Mayo county councillors have unanimously rejected a directive by Minister John Gormley to designate Lough Carra as a Special Protected Area under the EU Birds Directive, of special conservation interest for the common gull.
Fianna Fáil councillor Al McDonnell brought the directive to the attention of councillors at their monthly meeting on Monday, where he looked for support from the council to oppose it. The councillor said that the directive would affect “50,000 acres from Lahardane to Cong from Straide to west side of Tourmakeady”, in 25 townlands, and would “cripple a thousand farms across the county” due to the infliction of “very serious restrictions”.
If applied, the directive would prevent, without consent, in listed townlands, the developing, operating, or allowing of leisure or sporting activities liable to cause significant disturbance to these birds; construction or alteration of tracks, paths, roads, embankments, car parks or access routes; planting of trees; reclaiming land for agricultural purposes, including spraying or burning of vegetation, clearing scrub and rough vegetation, draining or moving soil, ploughing, harrowing or reseeding.
The Castlebar area councillor said: “The people of this county were never enemies of the gull” and “it was the eco warrior friends” of the Minister who destroyed the seagull population in the county after they set free wild American mink in Mayo in the 1980s. Councillor McDonnell said it was “time to stand up to the Greens” as “we cannot tolerate this kind of lunacy”.
Fine Gael councillor Patsy O’ Brien said the directive was “ludicrous”, “designated by stealth” and would devalue land.
Councillor Michael Kilcoyne said that the lands would be areas of desolation if the directive for a “special place for the birds” comes into force.
Westport councillor John O’Malley said he was convinced the idea was lunacy.
Independent councillor Richard Finn said: “This is the last straw, this is war on rural Ireland by the pen.”
Councillor McDonnell put forward a proposal that the council unanimously reject the directive, which was seconded.
County manager Peter Hynes said that this is “not a done deal” and that contact will be made immediately with the Taoiseach to request that a delegation from the council meet him to discuss the matter.
