Reports of illegal mussel fishing in a protected coastal area of north Dublin are being investigated by the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and by Duchas, the Heritage Service.
The voluntary environmental group Coastwatch Europe, which monitors wildlife around the coastline, reported that two fishing boats had apparently begun dredging for mussels in the Sutton Creek area yesterday. The area is protected by EU bird and wildlife habitat directives, but the power of enforcement for illegal fishing lies with the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.
Fishing for mussels or other species is not allowed without a permit from the Department. A spokesman confirmed yesterday that no such permit had been sought for fishing in the Sutton Creek area. The vessels left the area yesterday.
Ms Karin Dubsky, co-ordinator of Coastwatch Europe, claimed illegal activity in such protected areas was "very poorly policed and controlled" and mussel gathering had taken place in this protected area on a number of occasions. "To be fair to the fishermen, they may not even know this activity is illegal and the fault may lie with inadequate signposting and policing," she said.
"This is a very important area for wildlife and for birds in particular." Clearing the seabed of the naturally growing mussels had a knock-on effect on the lugworm population and subsequently on birds and marine life as the food-chain was disrupted, she explained.
Another Coastwatch volunteer claimed that fishermen often seeded mussels in pure water in other parts of the country first.
A spokesman for the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources said it had not yet been established whether the activity was mussel fishing or whether anything illegal had occurred.