SHERKIN COMMENT
Issue No. 55 Environmental Quarterly of Sherkin Island Marine Station 2013
Dublin Port Terns: Predation by The Cork Folklore Project Conservation Through Innovation Inniscarra – a coarse angling paradise Alien Species Geraldine Healy highlights efforts to record and Stuart Munro explains how a wildlife sanctuary Ciaran Byrne on one of the finest coarse Oscar Merne on how alien species have preserve the life stories & traditions of people in in Namibia is striving to protect & improve the fisheries in the country. 18 hampered conservation efforts. 3 the Northside of Cork City. 9 lives of the people and wildlife there. 15/16/17
INSIDE TheThe WildWild PlantsPlants ofof Bere,Bere, Dursey,Dursey, WhiddyWhiddy andand otherother IslandsIslands inin BantryBantry BayBay
Main photo: Looking out towards Whiddy Island, with Hungry Hill in the background. Left inset: A view up Bantry Bay from the top of Bere Island. Right inset: The southern coast of Dursey Island.
Photography Robbie Murphy 2 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 Contents Editorial EDITORIAL: Fulfilling a Dream ...... 2 Matt Murphy on the importances of floras. Dublin Port Terns: Predation by Alien Species...... 3 Fulfilling a Dream Oscar Merne explains how alien species have hampered conservation efforts. county. Thankfully he was able to produce Sheep's Head and Beara. The Wildflowers of Cork City and County • The West Cork mountain range. A Lifetime of News...... 4 (The Collins Press, 2009) – a wealth of • Inland and coastal fen, lakelet and Alex Kirby on his long career in news reporting. botanical information. It is beautifully marsh habitats of north Cork. Ballycroy National Park ...... 5 written, bringing the layperson on a jour- • Cork City and its environs - which boasts One of six national parks managed by the ney with him through the flora of many an inordinately rich and diverse flora. National Parks & Wildlife Service. Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy areas in Cork city, such as Sunday's Well, • The conservation of small, widely St. Luke's, the Glen and Blackrock and in scattered waterbodies. The Wild Plants of Bere, Dursey, Whiddy and other the County, from the coast to the lakes to • Roadside ditch habitats. Islands in Bantry Bay...... 6 the mountains.The chronic shortage of John Akeroyd tells us about the second flora botanists means so much of the diversity The last 30 years has seen thousands of miles of ancient roadside ditch habitats produced by Sherkin Island Marine Station. of the wild plants are being lost forever. To do a systematic survey of the county destroyed and replaced by concrete panels Capsize at 75o North...... 8 would take many teams of botanists. or posts as necessary road improvements John Gore-Grimes gives a frightening account of Frighteningly, Tony O'Mahony is the last have been made. These ancient roadside sailing between Svalbard & Jan Mayen. systematic botanist for the county. To ditch habitats harboured a diverse, rich The Cork Folklore Project ...... 9 quote his own words "when I go there is flora that was irreplaceable. In some cases, Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) is a fine sight destruction of these hedgerows may have Geraldine Healy highlights efforts to record and in May, fringing bog pools and loughs on the no resident Cork botanist to follow me". islands of Bere and Whiddy in Bantry Bay, Sadly he could be the last botanical sur- been unavoidable but surely with so much preserve the life stories & traditions of people in West Cork. topsoil available wonderful new ditches the Northside of Cork City. veyor in Cork County. I cannot understand the lack of interest could have been established, either in front Jersey’s Coastal Wilderness ...... 10 By Matt Murphy in one of our most vital natural resources, or behind that odious concrete. In a short Anthony Toole visit Les Écréhous, a reef of rocks our wild plants. We can save bats, dol- space of time new habitats would have & small islands between Jersey and France. THE publishing of our latest book The Wild phins, seals, whales and yet the flowers been formed for wildlife. What a legacy that would have been for future genera- The Crowded Highway of Ireland’s Skies ...... 12 Plants of Bere, Dursey, Whiddy and other provide pollen and nectar for many insects Islands of Bantry Bay (see page 6) brings to such as bees, butterflies and moths, all tions. Maybe someday someone in Daphne Pochin Mould talks about our busy skies, authority, whether it be in Ireland or Brus- with its multitude of flight paths and flyers. fruition a project we began in 1997. That vital in the foodchain for other animals year, for a number of months, we based and for humans. sels will insist that if hedgerows have to be Indium – Metal of Modern Communications...... 13 three botanists on the islands of Bere, Establishing the flora of an area is an destroyed, new ones must be established. Anthony Toole explains the uses of indium, a member Dursey and Whiddy to record the wild plant important resource. Having a baseline At present Ireland's roadside ditch habitats of the same group of elements as aluminium. life. It was like an Aladdin's Cave, reveal- record of native and non-native wild are "second class citizens" and looked on as a nuisance, not the crucial habitats on Thoughts on the Future for the Irish Fishing Sector..14 ing a flora close in number to those we had plants species helps to build a picture of the biological diversity of an area. It can which much of our wildlife relies. Lorcán Ó Cinnéide shares his views on the subject. found for the Roaringwater Bay islands. We knew further survey work had to be under- serve a tool to educate people about their If we don't look at what plant species Conservation Through Innovation ...... 15/16/17 taken and following a number of visits, local environment and help to monitor the are where, there will no true record of the Stuart Munro explains how a wildlife sanctuary ending in 2008, we had a total of 578 presence of invasive plants species, which plant species around us and many may be in Namibia is striving to protect and improve the species, close to the 627 for Roaringwater can sometimes have a negative impact on lost, simply through ignorance. Plants may not be the stars of conservation but they lives of the people and wildlife there. Bay. Our next task was to publish the data, native species. are a vital part of every ecosystem and we Inniscarra - a coarse angling paradise ...... 18 a huge task in itself. Fortunately Dr John Tony in his book highlights the main areas of botanical biodiversity within Cork should at least record their presence. Ciaran Byrne on one of the finest coarse fisheries Akeroyd who edited the Station's first flora The Wild Plants of Sherkin, Cape Clear and County. He lists eleven focal points that in the country. adjacent Islands of West Cork (published in are worthy of conservation measures. Matt Murphy, Director, Sherkin Island Noel Hackett - the Visionary ...... 19 1992) and Supplement (2011) came These include: Marine Station, Sherkin Island, Remembering a man whose vision & activities onboard again. John has now visited the • The southwest peninsula of Mizen, Co Cork, Ireland. made Inniscarra Lakes a fishing haven. marine station annually for 25 years and Lumpfishes in the Irish & North Atlantic Waters..20 has been a major influence in guiding our Declan T. Quigley looks at a small family of botanists over the years. After much work, editing, checking, rechecking, etc.., the sec- SUBSCRIPTION FORM poorly known arctic-boreal marine fishes. ond flora was finished and printed this May. Cleaning the Hudson River ...... 21 SHERKIN COMMENT is a environmental publication of Sherkin I feel very proud of both floras. These Island Marine Station, aiming to promote the awareness of our natural Walter Mugdan updates us on the US EPA’s two books show how special the islands resources, their use and protection. dredging of toxic sediments from the Hudson River. off the southwest coast of Ireland are in The Issue of Septic Tanks - Are we achieving the richness of their plant life. It makes SUBSCRIPTION: to receive a 4-issue subscription to “Sherkin € progress at last? ...... 22 them, for their size, unique in Ireland Comment”, please send a cheque or money order for 7.50 for Ireland today. Even now I believe there is much Donal Daly is optimistic that an untalked of and and £7.00 stg for the UK (sterling cheques accepted from UK); send more work to be done, which would see € uncomfortable issue is now being dealt with. 11.50 for Europe and the rest of the world (surface postage) – payable to more species added to the lists of all the Sherkin Island Marine Station and sent to Sherkin Island Marine Station, ?What is Life? ...... 23 islands. It is hard to understand why the Sherkin Island, Co. Cork. Ireland. Matthew Jebb explains the new sculpture at the flora of these islands has never before National Botanic Gardens, Dublin. been systematically recorded. Tel: 028–20187 Fax: 028–20407 Email: [email protected] I had hoped that we could begin survey- Publications of Interest...... 24 Please send a 4-issue subscription – beginning with Issue No...... ing the three peninsulas of West Cork – The Flora of County Fermanagh ...... 25 Beara, Sheep's Head and Mizen – once the Please send a 8-issue subscription – beginning with Issue No...... A review by Tony O’Mahony. latest book was published. Unfortunately Captain Cockle – Life in inner space ... and inner space...26 the financial cost would be too great as I enclose cheque/postal order to the sum of €...... each peninsula would need a team of Birds & Weather from Birdwatch Ireland ...... 27 Name ...... Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! ...... 28 botanists for as least a 3-year period. It is hard to believe that a systematic study of A Race to Reuse & Recycle...... 29 Address ...... the wild plant life of Cork County has A lesson in food and self-sufficiency ...... 30 never been undertaken. Since 1971, there ...... Karl McCabe on attaining part of his Gold have been only two recorders for the Tel ...... Email Address ...... award with An Gaisce – the President’s Award. County – Tony O'Mahony and the late Date ...... Signature ...... Stay Safe on the Surf with Irish Water Safety ...... 31 Maura Scannell, the latter based at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Ocean Warming & Fish Stocks...... 32 STAFF: Editor, Matt Murphy; Editorial Assistant, Susan Murphy Wickens; Typesetting, Dublin. All the work Tony has undertaken Susan Murphy Wickens; Publisher, Matt Murphy. ISSN 0791–2447 © 2013 Michael Ludwig looks at the different factors has been done using his own resources. He Sherkin Island Marine Station website: www.sherkinmarine.ie affecting fish stocks. has added so much to the flora of the SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______3 Dublin Port Terns Predation by Alien Species
decline in the important colonies of albatrosses, shearwaters, petrels, penguins, and unique South Georgia Pipits and Pintail. This will be an enormous and costly task and it would have been much better had the
Images courtesy of Oscar Merne rats not colonised the island in the first place. Around the world there are thou- sands of examples where introduced alien animals and plants have caused enormous damage to the local ecology, fauna and flora, and also huge economic damage. Very often such introductions were acci- dental or unintentional, but, unfortunately many were deliberate. In New Zealand, for example, Euro- pean settlers deliberately introduced species mentioned by Shakespeare Common Tern. and in the bible. Many of these introduced species have displaced escaped the mass slaughter, while all unique native ones, which nowa- By Oscar Merne but one of the breeding adults days just about survive on small escaped. They are long-lived birds offshore islands where the aliens IN 2002 I wrote an article in (some surviving to 30 years or have been eradicated or never Sherkin Comment (Issue No 31) more), so they will be able to breed reached. When I was in New From the top: An adult Common Tern; A close-up of the about the tern breeding colonies on again. Furthermore, it is known from Zealand a few years ago I discov- platform showing nesting "compartments"; The main artificial platforms (mooring dol- similar experiences elsewhere that nesting platform in Dublin Port; A nest with eggs; ered that c.80% of the entire annual A brood of small tern chicks. phins) in Dublin Port, and described terns will return to such routed budget of the state conservation how the numbers breeding there colonies in subsequent years – pro- body had to be devoted to dealing increased from 34 pairs in 1994 to viding the rat problem has been with harmful alien species – includ- 200 pairs by 2001. This increase was resolved. So, for 2013, plans are ing 80,000,000 Australian possums! due largely to improvements made to already being developed to prevent Now, in the 21st century, it is the platforms to make them a much rats from wreaking havoc again on recognised that the introduction of safer breeding place, including cov- the Dublin Port colonies. alien species of animals and plants ering the surface with shingle, This episode raises the issue of the can have disastrous ecological and fitting retaining walls to prevent impact of introduced alien species on economic repercussions, and such eggs and chicks falling over the our native fauna and flora. Brown deliberate actions are generally ille- side, and providing shelters for the Rats are thought to have originated in gal. In spite of this, deliberate and tern chicks to protect them from wet eastern Asia and spread westwards illegal introductions are still occur- and windy weather. by man along trade routes. They ring. When will we ever learn? Since 2001, the tern conservation reached Britain and Ireland by the project continued annually, with fur- early 18th century and quickly Oscar Merne (RIP) retired from ther improvements to the safety of the became firmly established here. Ireland’s National Parks & Wildlife platforms (with thanks to Dublin Port They are found throughout Ireland, and the ESB), and by June 2012 the including many offshore islands, and Service in January 2004. numbers of terns breeding there had are now considered our most trouble- tripled to 600 pairs. Only the colony some mammalian pests. From a bird on Rockabill, 7 km off the north Co. conservation point of view their Dublin coast, has larger numbers – impact on colonial nesting seabirds Sadly Oscar Merne died on 17th January 2013 after a long illness. almost 2,000 pairs of Common Terns can be particularly severe, some- We were so fortunate that Oscar wrote for Sherkin Comment, in 2012, plus 1,200 pairs of Roseate times permanently wiping out whole having written an article in every issue since No. 3. During the final Terns. Things were looking good at populations of species such as Manx months of his illness, Oscar said he would like to write some further the Dublin Port colonies, in spite of a Shearwaters, Storm Petrels and articles to be published in future issues and we were thrilled that he lot of wet weather in May, June and Puffins. Further afield rats have man- did so. We were in awe of Oscar’s many achievements and his vast July, with high average clutch sizes aged to populate the remotest of worldwide knowledge of birds. With his work and his many and good hatching rates. By mid-sea- oceanic islands, usually transported publications, he has left a great legacy. son almost 500 chicks had been there unintentionally by man, having Oscar retired from the National Parks & Wildlife Service in January ringed, and there were still many “stowed away” on ships. Eradicating 2004. He worked as an ornithologist for this Service and its eggs to hatch and chicks that would rats on islands which are vital for the be large enough to ring later. Then conservation of unique threatened predecessors since 1968. He was responsible for establishing the disaster struck! Brown Rats discov- native species, is now seen as essen- Wexford Wildfowl Reserve on the North Slob in Wexford, one of ered the colony, and being good tial for the conservation of those Oscar J. Merne Ireland’s most important wintering areas for waterfowl — especially swimmers and climbers they were species. But this requires an enor- Rest in Peace the Greenland White-fronted Goose. After ten years he transferred able to raid the platforms and run mous amount of dedication, to the NPWS Research Branch headquarters where he was given amok among the nests, killing all the determination, hard work, difficult national and international responsibilities for bird research and conservation. One of his chicks that had not yet fledged. I logistics and money. For example, major achievements was the establishment of a network of 110 Special Protection Areas for won’t go into the grim and gory the rat population which was intro- birds, under the European Union’s Birds Directive. His main research interests were the details, but suffice to say that was the duced to the Antarctic island of status, distribution and ecology of breeding seabirds and migratory waterfowl. He has over end of the colony for 2012. South Georgia by 19th century 200 publications on these and other topics. On a positive note, many of the whalers and sealers is now being tar- Matt Murphy, Editor early chicks had fledged and thus get in order to stop the serious 4 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 A Lifetime of News Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy What is the major environmental Matt Murphy, Editor of Sherkin Comment, speaks to Alex Kirby, a regular issue facing the world today? contributor to Sherkin Comment and a speaker at a number of Sherkin Island Our need to recognise that we our- Marine Station conferences over the years. selves have become the dominant force that shapes the Earth. That is When did you take up journalism they possessed the ultimate truth and (which is very different from cyni- why many scientists say we’re now that it was my job to pass it on to the cism). as a career? in a new geological age, the Anthro- viewers and listeners (it wasn’t – my I’d always thought it would be won- Did you find that the environment pocene epoch. If we did accept that job was to cover religion when it derful to be a journalist, but in fact I was a priority for governments? we’d act to limit climate change (it’s made news, not when it was attract- started my career as an Anglican Alex Kirby ing little attention from non-religious Some governments, yes – mainly technically and economically possi- priest (deacon, actually). After a year people). The real problem was the in Scandinavia and northern Eu- ble, but we need to want to do it). in an East London parish I realised it editors, many of whom were inter- rope. The much-derided European We’d end poverty (ditto) and limit Are the public complacent on the wasn’t for me and migrated slowly ested mainly in tabloid stories about Union has done a huge amount to our own numbers. environment? What should they via magazines and a stint as a deviant clergy. protect and improve the environ- themselves be addressing? Reuters stringer in Burkina Faso, Do you have faith that the younger ment. And although the UK was west Africa, to full-time journalism In 1987 you became the BBC generation will bring real change Some are complacent, but many known in the 1980s as the dirty in the mid-1970s. Environment Correspondent. Was care, even if they don’t know what man of Europe, it was starting to in the environment? exactly they should do. I think if we When did you join the BBC? this your choice and if so why? improve in many ways. The trouble is that idealistic young could all get into the habit of think- I found in 1978 that a friend worked Yes, I wanted the job badly, and just people often grow into disillusioned Do the public in general have an ing about the implications of what for the BBC World Service. She managed to get it, although I dis- old cynics. But perhaps this genera- we do today for our children and interest in protecting the environ- arranged for me to take a test to do a covered that - as so often – the BBC tion will manage not to; perhaps the grandchildren, that would probably ment? three-month summer relief job in the had really wanted to attract a big immense changes in communica- spur us very quickly to try to live a newsroom, and I stayed in the BBC name from Fleet Street. I was very I don’t think you can generalise tions will mean they stay clear-eyed lot more sustainably. That’s not an for 26 years. happy being a general reporter, but about that. Some people are con- and impatient. argument for a spartan, hair-shirt ex- Did you join as a religious when the environment job came up sistently set on caring for the envi- istence. It would be very different, I went for it because I thought - and Is there sufficient education on the correspondent? ronment; some lose interest if the but it needn’t be miserable or de- think – the subject is vital to every economy is in poor shape. And be- environment in schools? prived. No, as a sub-editor, a lowly form of part of life. life. The religious correspondent job cause I think poverty is a key envi- Certainly not in the UK, where the In retirement from the BBC what was much later, in the late 1990s, just Did you always have an interest in ronmental threat, I understand government has just cut the amount are you working on now? why many people may feel it is a there was! before I retired from broadcasting the environment? With three friends, all former na- (though I went on with on-line re- An interest, yes, but no detailed low priority. Give three priorities you would tional print or broadcast journalists, porting). knowledge or understanding of it. I What NGOs in the UK do you ad- like governments to tackle? I’m running a website to provide had a degree in theology, but no sci- good coverage of climate science to Was this a difficult brief with so mire most? Ensuring everyone has access to af- ence qualifications at all. journalists and newsrooms world- many different religions, some Friends of the Earth are consistently fordable non-polluting energy; work- How did you handle high-powered modest and trustworthy. I also ad- wide. It’s free of charge, because we with opposing views? ing to make European agriculture pay the costs ourselves – the Climate PR from politicians and NGOs? mire the Global Action Plan and Not really. I got on well with most of and fisheries sustainable; ending per- News Network, www.climatenews- Practical Action. the religious people I met, although By trying always to remember the verse subsidies (for example to fossil network.net/. almost every one was convinced that journalist’s watchword – scepticism fuel industries).
