and there is no attempt to assess or mitigate this impact on cetaceans," said Dr Simon Berrow of the IWDG, director of the Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation.
"We know the area is used by a wide range of cetacean species, including pilot and minke whales and white-sided, common and bottle-nosed dolphins, and that seismic activity may displace whales and dolphins from their preferred habitat."
The EIA directive requires assessment of the environmental effects associated with "the execution of construction works in the natural surroundings including those involving the extraction of mineral resources".
The IWDG says the EIA carried out for Enterprise Energy Ireland for the Corrib gas field is deficient in its attempt to assess and mitigate its impact on cetaceans and other marine life.
The minimum requirement for the EIA would be at least 12 months' fieldwork to determine seasonal trends in distribution and relative abundance of cetaceans in the area.
This is essential for identifying critical habitats and critical periods in the lifecycle of each species, for example, calving periods when animals are most susceptible to disturbance.
The IWDG is also critical of the failure to conduct a cetacean survey for Broadhaven Bay in Co Mayo, the proposed landfall for the Corrib gas-field pipeline and also a candidate marine special area of conservation.
A revised environmental impact statement submitted by Enterprise to Mayo County Council for the Bellanaboy terminal in Broadhaven Bay covers three volumes. There is only one brief reference to cetaceans.
