Donegal County Council is carrying out plough dredging at Buncrana Harbour in Lough Swilly between until next Friday 15 May, subject to operational and weather constraints.
Dredging operations are along the berthing face of Buncrana Pier, for a distance of 200 metres south-west of the head of the pier, and also at the approach to the slipway.
Plough dredging is being carried out during daylight hours only, from 7am to 7pm daily, using the pusher tug Otterbank (callsign MWVJ5). The vessel will display appropriate lights and signals and can be contacted on VHF Channel 14.
All other vessels, particularly those engaged in fishing, are requested to leave a wide berth during the operations, pass at minimum speed and keep a sharp look out while navigating in the area.
A diagram and coordinates of the work area, as well as contact details, can be found in Marine Notice No 22 of 2026 attached below.
Smaller Irish harbours like Buncrana have been lagging behind their larger counterparts when it comes to dredging activity over the past decade, according to recent analysis of EPA data by Afloat.ie.