the glaciers”, says Dr Faezeh Nick, of the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, lead author of By Kieran Cooke the study. “It turns out that if the fjord a glacier sits in SCIENTISTS tread very carefully when it Ground slows is wide or narrow, it really affects the way the comes to glaciers. While the consensus is that glacier reacts. The important role of the terrain glaciers around the world are generally in below the ice shows we need to get a much retreat, there are the exceptions: in the west of clearer picture of the rest of Greenland's gla- the Himalayas some glaciers have been found ciers before we have the whole story.” to be growing, not shrinking. In Antarctica glacier ice loss Work on the modelling of the glaciers some glaciers are gaining mass balance while was carried out under the EU-funded others are losing it. Meanwhile glaciers in other Ice2sea programme which links scientific parts of the world, particularly in the Andes, are New understanding of some of Greenland's major glaciers suggests expertise among 24 institutions in Europe disappearing at an ever increasing rate. and elsewhere. The impact of climate change on the they may not melt in the future nearly as fast as they are doing now. Professor David Vaughan, head of the pro- Greenland ice sheet has been well docu- gramme, told Climate News Network that mented: Arctic temperatures are rising at Lower loss expected of the influence of various topographical fea- though there were various ways of analysing levels well above the global average, and ice- tures, the projected sea level rise from ice loss the behaviour of glaciers, the new computer By building up a computer model of these loss has been accelerating. of these four glaciers will be of the order of modelling could be vital in assessing future four glaciers, scientists have revealed that the This has raised concerns that these con- between 2cm and 5cm by 2200 - considerably levels of ice loss. shape of the ground beneath the ice has a stantly increasing rates of ice loss will lead to lower than previous estimates which have “The key point is that we actually need to marked impact on the way the ice moves, a rise in sea levels that could threaten coastal been based solely on the extrapolation of cur- know about the land beneath the ice if we are with the rate at which the glaciers are losing communities around the world. Yet the future rent trends. going to come up with really good projec- ice depending critically on the shape of the contribution of Greenland's glaciers to sea- However, the rate of calculated ice loss tions on future ice loss and the contribution fjords in which they sit and the topography of level rise is uncertain. will still be considerable: the model predicts to sea level rise of these glaciers. This com- the rock below them. A new study published in the journal that the combined ice loss of the four will puter modelling could be a big step forward In turn, this has led the scientists to doubt Nature questions whether present trends of amount to between 30 gigatonnes (Gt) and and adds to our understanding of how gla- whether present rates of ice loss and the ice loss on the Greenland ice sheet will be 47Gt per year over the present century. One ciers behave.” maintained. “calving” of icebergs from the glaciers will Gt of ice is equivalent to one cubic kilometre The report – Future Sea-level Rise from be maintained. of water. By way of comparison, Lake Greenland's Major Outlet Glaciers in a “...While these glaciers may show several Geneva contains 90Gt of water. Kieran Cooke, Climate News Network – a Warming Climate – looks at the behaviour of bursts of retreat and periods of high iceberg free, ready-to-use factual service that brings the four major fast flowing glaciers in Green- formation in future, the rapid acceleration you the latest news of climate change science. land. The Petermann, Kangerdlugssuaq, seen in recent years is unlikely to continue More clarity needed Website: www.climatenewsnetwork.org unchecked”, says the report. Helheim and Jakobshavn glaciers together “I am excited by the way we have managed (LONDON, 13 May 2013) drain about 22% of the island's ice sheet. The computer model suggests that, because to create a detailed picture of the workings of SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______5 education programme also serves to raise awareness of our natural environment – school, college groups, tourists and locals benefit from our nat- Images courtesy of NPWS BALLYCROY ural history interpretation. For the adventurous, the Bangor Trail provides a path NATIONAL PARK into the heart of the Park. Meandering along the lower slopes of the Nephins it skirts along the edge of the Owen- duff bog - one of the largest intact active blanket bog sys- tems in Western Europe. It is breathtaking here and you are rewarded with an experience of true peace and pure wilder- ness. This is an important habitat for Golden Plover, Red Grouse and an array of other moorland birds. The Owenduff Ballycroy National Park is access. A visitor centre is and Tarsaghaun rivers are By Susan one of six national parks that located in Ballycroy village important salmonid rivers – are managed by the National which is on the N59 north of here you may be lucky enough Callaghan Parks and Wildlife Service Mulranny. The centre is cru- to spot an otter journeying up (NPWS) of the Dept. of Arts, cial for the visitor experience river to the mosaic of bog IN the vast open expanse of Heritage and the Gaeltacht. It as the heart of the Park is pools in search of frogs, or north Mayo lays a treasure is part of the Owenduff/ remote and quite inaccessible hear the Common Sandpiper’s waiting to be explored. Bally- distinctive alarm-call. The rare Nephin Complex Special Area to the day tripper. The centre’s Top: Field of bog cotton; Above: croy National Park is a truly of Conservation (SAC) and interactive displays explain the Ivy leaved bellflower deco- Bog wood meets the sea. beautiful place dominated by Special Protection Area (SPA). importance of the habitats and rates the river edge with its Right Ballycroy National Park the ever changing sky that These European designations species in the National Park delicate purple flower. Other visitor’s centre. blankets a vast uninhabited plants brighten the landscape – make up the Natura 2000 Net- and surrounding area and serve National Park lands so these and unspoilt wilderness. The bog asphodel, cross-leaved work, which protect rare and to remind us of the myriad of grazing pressures were also Nephin Beg mountain range is heath, and the enchanting bog important habitats and species wonderful plants and creatures experienced in the Park. Co- the backbone of the Park under the EU Habitats and that inhabit these hills and cotton that always entertains with a dance in the breeze. operation with the local where Atlantic blanket bog, Birds Directives. The Park bogs. Social and cultural his- farming community through alpine heath, corrie lakes and covers an area of 11,000 tory is explored, highlighting There is so much here to relish. There are challenges though grazing restrictions and reduc- scree enshroud you - inspiring hectares, the majority of which the inextricable link we have tions in sheep numbers has led you and inspiriting you. is remote and far from road with our natural world. An for the Park - some that create management conundrums. to a marked improvement in the vegetation cover. Park accessibility is crucial but This highlights the impor- This April, following a long it has to be done in such a way tance of research by National spell of dry, cold weather, we that does not impact upon the Park staff. Surveys equip us were faced with a new chal- essence and conservation value with knowledge that informs lenge – over three days a of the Park. Over the past three our management practices. devastating fire engulfed large years NPWS have been Our environment is con- tracts of blanket bog and heath improving the condition of the stantly changing and this sets – the first such fire here for 40 Bangor Trail to national way the challenge for nature conser- years. Around 5000 ha was marked route standard – water vation. Research, interpretation, burnt, with about 3000 ha of management, board walking, education and land manage- this in the National Park. As a bridging and stone pitching are ment are the tools we use to consequence delicate lichens, all necessary. However, the face that challenge. Ballycroy mosses and liverworts that had Bangor Trail is a tough and National Park is a wonderful taken years to establish them- long walk - other smaller trails working example of this – it is selves were wiped out in an are planned for the outer edges a place to be treasured. of the Park that will be suitable instant. Many species were affected including frogs, for the majority of visitors. Contact Ballycroy National In the past overgrazing has lizards, and invertebrates such as beetles and spiders. For what Park Visitor Centre on (098) been a serious problem in the 49888. Open daily in 2013 area, sheep stripped the heath should be a chorus of larks, on the hills, and with as much pipits and other moorland from 21st March to 30th as 2000mm of rain per year, birds, all you can hear this sea- September. Admission is free. erosion of the bare peat was son is the crunch under foot as inevitable. There are no fences you walk. We wait with interest between commonages and to monitor the recovery. James Kilroy NPWS Irene O'Brien NPWS
In April, devastating fire engulfed large tracts of blanket boy and heath in the National Park. (Inset: A burnt pygmy shrew – just one of the many species affected by the fire.) 6 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 The Wild Plants of Bere, Dursey, Whiddy and other Islands in Bantry Bay
islands are steeped in history, By John Akeroyd from the Irish resistance to THE latest publication from Elizabeth I and Wolfe Tone’s Sherkin Island Marine Station abortive French invasion in is an illustrated account of the 1796, to the early 20th century diversity of wild plants to be when Bere and adjacent found on the islands of Bantry Castletownbere were a base Bay. This long deep bay has a for the Royal Navy’s battle- key place in Irish history; it is ships and Whiddy a base for also a major centre for Irish US seaplanes. plants. Here, in a natural har- In the past botanists have bour, of mild climate and largely neglected these biodi- dramatic scenery, the rocks, versity-rich islands, which soils, wild plants, people and have a total of 578 wild plants landscape have shaped one recorded, although the nearby another since the Ice Age. The and wide Atlantic views. Bere Beara peninsula was long book not only examines trees, is a large island with a high famous for plant rarities. Most flowers and ferns but also, in hilly backbone, a fragment of of the records reported in the the introductory sections, the the mountains of the adjacent book were compiled from scenery, geology, geography, mainland. Much of it is rough 1997 by botanists based at human history and land use of pasture and bog, with some Sherkin Island Marine Sta- Bantry Bay. This we hope will attractive small loughs, but it tion. However, Bantry Bay take the book to a wider audi- has a network of lanes and set- plant records go back over ence, as a guidebook and tlements, a substantial four centuries. Philip O’Sulli- souvenir of the area. At the resident population and facili- van Beare (1590–1636), who same time the annotated cata- ties for tourists. Garinish is lived on Dursey as a boy in logue of the plants should best known for its sub-tropical the 1590s, and later wrote The provide valuable data for gardens, tucked behind shel- Natural History of Ireland,
Images courtesy of Robbie Murphy botanists, geographers and ter-belts of trees, but still noted Betony (Stachys offici- Large-flowered Butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora), one of the most special plants of West Cork and other scientists. holding patches of wild habi- nalis) and other medicinal Kerry, is not found in Britain – and occurs elsewhere no nearer than northern Spain. We have worked hard to tat. Whiddy is the least known plants, as well as crops and ensure that The Wild Plants of island, a lush landscape of trees, from Bantry Bay and Bere, Dursey and Whiddy rolling farmland, hedges, the islands. Richard Pococke Islands in Bantry Bay, West loughs and marshes, rather (1704–65), Bishop of Ossory, Cork is as detailed but yet as like some eastern parts of Ire- explored Whiddy and Dursey, readable as The Wild Plants of land. The oil terminal, scene from where he accurately Sherkin, Cape Clear and of the 1979 Betelgeuse oil described the rare Crowberry Adjacent Islands of West tanker explosion, is discretely (Empetrum nigrum) – the first Cork, published in 1996, with screened by trees. All the confirmed plant record from a 2011 Supplement. Advances in desktop publishing technol- ogy, especially high resolution digital photography, have greatly facilitated the produc- tion of the Bantry Bay book relative to its predecessor, and we hope that Robbie Mur- phy’s evocative pictures of plants, scenery and old build- A view up Bantry Bay from the top of Bere Island: Old Red Sandstone provides the structural framework ings will enhance the book’s of Europe’s second largest natural deep-water harbour. appeal to a broad readership. The islands are firmly on the tourist trail, with the Beara Way long-distance walking trail now extending to Bere and the very western tip of Dursey. Garinish too has always attracted large num- bers of visitors to its famous garden. Each of the four main islands covered is quite differ- ent in atmosphere. The most westerly, Dursey, is heathy, hilly, wild and windswept, Whiddy Island in tranquil Bantry Bay. Bogbean and White Water-lily in a loughan in wet heath south-west with almost deserted villages of the Signal Tower on Bere, perhaps a site of former turf-cutting. SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______7 the islands! In the early 19th purple loosestrife and mead- (Asplenium onopteris) and buildings are not only of his- century, Ellen Hutchins owsweet. Garden escapes add Adder’s-tongue (Ophioglas- torical interest, but they also (1785–1815) from Bal- to summer colour: hydrangea, sum vulgatum). A curious provide habitats for several lylickey, perhaps Ireland’s fuchsia, montbretia and rho- discovery was the mountain ferns and flowering plants that first woman botanist, com- dodendron. Even in early plant Fir Clubmoss (Huperzia benefit from the lime in the piled an annotated list of some autumn, flowers still abound, selago) almost as sea-level on concrete used in their con- 360 flowering plants on and such as chamomile, golden- a heath on Bere, growing with struction. One cannot separate around the Beara peninsula. rod, autumn hawkbit and Pale Dog-violet (Viola lactea) the botanical and cultural She was an invalid but made devil’s-bit scabious. and other rare plants. Numer- riches of the islands, one of excursions even into the hills, Apart from the beauty and ous of the records, especially the most interesting and and was the first botanist to variety of the wild flowers, from Whiddy and Bere, add to important regions of Ireland record plants on Whiddy, the area is of enormous inter- the maps published in the New and a national treasure. The including rare weeds and est and value for plant Atlas of the British and Irish Wild Plants of Bere, Dursey medicinal plants that persist conservation in Ireland. Yet Flora (2002), which will be and Whiddy Islands in Bantry today. Dursey has had few visiting valuable in any update. Many Bay, West Cork is a record of In late spring and summer, botanists, Bere has had more records of alien species are both the state of the flora and Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy Bere Island especially is a visitors but without any exten- already published in A Cata- of the islands at the beginning Field Mouse-ear (Cerastium Fir Clubmoss (Huperzia flowery paradise, the hedges sive study, Garnish has had logue of Irish Alien Plants (ed. of the 21st century. We hope arvense), a rare plant of Irish selago), growing in coastal coasts, at its only site in Co. heath near Lonehort Fort on and waysides bright with little or no study of its wild Sylvia Reynolds, National readers will visit the islands to Cork, on Dursey Island. Bere. This is usually a bluebell, St Patrick’s cabbage plants, and Whiddy has had Botanic Gardens, 2002). enjoy their special scenery mountain plant in Ireland. (in fact a saxifrage), honey- almost no botanical study The photos also record and tranquillity. suckle, foxglove, wild thyme, since the 1880s. Some of the some of the fascinating histor- clovers, speedwells, vetches Sherkin Marine Station team’s ical buildings that dot the Dr John Akeroyd has studied and knapweeds. The heaths more remarkable finds islands. Here are Ireland’s the Irish flora for over 30 and bogs are bright with include: the rare Spotted first Martello towers, built to years. He edited The Wild gorse, dwarf gorse, heather Rockrose (Tuberaria guttata) counter the French threat, Plants of Sherkin, Cape and reddish-purple bell- in coastal heath on Bere, along with medieval O’Sulli- heather, and in the wettest extending the known range of van castles and tower houses, Clear and adjacent islands places there are insect-digest- this Irish Red Data Book early 19th-century signal tow- of West Cork (1996) and is ing plants such as sundews species, and new populations ers, and the forts and gun author of A Beginner’s and butterworts, especially the of rarities such as Field batteries on Bere and Whiddy Guide to Ireland’s Wild magnificent Large-flowered Mouse-ear Chickweed that defended against inva- Flowers (2008). Butterwort (Pinguicula gran- (Cerastium arvense) on sions that never came. These diflora), and yellow-flowered Dursey and Betony (Stachys Semi-prostrate Broom in flower on cliffs at Foilburren on Dursey, growing with other relict coastal heathland plants. Bog Asphodel (Narthecium officinalis) on Dursey and ossifragum), and pink and Bere; the rediscovery of the white Bogbean (Menyanthes ancient medicinal plant Dwarf trifoliata) fringes peaty pools. Elder (Sambucus ebulus) on Fields and ditches are home to Whiddy; the discovery of rare buttercups, water forget-me- fumitories (Fumaria spp.) and not, bird’s-foot trefoils, other scarce arable weeds, tormentil, marsh orchids, self- and new populations of the heal, marsh woundwort, rare ferns Irish Spleenwort
Just €19.99 The Wild Plants of Bere, Dursey, + €3.00 Whiddy and other Islands in Bantry The Martello tower at Ardagh on Bere, with its extra defensive carriage Bay puts on record the variety of battery. Two towers survive on the island, two more were demolished wild plants found in Ireland's most in 1898. famous natural harbour. This part of West Cork is famed for its dramatic scenery, mild climate and sub- tropical gardens, and both land and sea are richly steeped in history. Plants, people and landscape have shaped one another, and this book examines the history, geography, geology, vegetation and land use of this beautiful corner of Ireland, as well as presenting an annotated catalogue or Flora of its wild plants.
