Clare Water Safety has decided to suspend the use of a device to protect participants in its lifesaving programme from Dusty the resident dolphin.
As The Clare Champion reports, the decision was confirmed the day after a public meeting at the Irish Water Safety training centre in Whitestrand, Co Clare, over its plans to use the “pinger” device.
The newspaper reports that about 50 people attended the meeting, including members of a local action group which was opposed to the use of the ultrasonic device.
As Afloat has reported, Dusty the dolphin is a solitary dolphin which has been resident on the Clare coast for more than 25 years, and has also been spotted around the Aran Islands.
Unlike Fungi, the bottlenose dolphin which frequented Dingle harbour in Kerry for 37 years until it disappeared in 2020, Dusty has had occasional aggressive encounters with swimmers.
Clare Water Safety had secured a licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to use a “single sound emitting device” in the shallow waters of the bay during Nipper lifesaving training only.
The “pinger”, as the device is also known, was used during lifesaving training in the area last year, when concerns were expressed by the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group about adequate authorisation with the NPWS.
Acoustic sonar use by the military at sea has been linked to mass strandings of marine mammals.
Some members of the action group have offered to help Clare Water Safety with training children to keep them occupied if the dolphin enters the bay.
Read The Clare Champion here
