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Displaying items by tag: COP23 Bonn

#DublinBayOil - The Dublin Bay suburb of Sandycove writes Dublin Gazette could be affected by offshore oil drilling that would damage local “delicate habitats”, according to local Green Party reps.

Una Power, Green Party Representative for Killiney-Shankill is calling on the government to cease further exploration for fossil fuels off the coast of Dun Laoghaire.

Oil exploration is set to start at Kish Bank, just 10km from Killiney Beach.

“This must be stopped,” Ms Power told the Dublin Gazette.

Providence Resources Plc, the Irish-based Oil and Gas Exploration Company, holds a licence (details click link) and (related PDF download), granted by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment to allow for the planning, consent and drilling of an exploration well on the Kish Prospect.

Ms Power said that it is “incredibly worrying that the Government are continuing to grant licenses to explore for fossil fuels, knowing the challenges Ireland faces in meeting our climate change targets, and the negative environmental and health impacts fossil fuels have”.

“We’re calling on the Government to stop the granting of licenses. Oil exploration is set to start at Kish Bank, just 10km from Killiney Beach – this must be stopped.”

The Green Party introduced the Prohibition of Fossil Fuels (Keep It In the Ground) Bill 2017 last week, which seeks an end to further oil and gas exploration in Irish territory as the COP23 conference in Bonn continues.

Afloat adds on the Providence Resources website they state, in February 2013 the company decided to voluntarily surrender the Foreshore Licence following discussions with the Irish government, when it became clear that there had been a transposition error in relation to the EIA Directive. In 2014, the transposition error was finally corrected.

The surrendered Foreshore Licence as previously covered on Afloat, followed the controversial oil project also known as the 'Dalkey Island Prospect' given the close proximity of the Kish Bank Prospect. 

To read more on the story from the Dublin Gazette, click here.

Published in Dublin Bay

Marine Wildlife Around Ireland One of the greatest memories of any day spent boating around the Irish coast is an encounter with marine wildlife.  It's a thrill for young and old to witness seabirds, seals, dolphins and whales right there in their own habitat. As boaters fortunate enough to have experienced it will testify even spotting a distant dorsal fin can be the highlight of any day afloat.  Was that a porpoise? Was it a whale? No matter how brief the glimpse it's a privilege to share the seas with Irish marine wildlife.

Thanks to the location of our beautiful little island, perched in the North Atlantic Ocean there appears to be no shortage of marine life to observe.

From whales to dolphins, seals, sharks and other ocean animals this page documents the most interesting accounts of marine wildlife around our shores. We're keen to receive your observations, your photos, links and youtube clips.

Boaters have a unique perspective and all those who go afloat, from inshore kayaking to offshore yacht racing that what they encounter can be of real value to specialist organisations such as the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) who compile a list of sightings and strandings. The IWDG knowledge base has increased over the past 21 years thanks in part at least to the observations of sailors, anglers, kayakers and boaters.

Thanks to the IWDG work we now know we share the seas with dozens of species who also call Ireland home. Here's the current list: Atlantic white-sided dolphin, beluga whale, blue whale, bottlenose dolphin, common dolphin, Cuvier's beaked whale, false killer whale, fin whale, Gervais' beaked whale, harbour porpoise, humpback whale, killer whale, minke whale, northern bottlenose whale, northern right whale, pilot whale, pygmy sperm whale, Risso's dolphin, sei whale, Sowerby's beaked whale, sperm whale, striped dolphin, True's beaked whale and white-beaked dolphin.

But as impressive as the species list is the IWDG believe there are still gaps in our knowledge. Next time you are out on the ocean waves keep a sharp look out!