John Akeroyd (Editor), Leander Wolstenholme, Jenna Poole Wendy Atkinson, Paul Flynn, Marketa Janouchova Caroline Plant, Jenny Fisher
ISBN: 978-1-870492-48-5 • Softback • 170 x 245 mm • 240 pp 140 colour photographs • Published by Sherkin Island Marine Station
Order Form The rugged southern coast of Dursey. Crossing from Castletownbere to Bere Island: (left to right) Jenna Poole, Marketa Janouchova, Dr John Akeroyd and Wendy Atkinson. I enclose € ...... for...... copy(s) of “The Wild Plants of Bere, Dursey, Whiddy....” @ €19.99 plus €3.00 carriage.
(Orders can also be paid for online at www.sherkinmarine.ie using Paypal)
Name ...... Address ...... Telephone ...... Signed ...... Date ......
Order from: Matt Murphy, Sherkin Island Marine Station, Sherkin Island, Co. Cork, Ireland. Tel. 028-20187 Fax: 028-20407 Email: [email protected] Website: www.sherkinmarine.ie
A Sherkin Island Marine Station Publication
A flowery meadow in May on Bere Island. 8 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 Capsize at 75o North started to improve. Everything below decks was sodden. We changed from sodden clothing into wet clothing. Only Johnny had taken the pre- caution of wrapping all of his spare clothing in tied plastic bags. With true generosity he passed around as many pairs of dry trousers and as many shirts, pullovers and towels as he could
Images courtesy of John Gore-Grimes spare. The chimney piece of the stove had been washed overboard and we were unable to light the charcoal. We jammed blocks of timber on the inside of the window in an attempt to make it water-tight but it was not completely success- ful. Andrew once again suggested that it was time to eat, and once again this suggestion earned him the task of cooking it. We replaced north-east wind brought heavy, driving snow the battery and the engine started on the first which was washed from the decks by the sea press of the button. We refilled the batteries before it had a chance to settle. The wind with distilled water and we left the engine run- increased as the barometer continued to rise. ning to restore the battery charge. As Andrew When I went on watch I looked up at the mast- Part of the timber handrail caught in the shape of a crucifix after the knockdown. cooked, Jake sat alone and silent in the cockpit. head and noticed that pieces of the hand rail, He had nothing to do apart from study the com- which had been ripped from the deck when the ies and equipment. The water was above the pass course. We untangled the trailing log and dinghy went adrift, were caught aloft in the hal- By John Gore-Grimes level of the bunks. Those below had been set it to work again. We were able to observe yards in the shape of a crucifix. I supposed that thrown from their bunks and had landed on the our course and distance but we had no means of it was a good omen, but perhaps it was a timely SHARDANA is a 31 foot Nicholson sloop cabin roof before falling together in a heap, calculating leeward drift. reminder of the vulnerability of our circum- and in July/August 1980 we sailed from into the water on the cabin floor. Jake Kelly As the stew bubbled on the gas rings a little stances on the wave crests of a mighty ocean. Howth to the Shetlands and then on to Sval- had been asleep in the pilot berth with the lee heat returned, and for some irrational reason I The radar reflector at the top of the mast had bard, reaching 80o North. We sailed from cloth up. Green water poured in and submerged became obsessed with the fact that my Ameri- been flattened and the VHF aerial, masthead Svalbard to the small volcanic island named him in the bunk. He believed that he was can Express card could not be found. The log light and wind direction equipment had been Jan Mayen and it was on that passage that drowning and that the boat was going down. book, charts, ship’s papers and crew’s pass- washed away. the events, which are described below, Black Bob had left his seat beside the chart ports had ended up in the deep well of the bilge Twelve hours after the knockdown the occurred: table, and had somehow ended up seated on top and these were retrieved. A few sodden Norwe- barometer read one thousand and six, and we By two o’clock on the morning of Thursday of the gas cooker on the opposite side of the gian and Sterling notes were also fished out of estimated that the wind varied from gale force the 21st of August, 1980 the barometer had cabin. If the situation had not been so serious the bilge but nothing could do me until I had eight to storm force ten. The boat was ahull, o o risen to nine hundred and ninety-three mil- we might have found time to laugh. Black Bob recovered the ridiculous credit card. It was an lying at an angle of between 40 and 50 to the libars. It was still bright but overcast. Half an looked a little dazed on the top of the cooker, inexcusable, irrational fuss over something that wind. Life below decks would have been fine hour at the helm was enough and I had just sitting there clasping the sodden pages of his could be of no value at all at 75oN in the except for the cold. Sleep was impossible come on watch to relieve Black Bob Fannin, book. The heavy ship’s batteries, which had Atlantic Ocean. because the bedding had been completely who shouted on the hand over: been underneath him as he sat at the chart table, Just as Andrew served up piping hot helpings immersed in sea water with a temperature of o o “At these speeds we will be home before we joined him in his flight across the cabin roof. of stew, Johnny found the missing credit card between 0 and plus 1 C. We lay ahull, battened know it.” He went below to sit at the chart table Somehow the batteries had missed him as they caught in the doorway between the main cabin down in the storm, for twenty-five hours. The in an attempt to regenerate some body heat fell to the cabin floor beneath the gas cooker. and the heads. It had been tossed out of the chart words of the traveller, Samuel Johnson, suited while sheltered from the wind chill. Everybody had been immersed in cold sea table and had somehow found its way forward. our experience precisely: “Comfort must not be I was just about to settle in and to clip on my water with the exception of Grey Bob (Black With the good hot stew a slight confidence expected by folks that go apleasuring.” safety harness when the boat suddenly fell from Bob’s father), who had been asleep in the for- returned, supported by the fact that the boat had the top of a wave, and crashed downwards. It ward section of the boat. Hitting the roof had behaved impeccably during our two hours of John Gore-Grimes, Shack, Baily ,Co Dublin was as if someone had dropped Shardana from not been a new experience for this hardy labour. Morale on board improved. Outside, the a two story building. My stomach came right mariner. Grey Bob had been bounced off his up to the top of my head and then there was a bunk many times in his dreams, and for him the sickening thud as the hull hit the water surface capsize was little more than a mild inconven- below. Within an instant the wave from which ience which had disturbed this usually heavy we had fallen broke over the boat and turned sleeper’s nocturnal habits. her upside down. I thought of shouting but I We surveyed the damage and got to work was underwater, and my hands no longer held with buckets and pumps, to reduce the level of the helm. I reached up and for a second I water in the cabin. Each man’s reaction was dif- touched the cockpit floor above me. Then it ferent. Andrew Somerville was full of plans was gone and vivid, split-second pictures of my which poured out cheerfully in the form of log- childhood: my first holy communion, my par- ical advice. Johnny Burrows and Andrew went ents, my wife and children darted through my on deck and hauled down the mainsail. They set mind. The life jacket in my oilskins was par- a trisail and lashed the helm down so the boat The window repairs after the knockdown. Sailing on the 75th parallel north about half an tially inflated. I felt sure that I would come to could lie more comfortably to the wind instead hour before the knockdown. the surface eventually, but I did not know of across it. When they came below they were where. I was still under the surface, and quickly shivering as they told us that the rigging was running out of air, when, inexplicably, some sound, but the rubber dinghy and its contents of ropes came into my hands. I grabbed them, and freshwater, fuel and gas had been torn from the realised that I was holding the strands of the deck and washed away. As the water level mainsheet. I started to pull myself along the reduced we noticed that there was a gaping hole ropes, and then I felt an almighty bang on my where the port hand cabin window had been. chest. As the boat came to the surface and The seas continued to wash over the boat and righted itself, I was scooped back on board by several gallons flowed into the cabin at regular the stainless steel safety rail on the stern. I intervals. The cabin window had been removed landed head first on the cockpit floor with the from its mounting but the perspex was still upper part of my body still under water. I intact. Johnny and I went back on deck and picked myself out of the flooded cockpit and forced the window into its mounting, thus clung firmly to the safety rails as another wave reducing the intake of water to a steady dribble. washed forceably over the boat and lay it on its Grey Bob pumped for a full hour with calm and side. Ice green water gushed into the cabin. The seemingly unworried, rhythmic strokes. Jake weather boards had fallen out when the boat worked in total silence. We took some planks had stood upside down beneath the surface. from the floor and shored up the window from Looking below I could see a shambles of bod- the inside. After two hours conditions below Shardana’s spray hood was flattened when the boat went over. SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______9 The Cork Folklore Project
growing up in Henry Street in a travelling exhibition; and a the Marsh area of Cork City in series of postcards. Check out the 1940s. Social conditions our website to listen to inter- from the thirties onwards view excerpts, watch short were documented with fami- films, look at samples of our lies struggling to provide the photo collections, to read our necessities. What emerged annual journal and find out from the interviews was a more about our work. Our
Images courtesy of The Cork Folklore Project Images courtesy of vibrant tapestry of a resilient recently created Facebook page community. The great wealth is updated and added to regu- of material in our permanent larly with interesting photos, archive represents, above all, audio slideshows and more. a valuable repository of social An exciting new endeavour and cultural history for future begun in 2010 is the Cork generations. Memory Map, an interactive Our permanent public city map that portrays the archive contains hundreds of landscape in the words of its The Cork Memory Map, found at www.corkmemorymap.org A portrait of Ger Healy by Gráinne Macgee. hours of sound and film people. Including visuals, recordings and around 5,000 text and audio, the Memory involved in oral history and people with an opportunity to photographs, and is available Map documents the personal folklore. We are linked as meet and connect with others to community groups, schools memories, folklore, occupa- members to the Oral History active or interested in the field, and individual researchers free tional lore, characters and Network of Ireland and are and to identify training and sup- of charge. The list of subjects stories associated with land- working with them to provide a port opportunities and needs of that have come within our marks, streets and lanes of framework of support for those individuals and groups. ambit is long and includes: Cork. This is an ongoing proj- interested in collecting the oral history of our country nation- bingo; hurling; road bowling; ect and will ultimately Geraldine Healy is a Project wide. To promote this showbands; drag hunting; Roy embrace the entire city of member with The Cork Folklore endeavour, The Oral History Keane; children’s games and Cork. The project also hopes Project (021) 422-8100 or Network of Ireland hosted a rhymes; toys and fashions; to develop self-directed city [email protected] Munster wide forum for oral textile production and the Sun- tours which can be download- www.ucc.ie/research/nfp history practitioners in Cork beam Wolsey Factory; able on to smartphones and www.corkmemorymap.org City in April 2013. The forum religious processions and feast other media devices. www.facebook.com/corkfolklore- was the first of four regional days; boat building; supersti- The Cork Folklore Project project events planned by the OHNI for tions; wedding traditions; Fr. offers training, advice and sup- 2013. These events provide Meithal Mara from the Hunter Hudson collection. Christy O’Flynn; Traveller port to groups and individuals culture; the Coal Quay and Rory Gallagher, but most cen- trally, documenting the everyday lives of the local people. All of our interviews are transcribed and great care is taken in the accurate repre- sentation of what has been said. There is a strong sense of ‘duty of care’ towards the gen- erous people who give us their time and life stories. Materials from our archive have proved an invaluable asset to many visiting researchers and stu- dents of all ages. The Cork Folklore Project Coal Quay Women by Fawn Allen. has had over 90 staff members over the years, providing a variety of training in comput- Salmon, Trout & Shellfish By Geraldine Healy shot’ of a way of life in a ers, oral history, interviewing, period of great change. photography, video and sound Marine & Freshwater THE Cork Folklore Project The team of interviewers recording, desktop publishing, was founded as a non-profit and researchers tapped into archival methods and more. community research and oral the rich memories of people, The researchers are employed North, South, East & West history archive in a partner- some of whom had been born on Community Employment ship with the Department of in the 1920s and 1930s, shar- Schemes, designed as a step- Folklore and Ethnology at ing stories of their lives ping stone back to full time University College Cork, during the ‘Emergency’. The employment. Indeed many of Northside Community Enter- transcripts of these interviews the group have found work or prises and FÁS. We are reveal details of life in Shan- resumed full time education Delivering results for Aqua-Business located in the former semi- don Street, with the great as a result of their experiences nary building of St. Finbarr’s character Molly Owens light- at the project. College, Farranferris in Cork ing a tar barrel to signal the Cork Folklore Project City. The project first opened arrival of Eamonn De Valera accomplishments include: the in the neighbourhood, child- its doors in August 1996, and annual production of our jour- For more information contact: hood pranks on Gerald Griffin began interviewing the people nal, The Archive; six half hour Street with local author, Noel IFA Aquaculture Section, of the Northside of Cork City radio programmes; two full Magnier, as he and his friends Irish Farmers’ Association, to record and preserve their length books, How’s it goin’, gathered funds for a visit to a Bluebell, Dublin 12 life stories and traditions. This boy? and Life Journeys; four milk and cake shop, and the ph: 01-4500266 fax: 01-4551043 was seen as a valuable effort short films, made in conjunc- exploits of the noted local his- e-mail [email protected] for posterity, as well as a tion with Framework Films; natureaqua torian, Liam Ó h-Uigín, chance to take an ‘oral snap- regular Heritage Week events; 10 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 smugglers and fishermen. of invertebrate living in the Indeed, the houses of the last mud and sand, half are rare in group still crown the highest British Isles waters. These rocks and remain in seasonal attract large numbers of wad- use. The highest concentration ing birds, including winter of these dwellings, dating visitors and passing migrants. Jersey’s Coastal from the 1880s, cluster around An important characteristic a tiny courtyard on the summit of these waters is that some of La Marmotière. species are found here at the As we scrambled up the northern or southern limit of shingle, a thin line of surf their range. For example, this stretched a few hundred is the most southerly reach of metres across to La Blianque the beadlet sea anemone. In Wilderness Île. The sea level, however, contrast, it also marks the was dropping fast, and during northerly limit of the giant the minutes it took for us to goby, a Mediterranean fish. explore around the houses and Gareth, our Marine Biologist admire the luxuriance of the informed us that a small num- lichens and succulents that ber of the latter confine covered the granite boulders, themselves to a particular pool it had fallen sufficiently for a that becomes exposed at low broad shingle bank to link the tide. These gobies leave the two islands. Elsewhere, previ- pool at high tide, but return to ously hidden reefs had it when the tide falls. become rocks and rocks had Some of the species at this become peninsulas. limit of their natural habitats The tidal range around Jer- are showing signs of genetic sey and Les Écréhous is said variations, resulting from their to be the world’s second high- relative isolations from the est, extending, at times, to main populations. around twelve metres. This We spent more than an hour has helped create a unique exploring the linked islands, ecology, such that, in 2005, and sitting on the shingle to
