Madam, - I found that piece by Lorna Siggins about the impact of Shell's operations in Erris (July 29th) very depressing indeed.
Her descriptions of Shell employees using a speedboat to "herd" dolphins out of the bay and their covering of sand martin nesting sites with netting to prevent the birds from breeding were startling.
May I ask exactly what terrorist black-list dolphins and sand martins are on. What threat are they to Shell, whose website proclaims that it operates in "environmentally and socially responsible ways"? Indeed.
Are these "environmentally and socially responsible" activities going to be a permanent feature of Shell's operations in Erris? Who sanctioned these activities? What does the Government and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government have to say? Are the Wildlife Acts of 1976 and 2000 or any of the various pieces of EU wildlife protection legislation being contravened?
Does the Government or the department or Shell actually care one whit?
Is all this mellifluous talk about biodiversity, conservation and respect for the environment just more of the same old soundbite waffle - meant to sound good but God forbid that anybody actually take it seriously? In the meantime the wildlife of Erris is being "herded" and blockaded from their feeding and nesting grounds courtesy of a "green" multinational. Madam, I despair. - Yours, etc,
ARTHUR BOLAND, Cecilia Street, Dublin 2.