The North Western Waters Advisory Council has expressed concern over plans for offshore windfarms on the south Irish coast.

A submission by the group to the Department of Environment’s “DMAP” proposal for designating areas of the south-west for offshore renewable energy (ORE) notes that a “large number” of commercially important fish species spawn there.

These include cod, whiting, haddock and herring, which would be vulnerable to impacts from surveys and construction work associated with offshore wind farms, the council says.

It notes that both cod and whiting stocks are in difficulty, and any impacts on spawning and nursery groups in the proposed DMAP area may “additionally negatively affect Irish Sea stocks as well”.

It notes that in spite of avoidance and technical measures introduced as part of fisheries management, the stocks are showing no signs of recovery.

The council represents a number of Irish and European seafood organisations and non-governmental organisations.

A submission on DMAP has also been made recently by a number of Irish seafood organisations, expressing serious concerns.

A recent EU Court of Auditors report says the impact of offshore installations on the marine environment has “not been adequately identified, analysed or addressed”.

It has also found that sharing sea space is “encouraged”, but it is not “common practice”, and it has expressed “particular” concern about “the unresolved conflict with fisheries in some countries”.