Images courtesy of Anthony Toole Anthony Images courtesy of Les Écréhous was declared a enjoy our breakfasts, during Shingle bank and La Blianque Ile from La Marmotiere. marine area of international which time Gareth explained importance under the terms of the ecology of Les Écréhous . flat scene into one of shining the Ramsar Convention. Then it was back into the boat By Anthony Toole facets and sharp shadows. The extent of the tidal flow, for the return trip, as some of and the movement of currents us had a second morning AS the boat slowly sailed Like much of Jersey, Les around the islands has pro- appointment. past the St Catherine’s break- Écréhous are composed of duced very clear, highly The south-east coast of Jer- water, on the north-east corner granite. They and other similar oxygenated waters, in which sey, stretching from St Helier of Jersey, a small flock of reefs are remnants of a land many species of planktonic to Gorey, was declared a Ram- Brent geese, winter visitors bridge between England and larvae flourish. The rocky sar site in 2000. Here, the from the Arctic, took off France that was inundated as platforms offer shelter, protec- seabed is so shallow that at ahead of us. Clearing the the glaciers of the last Ice Age tion and food to a high low tide an area of 17.5 square breakwater, our skipper, melted. Belonging to the Duchy diversity of creatures. More kilometres becomes exposed, Richard, revved the motor, of Normandy, they became part than 100 fish species have making this one of the largest sending the inflatable leaping of England following the Nor- been recorded, which include intertidal reefs in the world. over the first wave and crash- man Conquest of 1066. Three conger eel, blennies, rays, pol- We drove to La Roque, on ing down beyond it, shooting centuries later, Henry III gave lack, bass, Atlantic salmon, the south-east corner of the a large cloud of spray to the up his claim to the French common sturgeon and Twaite island and joined a group led sides. Though Richard crown, and Normandy, but held Rigid inflatable boat - La Marmotiere beach. shad. In addition to seals, there by Trudie and Keith, of Jersey assured us that this was a rela- onto the Channel Islands and its are bottlenose, white-beaked Walk Adventures. About two tively calm day, one or two of rocky reefs. and Risso’s dolphins, harbour kilometres from the coast, the us might well have been Over the centuries, Les porpoise and pilot whales. Seymour Tower stood on its pleased that we had not yet Écréhous were inhabited, at Of more than thirty species craggy plinth, separated from had breakfast. various times, by monks, It was 7.15 am, and though the sky was brightening, the sun had not yet cleared the cloud that hung low over the horizon and almost obscured the French coast. Eight of us had clambered into the Jersey Seafaris boat for the 15- minute, early morning trip to Les Écréhous, a reef of rocks and small islands that lay La Marmotiere. about ten kilometres from Jer- sey and thirteen from France. We were accompanied by Gareth, a Marine Biologist. The occasional seal bobbed its head above the waves. A flock of oystercatchers flew away as we approached one of the islands. Other rocks were guarded by cormorants and shags. A solitary razorbill ignored us as we sailed past it. As the boat ran up onto the shingle beach of La Mar- motière, the second largest island, the dawn sun broke Fisherman's hut near La Marmotiere. through, transforming the drab, Rock plant and lichens - La Marmotiere. SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______11 us by an expanse of sand and broader cumulus, and hovered hewn staircase, and contains We climbed to the roof, scape, we had found it to be a Anthony Toole, 65, Cheswick mud flats, pools and channels there for several minutes seven bunk beds and a stove, where Trudie hoisted the Jer- magical region, teeming with Drive, Gosforth, Newcastle and rock platforms. Some in before slowly fading. with fridge and lighting pow- sey pennant while we enjoyed a huge variety of marine life. upon Tyne, NE3 5DW, U.K. our party accepted the offer of The Tower itself was built as ered by roof-mounted solar the quite stunning view back Websites: E. [email protected] gumboots, others of us decided a defensive structure during panels. It can be booked by over the rocky expanse to the www.jerseyseafaris.com W: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ we could put up with wet feet. the 18th century, and stands on groups of people who are coast. Despite its sometimes We were first taken to the a tall, granite shelf. It is happy to spend a night cut off being compared to a moon- www.jerseywalkadventures.co.uk anthonytoole holding cages that contained reached by means of a rough- from the land by the high tides. thousands of oysters, har- vested from the beds that lay in deeper waters. The oysters would be held here for a time before being transferred to tanks exposed to ultra-violet light prior to being sent to markets, mostly in France. There were European oysters in the pools, but the farmed ones were Pacific. Farther out among the rocks were poles festooned with farmed mussels. Toole Anthony Images courtesy of We continued through calf- Oyster holding trestles. deep pools and over fields of serrated, knotted and bladder wrack, kelp and carrageen. Trudie pointed out examples of velvet horn seaweed and coralline algae, and tempted us to taste sea lettuce and other rock pool delicacies. She also found a piece of seaweed clus- tered with small colonies of star sea squirt (Botryllus schlosseri), and in one pool, a snake locks sea anemone. The pools and channels held myriad shells, tops, limpets, periwinkles, whelks Whelk predating a limpet. and the occasional ormer and oyster, half of them aban- Seymour Tower from La Roque. doned, half still occupied. In one pool, we saw a limpet being predated by a whelk. The roof of a small grotto, formed by boulders, was coated with a layer of orange sponges. A series of incongru- ous tracks across gravel beds, some of them several metres long, led to stones that had been dragged along by cur- rents acting on bunches of seaweed rooted to them. Among the sand ripples Serrated wrack. were concentrations of what appeared to be dark green algae, but on closer examina- tion, proved to consist of millions of tiny mint sauce worms (Symsagittifera roscoffensis) that obtained their nutrition and their colour from a symbiotic alga. Each worm contained around 25000 algal cells. We came to a rock on which a large letter P was carved. This, said Keith, dated from 1740, when, following a dis- Waterspout. pute, the rights to harvest seaweed were granted to the Paine family. Evidence of much earlier, probably sea- sonal human activity had been found in butchered mammoth bones dating back to Neolithic times, when the land bridge still existed and forests of alder and birch covered the area. As we approached the Sey- mour Tower, a waterspout appeared over the sea to the south. Seeming to form in a lower stratum of cloud, it reached up to a higher, Final approach to the Seymour Tower. 12 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 learn caution) tells of the wind carried one to the sky. The French were active in cooking of a gannet, for he Her proprietor husband aviation: M. Bleriot flew the was a great man for old watched and got an idea. Not a first crossing of the English dishes. But the cook had mis- paper bag but a balloon, filled Channel by air and Concorde judged its toughness and Scott with hot air from a fire, could was a British French project. The Crowded almost hurled the bloody car- lift a man – or woman. So But birds and insects do it Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy cass at her. However all was from an Eighteenth century rather better. Tiny little feath- forgiven with her hotch-potch, sugar works in France bal- ered balls fly vast oceans and which I take to have been looning took off and indeed is lands, from swallow nests in Scots broth, a noble dish and a still flourishing sport. Bot- Irish barns to summer days in Highway of easier to cook. tled gas is today’s source of Africa. How do they do it? It Men had always wanted to lift, while in the past hydrogen seems probable that they have fly and drew images of gas was used. some in-built knowledge of winged spirits and angels with The Editor of the “Hibern- the earth’s magnetic field for feather appendages. The birds ian Chronicle” was very good direction. But it goes deeper Ireland’s Skies knew better. You did not take at getting permission to print than a general heading, these off with ruffled plumage - interesting letters in his paper birds can fly thousands of flight depended on a smooth “Extracts of a letter from miles and end up at last year’s and adjustable surface. Some Paris, dated June 24, 1784. nest. Fragile butterflies can warm, moist summer Yesterday about three o’clock and do travel, migrate and evenings watch swifts hunting in the afternoon, an air bal- cross the sea. Bats are the flies. They must have incredi- loon, 156 feet in diameter was most skilful flyers and naviga- ble eyesight as they swoop let off at Versailles, for the tors. People are afraid of these and wheel at low level. The entertainment of the King of pretty little flying “mice” tan- swift is a beautiful, flying Swedes. There was a large gling their hair, which will machine, streamlined and gallery fixed to it in which never happen. Bats do not agile, with all its black feath- were M. Charles, M. James, have collisions. Their high ers glassy smooth. A an officer of the army, and M. pitched calls, too high fre- mediaeval abbot man made Montgolfier. It ascended very quency for most human himself wings, and took off gradually till it was totally out hearing, are like radar signals, from the ramparts of Stirling of sight, and remained some bouncing back to the bat and Castle in Scotland, he landed time, then it became visible allowing it to avoid any on a manure heap below and and passed over the Tuilleries unwanted object. Bats live in blamed his failure to fly on at Paris, the gentleman wav- colonies of many individuals, having used hen feathers, for ing flags all the time they “roosts” in caves, tunnels, old hens haunt middens (waste were in flight. About five building and barns. Here are colliding: “See and be seen”. did well eating them. They heap) and do not fly much. o’clock the gentleman were vast numbers of bats and their By Daphne You do not have to be tiny to were a lifeline of our island It was a woman that got safely landed, after an aerial young but in all this noisy make the sky your home. communities. They only come men into the air. The discov- jaunt of more than 20 miles. crowd, mother bat knows the Pochin Mould Think of the arctic skies and ashore to breed, where ery of the New World brought A balloon was preparing to call of her young (bats are the great albatross; think of islanders hunted them by the sugar to sweeten our food, and represent the castle at Stock- mammals) and can fly direct MANY people have eyes the muscles of the wings tire- hundreds when the young the great sugar plantations and holm, which it was intended to feed it. Today more and but make no use of them. You lessly keeping the bird birds were grown and fat and the Slave Trade (whose vast to have been illuminated and more people are becoming might notice the blue back- airborne. Think of our own about to fly. The people in St. profits were the power behind sent up by night: but the interested in bats. You can lis- ground or the odd clouds gannets - big, heavy and Kilda’s, Scotland, built little much of the industrial revolu- experiment was given up as ten to them with audio drifting past but look at the strong and tirelessly patrolling stone huts in which to dry the tion). So there were sugar too dangerous.” equipment that scales down actual sky and all that’s in it. over the ocean, scanning for birds, with air moving workers everywhere and Cork Remember only candles their squawks to the frequency There are birds, yes, but much fish and food. A fish sighted between dry stone work. I had a number of sugar works. and oil lamps were used for we can hear. Many tiny birds more - from the lordly hornet and the vertical dive to strike fancy we would not enjoy a The refined sugar was poured light in those days. Fire was fly high, getting up to the jet to the little ladybird. Look it, a gannet’s body is built to dried gannet but it’s better into conical moulds, making a always a risk. streams above our local again to see tiny midges, little take the savage impact of the than nothing. Sir Walter Scott sugar loaf - whence our sugar Although we were close on weather and going fast. But- flies and butterflies and of dive into water, hard as iron in his great novel “The Anti- loaf hills. Madame Mont- the French Revolution, the terflies can use them too. course, bees and wasps - all when struck that way. But quary” (from which even golfier was burning used King of France was no fool On October 9th, the “Irish air borne and flying yet not gannets do well and humans modern archaeologists could paper bags, when a gust of and realised how much harm Times” published a photo of could follow with an excited the Belted Kingfisher, an public all trying to fly. It had American species only rarely to be properly controlled. seen here, last in 1985. These Today’s highly efficient Air birds get blown across at Traffic Control can look to a times. They migrate south in far off birthday and a soon to big flocks and are the most be deposed French King. ornamental of species with a Extract of a letter from plume of blue feathers on the Paris, May 2, 1784. “His head and blue belt under the Majesty forbids the Fabrica- chin. Now one or more have tion or sending up of any turned up in Connemara, at aerostatic machine, under pain Lough Fee and Kylemore of imprisonment. His Majesty Irish bird watchers are hoping strictly enjoining such persons for a sight of it - or more. Its as were desirous of making probable that it got there rid- any experiment of that nature ing a trans-Atlantic jet stream. to apply to him for permis- The American species (and sion… the reasons for these they migrate in big flocks) is a prohibitions are the dangers striking little creature, but which are likely to follow the anyone who watches our failings of these machines native species is entranced - upon thatched houses, hay the patient wait and the flash stacks, or other inflammable of blue as the little bird dives materials.” for a fish. The king did not want to halt So look at the sky and see progress. “These precautions what’s in it. You may see a are not intended, however, to kingfisher, or a mosquito, a let this sublime discovery fall swarm of locusts or honey into neglect, but only that the bees, going about their honey- experiments should be con- making business. Our skies fined to the direction of are busy places with a multi- intelligent persons.” tude of flight paths and flyers. SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______13 A bigger problem with indium is in its supply. Around 1200 tonnes are used each year, about 40% from mining and the rest from re-cycling. Indeed, the touch screen market alone is at pres- ent worth almost $1.5 billion per year, and rising rapidly. Known reserves are estimated at 16 000 tonnes, over 60% of which are found in China, which has recently begun to restrict its export of metals, among them indium.
Image courtesy of USGS Possible alternatives to ITO are generally less transparent, INDIUM Indium is a member of the same less conducting, more brittle, toxic or a combination of these. group, or family of elements as However, the Indium Corporation, which controls much of the aluminium. Metal of Modern Communications supply of the rare metal, has invested in the discovery of new deposits and more efficient recovery methods. Even as the demand soars for the modern devices we are becoming ever e-readers also use ITO electrodes separated by a tiny gap, the more dependent upon, the Corporation remains confident that By Anthony Toole capacitance of which alters when touched by a finger. ITO is supplies can meet the demand. brittle, but the manufacturers of mobile phones operate on the LCD displays, flat screen televisions and computer monitors, expectation of the lifetimes of their devices stretching to little solar cells and touch screen devices all depend upon a rare ele- more than one-and-a-half years. Items such as e-readers, how- Anthony Toole, 65, Cheswick Drive, Gosforth, Newcastle upon ment that few people have heard of. Tyne, NE3 5DW, U.K. E. [email protected] Indium is a member of the same group, or family of elements ever, which would be expected to last longer, might not have as aluminium, but whereas the latter is the most abundant metal sufficiently durable touch screens. W: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/anthonytoole in the earth’s crust, indium is the 61st most plentiful. Its name has nothing to do with India, but refers to the man- ner of its discovery. In 1863, German chemists, Ferdinand Reich and Hieronymus Richter isolated a yellow powder they were able to extract from a sample of the zinc ore, sphalerite. On test- ing this with a flame and analysing the light produced, they found a distinctive indigo coloured line in the spectrum, which could not be related to any previously known element. They named the metal after this spec- tral line. An ore of indium is known, but it is extremely rare and of no commercial value. The metal is obtained as a by-product of the extraction of zinc and lead from their ores, of which indium may comprise up to 1%. The impure metal is then purified by elec- trolysis. It is almost unique among the elements in that, although it does have stable isotopes, its most abundant isotope, that with an atomic mass number of 115, is very weakly radioactive, though its half-life is thousands of times longer than the present age of the universe. Another unusual property of indium is that, when bent, it emits an audible squeak. Indium was used during World War II to form a thin, lubricat- ing film on the bearings of aircraft engines. Its vapour, when condensed onto a glass surface, makes a mirror of high quality. It can be used in low melting point alloys in sprinkler systems and to make lead-free solder. An alloy of tin and indium with gallium, another member of the aluminium family of elements, is liquid down to a temperature of minus 19°C, and is employed as a non-toxic alternative to mercury in thermometers. The same alloy can also substitute for mercury in liquid mirror telescopes. Modern semiconductor technology, particularly in the field of communications, has discovered new uses for indium. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) make use of alloys of indium and gal- lium with either nitrogen or phosphorus. CIGS semiconductors (copper-indium-gallium-selenium) are used in flexible thin-film solar cells. The most widely applied compound, however, is indium tin oxide (ITO), which is made of 90% indium oxide (In2O3) and 10% tin oxide (SnO2), and is transparent, yet able to conduct electric- ity. This almost unique combination of properties has led to its extensive use as the electrodes in liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and flat screen televisions. In these devices, each pixel consists of a light absorbing material sandwiched between the ITO elec- trodes, which are able to convert the light energy into electricity. Touchscreens in the newer generations of mobile phones and 14 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 Thoughts on the Future for the Irish Fishing Sector
(Prawn) fleet, polyvalent now and there is growing apprecia- serious way and which are and By Lorcán mainly pelagic vessels and at tion of the health benefits of will, if they remain unad- Ó Cinnéide the end of the spectrum the eating fish. While aquaculture dressed, continue to large-scale RSW pelagic fleet. can play a role in meeting undermine the prospects for “WHEN you’re gone, The economic and resource some of the increased the fishing industry and the you’re gone, and it’s better to outlook for each fleet segment demand, mother nature and potential of much of it to sur- keep your counsel after that” is specific to each and their better management can vive, still less develop. Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy was a wise piece of advice an present – and futures – vary allow the business of wild There is a seanfhocal which old political friend of mine accordingly. For example, fish capture to contribute is applicable to a major prob- once gave me. With a year’s Mackerel and herring are good substantially, despite the fact lem in the Irish industry “I space from direct involvement businesses to be in. Whitefish that many policymakers have ndeireadh na coda a in the fishing industry, it is in general is anything but. apparently come to discount throideann na coileáin” (The only as a result of serious arm- Let’s be clear, many indica- the potential of wild-caught pups only fight for the twisting from Sherkin tors exist which suggest that fisheries. scraps!). Not that we are fac- Comment that I venture to the Irish fishing industry Conversely, massive prob- ing the last of the stocks – far give some views as to its should have a bright future: lems exist, some of which are from it – but the issue is the future. To do so in a serious The huge continental shelf completely in the lap of the availability to individuals of way would take a book but at and inshore waters off Ireland Gods: The price of fuel is legally available quota of the the risk of over-simplifica- still contain a fantastic likely to be high into the most profitable species. This tion, I venture a few opinions resource of fish stocks which future due to global demand has to do with developments in which may not be popular. are resilient and capable of for oil and its finite nature. share-out of quotas in Ire- The fishing industry is a rapid regeneration if managed While there is scope for effi- land and the EU, the series of very diverse activities properly. That is not to say ciencies from vessel and decreases in those quotas that involve the catching of that all stocks are in a healthy engine design and more fuel- over time, enforcement, via- wild fish from the sea. It is a state, they certainly are not. efficient fishing gear, these bility and indeed in some compete – profitably – in the within Ireland’s own control – common misconception to The market demand for fish are in the long-term and even cases, sheer greed. Enormous EU market which is currently due to local political difficul- treat the industry as one amor- globally is rising rapidly and then fuel will be a major input fragmentation in representa- flooded with supply from out- ties, the unwillingness of phous unit: The catching Europe is dramatically under- cost. The impact of ocean tive structures, geographic side sources. many inshore fishermen to sector includes small inshore supplied from within, even if acidification and global rivalries and conflict over who Personally and this I accept accept the need for manage- potters and netters, a variety of the current economic climate warming may have long term gets what share of available is very much a minority view, ment – or fear of inappropriate day-boats trawling and gillnet- and global trade trends have impacts on the distribution quotas is tearing the industry I think that not individualising management – and what ting, whitefish trip boats – led to depressed prices for and abundance of stocks in a apart and the less than impres- fishing rights for fixed periods seems to be a loss of confi- trawlers, netters and seiners – many fish species. The huge manner as yet unknown. sive policy and management for some fisheries at least is a dence by officialdom and spending from three to ten projected rise in the earth’s There are massive solvable response to these pressures is major mistake. I appreciate successive Ministers in the days at sea, their near relations population is fuelling a vast problems which show no sign not helping the situation. the risks of concentration and face of experience in the past the dedicated Nephrops increase in demand for protein as I see it of being tackled in a These resource fights occupy foreign ownership – things decade – is blighting the pres- a lot of energy which miti- that can be legislated for in ent and future for Ireland’s gate against any coherent my view – but the lack of indi- inshore fisheries which unity emerging from the vidual rights and certainty account for the majority of industry and an industry less about the future also leads to a vessels and indeed employ- capable of rationally address- lack of individual responsibil- ment in the catching sector. ing the external pressures ity and also a lack of To retain optimism about from regulation or interna- opportunity for essential the future in a situation as we tional policy and proper, investment and employment. find ourselves is difficult and sustainable management. The over-concentration on there is a general unwilling- Cara Partners wish continued The management frame- discards policy in the new CFP ness to accept some of the work for fisheries, particularly reform is distracting from realities on many sides of the success to Matt and his team at the share-out of quotas within many of the real issues which equation but I believe that and outside Ireland, deter- should be tackled: that an ever- many people involved at vari- Sherkin Island Marine Station mines the access to the increasing complexity of ous levels of the industry resource – the volume individ- policy and ineffective manage- would privately share some of ual vessels can catch. From an ment measures substituting for the concerns I have expressed Irish perspective, given that action has sucked everyone here. The prospect that it most fisheries outside the involved – fishermen, policy- might be possible to join those inshore areas are shared with makers, managers, scientists, private voices together to an other countries, what the control agencies and develop- extent that might influence catching sectors in France, ment agencies – into a type of general thinking – without Spain, the UK, Netherlands parallel universe which breeds giving a veto on essential and others do is of vital signif- massive cynicism and huge change to recalcitrant minori- icance. Thus the shape of the despondency – although the ties but nonetheless respecting future Common Fisheries Pol- degree of disillusion is very minorities’ rights – one has to icy which is currently under much related to which part of be hopeful of. There is a great review is a major issue – the industry one is situated and deal to play for, despite all the quota share-outs, technical the state of one’s bank balance. difficulties that exist. We regulations, restrictions on The enormous prize of sus- haven’t died a winter yet.... vessel power and the overall tainable long-term employment size of fleets, however meas- and wealth creation through a Lorcán Ó Cinnéide is a ured and the whole system which provides reliable former CEO of the Irish Fish enforcement regime which inputs for scientific analysis, Producers’ Organisation and proper setting of quota levels, will exist. a current board member of compliant fisheries and opti- The development of global the Marine Institute. The standards of good manage- mised supply of high quality food – as well as employment views expressed here are ment where fisheries would entirely personal and do not compete on a like-with-like and profits – seems for many to represent the views of any basis as regards environmen- be an unattainable goal. It is not. The complete, total and tal, hygiene and safety organisation or body he is or abject failure to bring in standards would go a long has been associated with. rational management of fish- way to ensuring the ability of ing inshore waters – entirely Irish and European fish to SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______15 patients a year (40% of whom are babies and children) and provides transport for those in need of urgent medical atten- CONSERVATION tion to the nearest hospital 120km away in Gobabis. Farther south is the Neuras Wine and Wildlife Estate THROUGH where “wine supports conser- Images courtesy of N/a'an ku sê Foundation vation”. Neuras is an oasis on the edge of the Namib Desert region and is host to the driest terroirs in the world. Most of INNOVATION the profits from the wine mak- ing are channelled straight back into the vital research of the vulnerable Namibian A Namibian Vision wildlife carried out by the researchers based there. the management techniques to provide employment, N/a’an ku sê receives no By Stuart Munro used in the many award-win- healthcare and education. We government funding relying ning projects run by the have an on-site pre-primary on the generous donations and N/a’an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary provides a safe haven for many OPENED in 2007 by orphaned and injured animals including lions, cheetah, leopards, N/a’an ku sê Foundation as it school, the ‘Clever Cubs’, sponsorships from individu- renowned conservationist African wild dog, caracals and baboons, all of which are cared for by a was renamed in 2011. The providing free education for als, companies, trusts and dedicated team of staff and volunteers. Marlice van Vuuren and her name N/a’an ku sê means the children of all the local foundations around the world husband Dr Rudie van “God will protect us” in the staff. The not for profit char- to fund all their conservation Vuuren, N/a’an ku sê Lodge San bushman language. ity lodge on the property was efforts. These include Land and Wildlife Sanctuary strives Situated 42km east of set up to provide jobs and Rover, Seaworld & Bush Gar- to protect and improve the dens, National Geographic lives of the people and Windhoek, the Wildlife Sanc- training for the local bushmen tuary provides a safe haven community and provides an ‘Big Cat Initiative’, Chester wildlife of Namibia. Their zoo, Colchester zoo, Sirtrack, vision of “an Africa where for many orphaned and excellent starting or finishing injured animals including point for those travelling Idea Wild, Spots Foundation humans and wildlife can live and of course the Jolie-Pitt lions, cheetah, leopards, around Namibia. and thrive together” has been Foundation. African wild dog, caracals and The N/a’an ku sê Founda- the driving force behind all However, none of the day- baboons, all of which are tion also runs its Lifeline the efforts towards fulfilling to-day work on the sanctuary cared for by a dedicated team Clinic at Epukiro in the east of their mission: “to conserve the could be carried out without of staff and volunteers. It also Namibia. This facility, set up land, cultures and wildlife of the hundreds of ecotourism serves as the base for the Car- in 2003, provides free primary Namibia and rescue species volunteers that come from all threatened by an ever shrink- nivore Conservation Research health care to the marginalised corners of the world to give Volunteers on a baboon walk. ing habitat”. Their philosophy Project. The N/a’an ku sê San bushman community in their invaluable time and of “Conservation through Foundation also works with the area. The clinic examines energy to help us in our mis- Innovation” is at the core of the San bushman community and treats approximately 3,500 sion. Volunteers stay from between 2 weeks to 3 months, working alongside the Wildlife and Research staff, getting involved in a wide range of different activities. From preparing and distribut- ing all the food for the animals, taking the baboons on their daily walks in the veldt, helping with the build- ing and maintenance of vital infrastructure to joining the Tracking animals on foot. research team on game counts, the volunteers’ rou- The research department tines are varied and busy. has, since 2008, been respon- Whilst we strive to rehabil- sible for the successful itate and release as many capture, rehabilitation and animals as possible back into release of more than 50 large the wild, many of the animals carnivores from conflict situa- living at N/a’an ku sê will tions. These individuals have unfortunately never be able to been intensively monitored by be released. Most of them the research staff for up to 3 have been orphaned as babies years after release and provide or kept as pets by private indi- invaluable information on the viduals who can no longer ecology and movements of care for them. As such these these elusive and beautiful animals have become so animals. Their work to miti- accustomed to humans that if gate human-wildlife conflict they were to be released they is on-going, providing advice Meatball is one of five lions at the sanctuary. would not show the natural and assistance to over 150 commercial livestock farmers reaction of running away from you wish to visit us and volun- on management techniques to humans, and as such, would teer, or support any of our reduce losses by opportunistic most likely be shot. Some projects, visit us at livestock predators. however (for example leop- www.naankuse.com or follow My 2 years working with ard, cheetah and brown us on facebook (www.face- the research team at N/a’an ku hyena) are healthy animals book.com/naankuse). which have come into conflict sê thus far have been the most rewarding I have ever experi- with human activities such as Stuart Munro, a Research livestock farming or game- enced and with many exciting Biologist with the N/a'an ku ranching. These animals may new projects in the pipeline I then become candidates for have no doubt that the satis- sê Foundation, was formerly the release programme run by faction I experience every day a volunteer at Sherkin Island the research team. will continue to multiply. If Marine Station. 16 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______17
Marlice van Vuuren, one of Namibia's most well known conservationists, and her husband Dr. Rudie van Vuuren started N/a'an ku sê Foundation in 2007 with two aims - to protect and conserve Namibia's vulnerable Conservation through Innovationwildlife and to improve the lives of the marginalised San Bushman community. In addition to the projects mentioned above we now run
Images courtesy of N/a'an ku sê Foundation several projects including: • A Wildlife Sanctuary for orphaned and injured animals • Carnivore Conservation Research Project to protect and conserve wild cheetah, leopard and brown hyena in Namibia. • Clever Cubs School and education for San children • Lifeline Clinic and medical outreach for the San community • Namibia's only charity lodge - where all proceeds are channelled back into our charitable aims The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is the continent’s second most In 2011 N/a'an ku sê partnered with the Solitaire Guest Farm to form endangered predator. N/a’an ku sê is leading the way in conserving this the Namib Carnivore Conservation Centre. An educational centre with a critically endangered predator in Namibia. 500 ha cheetah boma used both for cheetah that cannot be released and as a 'training ground' for cheetah that will ultimately be released in suitable areas. In 2012 N/a'an ku sê became the new owners of Neuras Wine and Wildlife Estate. Combining land use for both conservation and wine production. All profits from the wine production are channelled back into our charitable aims. For further information on N/a'an ku sê Foundation, read the article by Stuart Munro on page 15 and also visit the website www.naankuse.com or email [email protected]
Volunteers come from all over the world to be a part of the working A Namibian Vision projects which support the wildlife and people of Namibia.
Since N/a'an ku sê’s Carnivore Conservation Research Programme began in early 2008, they have captured and safely re-released over 50 large predators, including cheetah, leopard (above) and brown hyena.
To help protect and conserve large wild carnivores, a research programme was started in 2008 to track cheetahs and leopards Volunteers on enclosure patrol. on Namibian farmland.
Brushing teeth at the Clever Cubs School. Welcoming the new Dr Laura.
N/a'an ku sê are working to find a sustainable and successful The children at the Clever Cubs School enjoying Sunday games. The Lifeline Clinic provides free primary health care to the A cosy chalet at the Neuras Wine and Wildlife Estate. The interior of accommodation at the Neuras Wine and Wildlife N/a'an ku sê Lodge is a not for profit eco-tourism destination, solution for the translocation and release of problem carnivores. marginalised San bushman community. Estate. where all profits are directed straight back into supporting the foundation’s charitable projects. 18 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 By Dr Ciaran Byrne populations of rudd (Scar- dinius erythropthalmus) and THE River Lee rises near the pike, Inniscarra Lake has border of Cork and Kerry in earned a reputation as one of the steep mountains which the premier coarse fishing encircle Gougane Barra Lake. waters in the entire country It flows almost due east along INNISCARRAINNISCARRA with mixed bags of 100lbs not a narrow valley for about uncommon and potentially Images courtesy of Inland Fisheries Ireland 65km to Cork City, draining a catchable to even the average total area of 1,100km. Innis- recreational angler. carra Reservoir is situated on AA coarsecoarse anglingangling parparadiseadise In 2008 the then Central the River Lee system. The Fisheries Board conducted a reservoir encompasses an area comprehensive survey of the of 489 hectares and was cre- lake, primarily to assess the ated by the Electricity Supply species present, their relative Board (ESB) between 1952 abundances and also to assess and 1957, with the construc- their growth rates when com- tion of two dams on the River pared with other waters. The Lee at Carraigadrohid (21m fish community was com- high) and Inniscarra (44m posed of eleven fish species, high). The reservoir is also fed with the population dominated by three secondary streams. by stocks of perch and bream, These are the Dripsey and and reasonable stocks of other Glashagarriff Rivers from the species. north and north-west and the The stock of bream present Kame River to the south-west in the lake during this survey of the reservoir. was found to be one of the The reservoir is situated in most prolific populations in a mainly rich agricultural land the country. Their presence in Cathal landing a fish at Clooncower on Carrigadrohid. area with several wooded all depths and locations of the areas along its banks. Around lake was a clear indication of with the Inland Fisheries 30% of its shoreline is gently that dominance and the sus- Trust, the ‘IFT’ as it was com- sloping with sloping stony tainability of the population. monly known. It was the sandy margins, which pro- Their catch per unit effort precursor to the former vides good areas for angling, (CPUE) densities were found Regional Fisheries Boards and while several areas withhold to be considerably higher that now Inland Fisheries Ireland the traditional reservoir two other premier angling (IFI). The IFT was responsi- aspect; steep banks of sheer venues, Lough Garadice and ble, amongst other things, for rock etc, especially when Lough Ramor. Given that developing coarse fisheries in water levels are high. At nor- bream are one of the most Ireland and by 1980 had pro- mal levels this water covers important coarse fish species vided in the region of over an area of over 530 ha with for angling tourism in Ireland 18,000 fishing stands through- fishable bank covering over this survey has further out the country. In some 25 miles. enhanced the lakes reputation respects the Technical Offi- In the creation of such a as a coarse angling paradise. It cers of the IFT were the large water supply, one of the is though that in part the suc- pioneers of the fisheries Michael Hennessy catching a lovely bream. Babs Kijewski with a pike. added bonuses was the poten- cess of the bream stock is world. There was a wonderful tial to create a large angling ensured significant successes. respects the work done by the coarse angling destination. related to the availability of a sense of what could be done to resource in the region, and we To a pioneer like Noel the cre- IFT and pioneers like Noel Before the reservoirs were range of different habitat develop the fisheries resource have the insight and dedica- ation of two large dams on the sowed the seeds for the coarse created, the River Lee was a types, from shallow bays circa coupled with an understand- tion of a wonderful man, Mr River Lee in the mid 1950’s angling resource which we salmonid river and it provided 3m in depth, which younger ing of the biology and ecology Noel Hackett to thank for this. would have been an unmiss- have today, and the continued the initial stocks of brown fish tend to favour, to deep of the main fish species which Noel was a technical officer able opportunity. In some popularity of Ireland as a trout (Salmo trutta) for the open water (>15m) channels, reservoir. This stock was which provide habitat for enhanced in the 1960’s with a older fish. number of stockings of brown Thus it is from the dedica- trout fingerlings. Other tion and foresight of a true species such as pike (Esox fisheries pioneer, Noel Hack- lucius) also thrived in the still- ett, that we now have one of water environment. However the of the finest coarse fish- the fish stock history of the eries in the country, providing lake altered significantly since recreational angling not only its creation and the designa- to a host of local angling clubs tion of Inniscarra as a major but also to a swathe of visiting coarse fishing water in the anglers. I have no doubt that region was ultimately defined the stocking of bream and by the stocking of other coarse other coarse fish in to the lake fish species into the reservoir. is also generating a huge eco- Perhaps the most famous of nomic boost to this part of all of these events occurred Cork, and I also suspect that when Noel and his colleagues Noel probably had an inkling introduced 200 adult bream that it would. I never had the (Abramis brama) into the pleasure of meeting Noel but upper Carrigadrohid Lake in from what I have heard from 1974. It was not until 15 years Fisheries staff and anglers later that large stocks of alike we had a man who had bream were discovered in the what we now know as a ‘can lower Inniscarra Lake, which do attitude’. we believe derived from this initial stocking. Since then the Dr Ciaran Byrne, reservoir has been famous for Chief Executive Officer, its bream angling with fish of Inland Fisheries Ireland, around 7lbs not uncommon. Swords Business Campus, Along with further stockings Swords, Co. Dublin, Ireland. of roach x bream hybrids and www.fisheriesireland.ie the presence of large natural SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______19 Noel Hackett – the Visionary
vision and activities Inniscarra then went on to surveying Lake is now one of the finest small lakes nationally in order bream fisheries in Europe. The to assess their development enormity of this legacy for potential. He helped in the future generations is impossi- successful introduction of carp ble to calculate. and tench species into areas of Noel grew up with nature the State where they did not from an early age, spending previously exist – such as most of his free time fishing Inish Boffin Island, off the from the banks of the Shannon west coast, Herbert Park Pond and the Munster Blackwater. in Central Dublin and Kelly’s He observed wildlife at close Lake in Clare. His wife Eileen quarters and thus the seed told me that Noel disappeared Image courtesy of Sherkin Island Marine Station was sown and left to sprout early each Monday morning Noel Hackett, whose dedication in developing community lakes at and blossom over the next and arrived home late Satur- Inniscarra, Co. Cork, has brought immense happiness to thousands. four decades. day night, having been all over On leaving school he got a the country. When it came to By doing this he left a legacy By Matt Murphy job with Clover Meats in Lim- his job Noel forgot everything
for future generations. Image courtesy of Patricia O’Connor erick. In 1956 he was else – even eating! I have known a few Johnny Noel had wonderful interest AS a youngster, over 70 years interviewed for a post of On the banks of Inniscarra Lake on the River Lee, Co Cork, a sculpture Appleseeds in the past 70 odd in wildlife and noticed every- by Aisling Roche commemorates Noel’s life. ago, my great joy every week supervisor with the Inland years and one such person was thing. Eileen said that Noel was to get copies of those Fisheries Trust (a precursor to the late Noel Hackett, former learned the latin names of hun- the first award he had received ments, whether positive or not. wonderfully simple comics the Regional Fisheries Boards I was over the moon and was But the real gems in the report technical officer with the dreds of wild flowers and The Hotspur, The Rover and and then Inland Fisheries Ire- even more pleased. were the presscuttings and the Inland Fisheries Trust / South insects that he noticed when he Adventure. They had many land). When it was pointed out To many anglers Noel notes left in the comments box Western Regional Fisheries travelled around the country – stories and characters such as he would have to live in Mac- Hackett was the South West- by visiting anglers. Board. (Ciaran Byrne, Chief and she had to examine him! Alf Tupper and John Wilson, room, he said he was ern Regional Fisheries Board. Noel, on hearing of a record His companion for a couple of both wonderful athletes. How- Executive of Inland Fisheries delighted. However, he told He could relate to the angler, catch would organise a photo, if years was Oscar – a greylag ever, there was one ongoing Ireland writes about Noel in the story that when he came being a naturalist rather than a near home he’d get there him- goose which he received as a story which had a lasting his article on page 13) out of the interview he had to scientist. Wanting things to self. A note and a photo was chick. Often the goose took off impression on me throughout In 1997, I had the honour of look up a map to see where work, he avoided major con- then sent to the nearest local in the morning and would life and in many ways it has unveiling a beautiful sculpture Macroom was! frontation and had a wonderful paper of the angler. In 1990 he return when he saw Noel been how I have judged people to commemorate Noel’s life, on Noel used Macroom as a way of working around prob- wrote and sent a photo to the returning in his car. Eventually ever since. It was about a man the banks of Inniscarra Lake on base for working around Ire- lems. If management had an “West Australian” newspaper Oscar returned to the wild. called Johnny Appleseed, who the River Lee, Co Cork. Noel land. His work at the idea Noel would praise it and after a Dews Pember caught a He never had material values travelled America planting had great dedication and single beginning included removing point out that he would love to 5.8 kilo Rainbow Trout at such as new cars and had no appleseeds wherever he went. mindedness and because of his pike from rivers and lakes. He carry it out but did not have Barfinnihy Lake, Kenmare. interest in clothes. He was a the ability. He would then pro- Yes, Noel Hackett brought hoarder and a hunter. One of his ceed to explain how he would immense happiness to thou- LEAVE YOUR collections was of old bottles. 2013 Beaches Awards for FOOTPRINTS do it and need I add, that was sands of adults and youngsters ON THE SAND AND He loved to hear of car boot the way it was done! with his community lakes. Note NOT YOUR WASTE. sales to see what he could pick I was told by his colleagues I say “his” because I know that up – some more items to hoard. County Cork On your next beach visit that Noel could be infuriating no one can question that if Noel REMEMBER: His family, whom he adored, to work for. Time meant noth- Hackett had not passed through Blue Flag Award - Stay safe. Adhere to safety signage. couldn’t but noticed that Noel ing to him. One would often this life – those lakes would An Taisce-The National Trust for Ireland, with support from the Department of the Not all beaches are life guarded. was always available to help Environment, Heritage and Local Government and on behalf of the Foundation for Know which are – and obey the find him on a lake at 10pm at never have been stocked. Environmental Education (FEE). The International award is one of the worlds most Lifeguard flags when displayed. anyone in genuine need. Over - Use litter and recycling bins provided night. However, Noel was so When I asked what was the recognised Eco Labels and is universally recognised as the benchmark for beach quality. at the beach or better still follow the the years he never changed. He The Blue Flag Award requires the adherence to 32 criteria including: Pack it in Pack it out initiative dedicated they never com- opinion of officialdom in Dublin 1. excellence in water quality and a committed monitoring programme. implemented on many of our Cork was prepared, day or night, to plained as he never expected to Noel Hackett and the stocking 2. provision of adequate safety and services, safety equipment and warning signals of beaches and bring your litter home solve a fishing matter. potential hazards. with you. anyone to do anything he of the lakes, with his unorthodox - Respect the fragile habitat, I first met Noel in 1972 3. beach management programme, good infrastructure, accessibility and litter control particularly the sand dunes. Sand could not do himself. He ways – the answer I got was sim- 4. provision of environmental information and education. dunes are a very important when after phoning him he ecosystem and coastal defense always “mucked in”. ple. They knew he ran an Green Coast Award system. Please do not trample the came to Sherkin to put some Noel knew how to bring independent republic and they dunes - use footpaths and designated The Green Coast Awards were first operated with Authorities in Wales and now extend to pathways. Driving, motorcycling carp and tench into Lough people with him. He had this would rather not get involved. I the coastline of Ireland for the sixth year running. The Green Coast Award is a symbol of scrambling and horse riding destroys Ordree – a small lake on the excellence which recognises: the dunes. Please try and prevent wonderful understanding of would add it would have been - Excellent Water Quality - Good Management these activities. island. I had continuous con- how rural Ireland worked and pointless – Noel Hackett would - Bring Your camera!!!!!! - High Environmental Standards - Community Involvement The Environmental Education unit of tact over the years when he he was able at all times to bring have found another way! What Green Coast beaches may not have the necessary built infrastructure required to meet the An Taisce are running a Clean Coast organised freshwater fish for criteria for Blue Flag Status, however they are exceptional places to visit and enjoy a rich Photographic Competition as part of people with him. He never is important to say is that coastal heritage and diversity. Community involvement through local Coast care groups their Clean Coast programme. This is our marine station’s exhibi- restocked any lake or river throughout Noel’s many years is a requirement for the Green Coast Award and Cork County Council would like to open to all amateur photographers . For more visit tions at Connolly Hall, Cork unless the local angling club with the South Western Regional commend the excellent work and commitment of our local community/Coast Care groups www.cleancoastphoto.org in the management and care of their local coastline. To find out how you can adopt a beach - Cork County Council Beach Byelaws City. I have one fond memory was involved – even if he had Fisheries Board he had the admi- and form a coastcare groups contact www.beachawards.ie 2011 have recently been implemented on our Cork Beaches. of our one in 1995. We had one to form a new club in the area. ration and support of the An Taisce recently announced 5 Blue Flag awards and 9 Green Coast awards for County For Further information on tank with an 18” pike and a Noel Hackett believed that managers and the board mem- Cork bathing areas at an awards ceremony held in Seapoint, Dun Laoghaire on Thursday Commencement, Interpretation, Authorised Persons, Prohibited Acts, number of trout. Noel told me the re-stocking of lakes in bers. They realised Noel was a May 23rd. Presentation were made by the Minister of the Environment Community & Control of Dogs, Horses, Recreational Local Government, Mr Phil Hogan & Ms Patricia Oliver Director of Environmental Craft, Permits, Offences ETC please that the pike should have eaten Cork and Kerry would be of unique human being and needed Educations Unit An Taisce. Cork has successfully regained 5 Blue Flag Awards and 9 visit WWW.CORKCOCO.IE the trout and wondered what I vital importance in drawing the space to deliver. Green Coast Awards for beaches which attained "Excellent Water Quality Status" - THE BEACH IS A PUBLIC PLACE. Dog assessed over the period 2009 to 2012. owners please respect the safety of had done to the pike. Well, that tourists and others into these As Johnny Appleseed sowed others. Keep your dog on a leash and clean up after your dog. On the spot week I spent more time areas. It would help the local the appleseeds, Noel sowed BLUE FLAGS GREEN COAST fine of €150 for dog fouling. Protect public health and be responsible. observing people looking at community. Thus he always fish seed, which are now blos- Youghal Ring Strand/Greenlands - Get your school involved in beach that tank. Eventually they referred to them as community soming throughout Cork and Shanagarry Ardnahinch activity days-marine education days IT'S A organised by your local authority. came up to me and asked if the lakes. His annual reports on Kerry and further afield. He Midleton Inch GREAT Remember – There is a BLUE FLAG Carrigaline Rocky Bay CERTIFICATE awarded to schools who pike was alive. My answer was “Managing Community Lake brought happiness to thousands DAY carry out marine/beach activities. For Old Head of Kinsale Garrylucas Oysterhaven more contact Annabel McLoone An always – “Of course he is”, Trout Fisheries” shows the and will continue to bring it to TO BE Taisce at [email protected] Clonakilty Inchydoney though many wondered if we immensity of his work. Taking thousands upon thousands of AT THE Roscarberry Owenahincha BEACH AWARDS have benefits to the were playing tricks! Believe it one season 1990 – a total of others over the decades ahead. BEACH! local community where amenities and Warren environment are enhanced and a shared or not, he never eat the trout. 6,568 fish permits were sold Skibbereen Tragumna responsibility for the beach and the local environment is promoted. These awards In 1991 I was more than for the 13 lakes in Cork and Matt Murphy, Director, Schull Ballyrisode also have a positive knock on affect for delighted when Noel accepted Kerry. The reported catch was Galleycove tourism in the County. The local Authority Sherkin Island Marine Station, depends on the full cooperation of the the Sherkin Island Marine Sta- 19,952 fish, with 49,953 trout Beara Garinish public in maintaining and progressing the Sherkin Island, Co. Cork. released. He reported pollution Sheep’s Head Penninsula Dooneen Pier blue flag and green coast awards along tion Environmental Award. our beautiful coastline. When he told me that it was problems and anglers com- 20 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 Commercial Exploitation Over the last few years 1758 (Osteichthyes: Cyclopteridae) Norwegian and Shetland in the Mediterranean Sea. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 300-303. of Lumpfish salmon farmers have been Kruuk, H. (2006) Otters – ecology, The vast majority of Lump- experimenting with using behaviour and conservation. LUMPFISHES fish species have no juvenile lumpfish as a possi- Oxford University Press. commercial value because ble means of controlling sea Marter, H.J. (2012) The latest weapon they are either too small or are lice (Marter, 2012), particu- against sea lice. Shetland News (Family: Cyclopteridae) rarely captured. However, C. larly as a substitute to using (19.12.2012) lumpus is targeted by several wrasse species (Family Labri- Mecklenburg, C.W. & Sheiko, B.A. (2003) Annotated Checklist of countries in the North dae) [Quigley, 2009] which Fishes: Family Cyclopteridae in Irish & North Atlantic Waters Atlantic, particularly for its do not appear to survive as Bonaparte 1831 Lumpsuckers. roe which is used in the pro- California Academy of Sciences No. 6, 17 pp. By Declan T. Quigley sucker is the most studied are frequently found in tide- duction of lumpfish caviar. Male flesh is considered to be Mitamura, H., Thorstad, E.B., Uglem, species within the Family pools or in pelagic waters, I.M., Bjorn, P.A., Okland, F., LUMPFISHES belong to a Cyclopteridae. The species often attached to floating sea- a delicatessen product by Naesje, T.F., Dempster, T. & Arai., small family of poorly known ranges throughout the North weed, but during their second many people in Iceland where N. (2007) Movements of female Atlantic, in the NW from they are traditionally boiled in lumpsucker Cyclopterus lumpus in arctic-boreal marine fishes year, the young become exclu- a Norwegian fjord during the (Cyclopteridae) comprising Hudson Bay (Canada) and sively pelagic and are no water and vinegar and served spawning period. Norwegian about 6 genera and 28 species Greenland southwards to longer found in association with potatoes and a piece of Juvenile lumpfish Institute for Nature Research Courtesy of Fergal Downes (NINA) Report 288, 20pp. (Nelson, 2006). The actual Chesapeake Bay and in the with seaweed. After 2-4 years lumpfish liver. However, number of species within the NE from Novaya Zemlya feeding in the open ocean, female flesh is not considered well in cold-water sites situ- Nelson, J.S. (2006) Fishes of the World as good; they are hung up to ated in more northerly (4th Edition). John Wiley & Sons, family is uncertain because (Russia) and Spitsbergen adult lumpfish return to Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. morphological, meristic and (Norway) southwards to the inshore waters to spawn dry in the open for some time latitudes. During recent years, thousands of juveniles Quigley, D.T. (2002) Puffer Fish in Irish ontogenetic differences Mediterranean (rarely) [Dul- (Mitamura et al., 2007). before being consumed and Waters Sherkin Comment 32: 4. have been successfully between juveniles and adults cic & Golani, 2006; Banon et The diet of inshore juve- are something of an acquired Quigley, D.T. (2009) Wrasse and between males and al., 2008]. The species is niles consists of polychaetes, taste (www.fisheries.is/main- reared at Dingle Oceanworld (Labridae) in Irish and North- females have sometimes led regarded as common in Irish crustaceans, molluscs and species/other-demersal-fishes (www.dingle-oceanworld.ie) Eastern Atlantic Waters. Sherkin and subsequently released to Comment 47: 7. to taxonomic confusion. For and NW European waters small fishes, while the diet of /Lumpsucker). During 2009, a (Went & Kennedy, 1976; total of 279 small inshore ves- the wild. Robins, C.R., Ray, G.C., Douglass, J. example, it has been specu- offshore pelagic adults and & Freund, R. (1986) A Field Guide lated that the family may sub-adults consists of slow- sels targeted the species in to Atlantic Coast Fishes – North contain several “species moving prey such as medusae Icelandic waters. Approxi- America. Houghton Mifflin Co., References Boston & New York. pairs”, with counterparts in and ctenophores. Although it mately half of the roe went to domestic caviar factories and Banon, R., Garazo, A. & Fernandez, A. Went, A.E. J. (1972) Interesting the Pacific and Atlantic differ- is generally considered that (2008) Note about the presence of the other half, valued at about fishes taken in Irish waters in ing in few characteristics, adult lumpfish do not feed the lumpsucker Cyclopterus 1971. Irish Naturalists’ Journal €15 million, was exported lumpus (Teleostei, Cyclopteridae) albeit apparently geographi- during their inshore reproduc- 17 (7): 210-215. unprocessed (Einarsson, 2010). in Galician waters (NW Spain). cally separate e.g. tive phase, at least some do, as Journal of Applied Ichthyology 24: Went, A.E.J. & Kennedy, M. (1976) Figure 1 summarizes annual Eumicrotremus orbis versus Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) evidenced by capture, albeit 108-109. List of Irish Fishes (3rd Edition) Courtesy of Adrienne Patterson, SFPA landings of C. lumpus from Stationery Office, Dublin. E. spinosus, E. andriashevi rarely, of a few exceptionally Byrkjedal, I., Rees, D.J. & Willassen, Wheeler, 1969). the North Atlantic between West, B., Cabot, D. & Greer-Walker, versus E. terraenovae, and large specimens by anglers. E. (2007) Lumping lumpsuckers: Mature lumpfish migrate 1950 and 2010. Although molecular and morphological M. (1975) The food of the Cyclopteropsis brashnikowi For example, the current UK cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo over considerable distances landings have increased expo- insights into the taxonomic status versus C. mcalpini (Mecklen- Rod-Caught (Shore) Record, of Eumicrotremus spinosus at some breeding colonies in from offshore pelagic feeding nentially since the late 1960s, Ireland. Proceedings of the Royal burg & Sheiko, 2003; Robins weighing 9.347kg, was cap- (Fabricius, 1776) and et al., 1986). A recent study areas to spawn in shallow the total catch can vary signif- Eumicrotremus eggvinii Koefoed, Irish Academy 75 (Section B): tured from Weymouth Pier, 285-304. noted that although E. spin- inshore waters during the icantly from one year to the 1956 (Teleostei: Cyclopteridae). Dorset during 1987. Another Journal of Fish Biology 71 spring and early summer (Feb- next. During 2010, a total of Wheeler, A. (1969) The Fishes of the osus (Fabricius, 1776) was (Supplement A): 111-131. British Isles and North-West Europe. ruary to May) when water UK specimen, weighing 20,016 tonnes was landed, 4.493kg, was captured in the Einarsson, G. (2010) Lucrative Michigan State University Press. temperatures, depending on mainly by Greenland (43.1%), lumpfish season. The Irish Skipper latitude, are around 4-8oC. estuary of the River Tyne dur- Iceland (42.4%) and Norway (May, 2010), p25. ing 1986. During April 1971, Mature males (25-30cm TL) (12.7%) [Figure 2]. In the NE Dorman, J. (1987) Notes on the By Declan T. Quigley, Dingle establish nesting sites amongst a specimen, weighing 1.365kg Atlantic, the vast majority are stomach contents of some blue Oceanworld (Mara Beo Teo), kelp beds along subtidal and (37.2cm TL), was captured on taken by inshore gill-nets in sharks (Prionace glauca, L.) The Wood, Dingle, Co Kerry. rod & line at Kilfenora Strand, caught in Courtmacsherry Bay, intertidal rocky coasts prior to arctic and polar waters, partic- County Cork. Irish Naturalists Mobile: 087-6458485 Fenit, Co Kerry (Went, 1972). Eumicrotremus spinosus the arrival of the females. ularly from Iceland (74.4%) Journal 22 (5): 207. Email: Courtesy of Ingvar Byrkjedal, Univ. of Bergen, Norway There are indications that The maximum recorded and Norway (15.2%) and the Dulcic, J. & Golani, D. (2006) First [email protected] length and weight for the record of Cyclopterus lumpus L., morphologically distinguish- lumpfish may home to the Barents Sea (7.1%) [Figure 3]. able from E. eggvinii same spawning locality every species is 61cm and 9.5kg. (Koefoed, 1956) in the year. In what may be a defensive Atlantic; both species were Mature females (30-40cm reaction, lumpfish are able to actually genetically identical TL) produce up to 300k eggs inflate their bodies by swal- (Byrkjedal et al., 2007). measuring around 2.5mm in lowing air or water, similar to Indeed, the authors discov- diameter and lay them in sev- puffer fish (Quigley, 2002). ered that the E. spinosus eral individual masses each Nevertheless, lumpfish are specimens were all female, containing 15-100k eggs. eaten by a wide range of pred- while the E. eggvinii speci- Spent females leave the area ators in both inshore and mens were all male. It is immediately after spawning offshore habitats, including interesting that a species and return to offshore pelagic sperm whales, seals, otters described in 1956 should waters (usually at depths of (Kruuk, 2006), cormorants actually represent the males of 50-150m, but occasionally to (West et al., 1975), anglerfish, a species first described in 400m) while post-spawning halibut, Greenland sharks and 1776. males remain inshore for blue sharks (Dorman, 1987). Although the majority of about 1-2 months to aggres- species have been described sively guard and aerate the from the North Pacific, 3 gen- eggs until the 5mm long lar- era and 8 species have been vae emerge. Lumpfish have recorded from the NW modified pelvic fins, which Atlantic, including 5 species form a sucker disc (hence the from the NE Atlantic (Table alternative name Lump- 1). However, only one species, sucker), and along with the Cyclopterus lumpus, has been absence of a swim-bladder, recorded from Irish waters. this enables them to cling on securely to rocks and weed in the strong tidal conditions Lumpfish or Lumpsucker found in these high-energy (Cyclopterus lumpus L.) intertidal spawning habitats. The Lumpfish or Lump- During their first year, juve- niles stay in coastal waters and SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______21 Cleaning the Hudson River By Walter Mugdan
FROM 1946 to 1977 the Hudson River, long fabled for its beauty, became the sewer for more than a million pounds of toxic chemicals. Polychlorinated biphenyls – PCBs, classified by the U.S. EPA as a prob- able human carcinogen – were manufactured by the General Elec- tric Company at plants located in Fort Edward and Hudson Falls, some 200 miles north of the Hudson’s mouth in New York City. Workers use excavators with environmental clamshell buckets mounted on flat, Both plants discharged PCB anchored platforms to dredge the river.The PCB-contaminated sediment is emptied wastes directly into the river. When onto 35-foot-wide, 195-foot-long floating barges. a nearby dam was removed in 1973, mud laden with PCBs surged down the river. Most settled in the next downstream reaches of the river, behind three other dams, but some of the chemicals made their way all the way to New York Harbor. PCBs are taken up by plankton – tiny plants and animals – and “bioaccumulate” all the way up the food chain into worms, shellfish and fish, birds such as ospreys and bald eagles, and mammals like otter, mink and humans. Because of PCBs, the Hudson has for over thirty years been largely closed to fishing for human consumption, including A map of a section of the Project Area. the commercially valuable striped bass fishery. However, many anglers pleted, the fish will be much less was yes, and dredging resumed in eat the fish they catch despite these Tugboats are used to move barges of contaminated sediment to an upstream restrictions. contaminated and much safer for 2011 and continued in 2012. processing facility and clean backfill to the previously dredged areas.The tugboat Now the damage is being people and other animals. Although GE was strongly and barge must navigate through the lock system to get to the processing facility. repaired. In 2002 EPA announced For many years GE had vigorously opposed to the project, the company The barges may make as many as 20 one-way trips to and from the processing facility during a 24-hour period. its final decision to dredge the toxic opposed the dredging project. GE has done a first rate job carrying it sediments out of the river. EPA argued that natural processes are out. For example, EPA had set a tar- determined that about 500 acres causing older, contaminated sedi- get of 350,000 cubic yards of within a 40-mile stretch north of ments to be buried by cleaner sediment to be removed during the Albany should be dredged, result- sediments, eventually taking the 2012 dredging season (mid-May to ing in the removal of 2.65 million PCBs out of circulation. But EPA late October); GE nearly doubled cubic yards of PCB-contaminated gathered strong evidence that wide- that, removing 663,000 cubic yards. mud. Excess water would be spread, permanent burial of Notwithstanding this blistering pace, squeezed out of the mud and contaminated sediments was not all key protective indicators (such as treated. The dried mud would then happening: in fact, PCBs are often the amount of resuspension of con- be shipped by rail to licensed dis- brought back to the surface and taminated sediment back into the posal facilities hundreds or even redistributed. In short, the river was river) remained well within the strin- thousands of miles away. not cleaning itself. gent limits set by EPA. In fact, As the source of the pollution, GE GE also predicted that the cure recontamination has been minimal – one of the world’s largest corpora- would be worse than the disease, and has had negligible impact. tions – is, under the United States because PCB-laden mud would be The decision to dredge the Hudson landmark “Superfund” law, legally resuspended during dredging and will have implications far beyond the The project's effect on water quality is Quality of Life Performance Standards responsible for the costs of cleanup. would therefore recontaminate the banks of this historic river. Lakes, closely monitored in accordance with were designed for the dredging project river. GE also maintained that it rivers and harbors throughout the Engineering Performance Standards. to keep the impacts on people to a And those costs are large indeed, Water monitoring is done around and minimum.The project's effects on air estimated at up to $2 billion. would not be possible to carry out the world are similarly contaminated downstream of the dredges, to quality are closely monitored. Air After years of extensive sampling project on EPA’s ambitious time with PCBs, dioxin, organic chemi- determine PCB resuspension levels.This monitors have been placed around all to delineate the precise areas to be schedule, while also meeting the cals and toxic heavy metals. water monitoring buoy is solar powered. of the dredge operations and in stringent operational standards set by Concerned people everywhere are residential and commercial areas, and dredged, and designing and build- air quality data is collected daily. ing the 100-acre water treatment EPA to avoid unacceptable water and watching with keen interest to see plant and other necessary infra- air pollution impacts from the dredg- how the Hudson River cleanup pro- structure, dredging finally began in ing itself. ceeds. And today, with over half the 2009. The project, estimated to be To assess and address these con- project completed, the answer is that completed by around 2016, will cerns, EPA agreed to an it is proceeding incredibly well. result in the removal of some unprecedented procedural step: after For more information about this 150,000 pounds of PCBs from the the first year of dredging in 2009, important project, visit EPA’s Hud- river – about 65% of the PCBs still there was a year-long hiatus in 2010 son River web site at left in the 40-mile stretch. Of during which an independent, scien- http://www.epa.gov/hudson. course, the dredging won’t be able tific peer-review was carried out. The to get all the PCBs. Enough will be purpose of the review was to evalu- Walter Mugdan, Director, left behind so that some parts of the ate whether the PCB removal goals Emergency & Remedial Response river will still be unsuitable for of the project could indeed be met
Division, U.S. Environmental Images courtesy of US EPA non-restricted human consumption while simultaneously adhering to Protection Agency, Region 2, New Oversight teams monitor dredging, processing and other project activities for the EPA’s rigorous time schedule and of fish for years to come. But EPA York, NY, January, 2013 safety of crews on the River, and to ensure compliance with best management projects that after dredging is com- operational standards. The answer practices. 22 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 The Issue of Septic Tanks Are We Achieving Progress At Last?
that wells, particularly private • As a consequence of the progress By Donal Daly wells, become polluted with in producing the NIP, the Euro- pathogens. pean Commission has ceased the • In addition, many systems were imposition of fines. The Issue? not located or constructed, and • have not been maintained, in There are approximately 500,000 accordance with the current best What Does the National domestic waste water treatment practice. systems (DWWTSs) in Ireland, Inspection Plan Entail? Figure 1: An illustration of how a septic tank can pollute a well (graphic sourced • Many house owners in rural mostly septic tanks, which dis- • It is based on two strands; i) a from the WFD Visual website, SNIFFER, 2007) areas were not fully aware of the charge about 46 million gallons citizen engagement strategy, and problems and risks arising from of effluent per day into the ii) a risk based approach to their DWWTSs. ground. The threat to human inspections, whereby the level of • Consequence 1: Potentially, we health and the environment can inspection will be proportionate have significant health and envi- be illustrated by two facts: i) to the risk posed to human health ronmental issues, although it effluent contains about 1 million and the environment. should be kept in mind that faecal bacteria per litre and each • A national public awareness urban wastewater treatment of us produces around 150 litres campaign is commencing to plants and agriculture produce a of effluent each day (the drinking enable householders to under- far higher pollutant loading than water standard is zero!); and ii) stand how their DWWTS DWWTSs. each of us produces 0.5 kg of functions, how their own • Consequence 2: The European phosphorus each year and if this DWWTS can pose a threat to Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled gets directly into surface water, it human health and water quality, against Ireland and imposed would pollute 14 million litres (3 and what they can do about it. fines. million gallons). Short animated videos on What • DWWTSs located, constructed you can do to maintain your and installed in accordance with What Have We Done In wastewater treatment system and best practice guidance generally What to expect from an inspec- provides adequate treatment for Response? tion are available on the EPA disposal of domestic waste • The Water Services (Amend- website. water. ment) Act, 2012 (S.I. No. 2 of • We are fortunate in Ireland that • However, a significant propor- 2012), was passed by the the Geological Survey of Ireland, tion of the country – in the range Oireachtas in February 2012. Teagasc and the EPA have pro- 40-50% – has hydro(geo)logical This requires home owners con- duced geoscientific maps (soils, characteristics that can be prob- nected to a DWWTS to register bedrock, subsoils, vulnerability, lematical, mainly because of and ensure that the system does etc.) that enable an understand- inadequate percolation but also not constitute a risk to human ing of ponding, runoff, because of inadequate purifica- health or the environment. percolation rates and impacts tion in the subsoil. Inadequate • Water Services Authorities from DWWTSs. These maps percolation means ponding, (Local Authorities) are required have been used as the basis for smells and the likelihood of chil- to undertake inspections to regu- an EPA Report “A Risk Based dren and pets coming in contact late the discharges from Methodology to Assist in the with microbial pathogens. It can DWWTSs. Regulation of Domestic Waste also result in pollution due to • The Environmental Protection Water Treatment Systems”, piping of effluent directly into Agency (EPA) has developed a which is available on the EPA ditches and streams. Inadequate National Inspection Plan (NIP) – website. The risk methodology purification before the effluent this can be downloaded from the was used to determine the poten- enters groundwater can mean EPA website www.epa.ie . tial risk posed by DWWTSs all Images courtesy of EPA over Ireland; four categories are Map 1: Relative risk of pollution of water by phosphate and microbial pathogens. used – low, moderate, high and sible for their local environment to be made. Currently, the EPA is very high. These are shown on and for their own actions, funding research to help provide Map 1. improvements will be made irre- solutions. • In evaluating the risk and decid- spective of the threat of • Matt Murphy recently reminded ing on the inspection strategy, inspections. me that I gave a paper and pres- account is also taken of the • The inspections are an additional entation at the Sherkin Island catchment areas of sensitive incentive to ensure that, for Marine Research Station Con- receptors, such as bathing waters instance, DWWTSs are ference in 1990 on the problems and groundwater drinking water desludged regularly and the sys- posed by septic tanks and on the supplies. tem is maintained so as not to need for change, and of a second Please support • The outcome is an allocation of have detrimental impacts. paper “Disposal of Wastewater inspections to different areas, • The inspections themselves are from Houses in Unsewered based on the level of risk posed Sherkin Island based on scientific analysis that Areas –Problems and Solutions” to human health and water. ensures that greater numbers to the 2003 Conference. For the Marine Station’s occur where the threat to human first time in almost 30 years, I So, Will We Achieve health and the environment is feel optimistic that what was, in greatest, thereby helping ensure the past, an untalked of and publications, Progress? that problems in these areas are uncomfortable issue in many Undoubtedly, ‘yes’ in my view. dealt with. people’s back gardens, is now which help to Why? • Undeniably, there are many being dealt with. • There is now a far greater aware- existing systems that have not ness and knowledge among been located, designed and main- Donal Daly, Manager, Hydrometric fund its work. people in rural Ireland of the tained to the specifications of & Groundwater Programme, health and environmental con- current best practices, and deal- Environmental Protection Agency, (see page 29) ing with these will be difficult. cerns arising from DWWTSs, Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14. and this awareness is increasing. Mitigation measures will be www.epa.ie And, as most people feel respon- needed to enable improvements SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______23 ?What is Life? scientific discovery ripe for the pick- ing. He emphasised the importance of the Irish links, notably that of the Tipperary-born physicist John Desmond Bernal (1901-1971). With- out Bernal’s vital advances in X-ray crystallography, Watson said, it could have taken a further 20 to 30 years before the event took place. What Bernal achieved in the 1920s was none other than the first glimpses of the world of molecular structure that underlies living things.
Images courtesy of National Botanic Gardens He perfected the means by which dif- The ?What is Life? sculpture at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin. It was fraction photographs could be taken inaugurated on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the publication of Jim of molecules, revealing, if you knew Watson’s paper, with Francis Crick, on the structure of the DNA Double Helix. how to interpret them, the atomic structure of molecules themselves. O’Donovan, Director of the West In 1939, the then Taoiseach of Ire- By Matthew Jebb Cork Education Centre, announced From left to right: Minister of state for the Office of Public Works Brian Hayes TD, land, Éamon de Valera, invited the Charles Jencks, Jim Watson and Gardens Director Matthew Jebb at the inauguration the winners of a school essay competi- Austrian physicist and Nobel Prize ON the 28th April 2013, Nobel of the sculpture ?What is Life? tion on the roles of RNA and DNA. winner Erwin Schrödinger to Dublin laureate Jim Watson was at the The J.D. Watson and J.F. Atkins Sci- to help establish the Dublin Institute before the nobel prize was awarded, modernist and post-modernist archi- National Botanic Gardens in Dublin ence Competition had been launched for Advanced Studies in Dublin. and whilst it seems certain she would tecture, and is also co-founder of to inaugurate a remarkable piece of in February, with the challenge to sub- Schrödinger became a naturalized have been the fourth recipient, many Maggie Cancer Caring Centres. He sculpture - ?What is Life?. The occa- mit an essay/poem illustrating the Irish citizen, living in Clontarf for feel the significance of her role has delights in researching a subject sion was the 60th anniversary of the Story of DNA and RNA. Students the next 17 years. He had won his been long overlooked. deeply and his art is always an edu- publication of his paper, with Francis from all class levels at Post and Pri- Nobel prize for his insights into cation. Whether it is cell division, Crick, on the structure of the DNA mary level had been received from quantum theory, but in Dublin he cosmology, the history of Scotland Double Helix. Watson, at the age of across the country. turned his attention to the phenome- The Commission or the secret of life, Jencks delves 86 is still actively involved in med- The Post-primary school winners non of life from the point of view of Two molecular geneticists were deep into the topic and displays it for ical research, and in his lifetime he were Niamh Maher of St. Angela’s physics. In a series of lectures enti- the prime movers in the project; Pro- everyone else to see what he has has not only solved what Charles secondary school, Waterford, and tled What is life? he derived, from fessor John Atkins of University learnt. His landforms and sculptures Darwin began, but lived to see it Éabha Wall of Coláiste na Toirbhirte, first principles, the essence of what College Cork and David McConnell are swirling seascapes of grass, grow into a multi-trillion dollar Bandon. The Primary school winner and how the genetic code might be of Trinity College Dublin. Atkins, filled with fractals, spirals, helices, industry employing tens of millions was Milly Smith of Our Lady of stored as a molecule. Life, to a physi- originally from Dunmanway in Co dividing cells, sub-atomic particles of people worldwide. The sculpture - Mercy National School, Bantry, cist at least, appears to defy the Cork, has been one of the leading and inventiveness. a gift to the people of Ireland – is a while Cormac Farrelly of Rowandale second law of thermodynamics – proponents of the RNA world The creation of ?What is life? was public celebration of Irish science, Integrated School Armagh received unlike everything else in the uni- hypothesis, while McConnell has a partnership between Charles and a tour de force of our under- an Honourable mention. The winners verse, life somehow becomes more pioneered the development of molec- Jencks and John Atkins whose pas- standing of the world of nucleic acids received €500 each, and a copy of ordered rather than the other way ular genetics and genetic engineering sion for the RNA world has delivered as it stands today. The discovery of J.D. Watson’s book “The Annotated round. Schrödinger’s elucidation of in Ireland. They both recognised how the most up to date rendition of what the double helix can rightfully claim and Illustrated Double Helix” from the ‘aperiodic crystal’ that stored important the world of genetics has we now ‘think’ we know about the to be one of the most significant sci- Dr Watson himself. The essay com- life’s information laid the foundation been, and is set to become. They also world of Nucleic acids. Their collab- entific breakthroughs of the 20th petition will become an annual for the hunt for the structure of DNA. wanted to celebrate, in the form of a oration has produced a melding of art century, and has a remarkable Irish fixture, and information on the 2014 It was another DNA pioneer, Ros- public sculpture, the remarkable and science that restores the pursuit dimension. All three Nobel laureates competition will appear on the web- alind Franklin, who obtained the first importance of science in Ireland. of ‘natural philosophy’ so beloved of – Watson, Crick and Wilkins – credit site shortly. X-ray diffraction photographs of They had both been influenced by the Age of Enlightenment. a small booklet entitled What is Life? DNA, including the famous photo- the work of Charles Jencks, a land- published in Dublin in 1944 as one of graph number 51, which her scape architect and designer, whose the most significant influences in The Irish strand in DNA Matthew Jebb, Director, National supervisor Maurice Wilkins (himself several previous DNA pieces they sparking their search for the mole- Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, During his visit to Dublin, Watson born of Irish parents in New had much admired. cule of inheritance. Between them, Dublin 9. acknowledged that between 1953 Zealand) showed to Watson in 1953. Jencks is the author of many the three laureates also shared 3 Irish and 1955 the structure of DNA was a Franklin died tragically young, books on the history and criticism of parents, making the Irish strand in the story of DNA even more remark- able. The title of the sculpture firmly roots the work in the Dublin soil from whence the hunt began. Minister Brian Hayes accepted the sculpture on behalf of the Irish peo- ple, saying “I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks, on behalf of the peo- ple of Ireland, for the gift of such an inspirational icon.” The sculpture was paid for by donations from John Atkins, David and Janet McConnell, Tara Atkins, David Went, The Irish Museums Trust, Senator Feargal Quinn and Jim Watson. It has its own website http://whatislife.ie and will form an integral part of the National Botanic Gardens education programme.
School Prize winners The sculpture and earthform – a gift to the people of Ireland and a public Charles Jencks, Sculptor (left) and Jim Watson, Nobel laureate (right). At the Sunday event, Mary celebration of Irish science . 24 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 Publications of Interest A Catalogue of Irish Seaweeds Wexford Castles tank. It was a time when every- In Bankrupting sic links between all of us and the www.thehistorypress.ie thing was reused and nothing was Nature Anders natural world. Jamie draws our at- Landscape, context ISBN: 978-1845887568 By Michael D. Guiry discarded – clothes were knitted, Wijkman and tention to areas as varied as € A.R.G. Gantner Verlag and settlement altered and patched and socks Johan Rock- pathogens, gannets and the au- Price: 20.00 / 2012 were darned. How many of ström address rora borealis to give new per- This book on Distributed by By Billy Colfer today’s generation would under- the interplay of spectives on our surroundings Haulbowline www.koeltz.com www.corkuniversitypress.com stand reusing a tea chest as a environmental and to examine and understand and Cork Har- ISBN: 978-3-905997-10-1 ISBN: 978-185918-493-6 child’s playpen? How many would and social is- our place in them. bour is like a know what a tea chest is? The life sues facing the Each essay Price: €68.00 / 2012 € treasure trove. Price: 49.00/2013 of the farmer was equally physi- world today. is dotted with With a naval The book “A Catalogue of Irish The author’s cal. Out in all weather, when wa- The authors approach the subject anecdotes and history on the Seaweeds” has recently been pub- interest in terproof clothing was practically of global sustainability from the strikingly clear island of over lished. The author Professor castles began unknown and rubber boots perspective that ecosystems are descriptions 200 years, Michael Guiry of NUI Galway is when grow- scarce. It was a time when the the basis for humanity and the and compar- firstly under Ireland’s foremost authority on ing up on the horse was king and essential for economy. They use the concept of isons so that the British Navy and in more re- seaweeds. His AlgaeBase website Hook Penin- sowing the crops or collecting Planetary Boundaries; an attempt the reader is cent years the Irish Navy, there is (http://www.algaebase.org) is used sula, where seaweed. This article alone really to define the biophysical transported to a wealth of stories and informa- by the international algae (sea- three build- brings home the harshness of processes crucial for stable devel- the scenes. The tion, all brought together in this weed) taxonomists on a continu- ings with me- farming in those days without opment on earth. stories can be taken as stand-alone engaging book. ous basis, receiving 6.6 million dieval origins dominated the flat modern conveniences. Assessing the state of the pieces or read just as easily to- The chapter "Relief of Distress" page loads annually. This book is landscape. His interest broadened Another article “Standing the world’s natural resources and gether to encounter a wider spec- talks about the famine of the the first ever catalogue of Irish to others throughout County Test of Time” shows examples of processes the book’s message is trum of the world around us. 1840s and how the island was seaweeds. Each entry includes Wexford and in the 1980s and traditional and modern walls one that on our current path the fu- This is a thoughtful and refresh- used to store food - biscuits, oats phylum, class, order, family, habi- 1990s he embarked on a struc- might come across if visiting the ture of humanity is untenable. ing look at nature which is in- and Indian corn - that arrived from tat and distribution and only major tured approach to the research of Burren. Among them are the Bankrupting Nature identifies stantly accessible, written from Britain and the US. In 1846, sixty- works published since 1978 are medieval Anglo-Norman coloni- Caher Wall, the Ha-Ha Wall, the some key actions that would re- the human perspective rather than three voyages were made by "Her generally cited. 570 species have sation in the county. This publica- Boulder Wall, the Liscanor/Doolin duce the risk of humanity head- from that of the scientist. Majesty's steam vessels" from been reported for Ireland over a tion expands on that research to Wall and the modern JCB wall. ing towards catastrophe. Subjects Anna Gietl Haulbowline to various ports on 180-year period, with about 7.5% explore political conflicts and set- Then there is an article on the Bur- addressed include the world econ- the West coast. In 1863 and 1880, of the world’s known seaweed tlement in County Wexford ren’s Medicine Cabinet, featuring omy, population growth, energy when there was a lesser scale species occurring in Ireland. The The Boyne Currach through the twin lenses of land- flowers considered to have medic- use and poverty. famine in Ireland, the navy in richness of Ireland’s seaweed is scape and castle buildings. The inal value and others that have po- Clearly written and structured, From beneath the Haulbowline was again involved such that it is 88% of the native 17 chapters include such topics as tential value. This 72 page with useful references and figures shadows of Newgrange in the distribution of food along British seaweed flora (76 native Continental Connections, Anglo- magazine is jam packed with arti- this book is persuasive in calling the west coast and to the islands. species less). What is depressing By Claidhbh Ó Gibne Norman Colonisation, Social Tur- cles and gives a wonderful ac- for an interdisciplinary approach A naval dockyard was estab- to read is that in Ireland over the moil, Tower House Economy, count of happenings in the Burren. to address the issues facing sci- www.fourcourtspress.ie lished on Haulbowline in 1887 last two centuries, we have had so Town House Landscapes, Legacy, Highly recommended. ence and society at large. after a long construction period. few seaweed taxonomists. It and Gazetteers of Town Houses ISBN: 978-1-84682-379-4 Matt Murphy Cally Harmer There is an interesting photo of the seems we have only had a handful with Surviving Fabric. An abun- Price: €17.50/2012 in the past 50 years. The late Prof. bridge connecting the island to dance of photographs and illus- The Boyne Máirín de Valera (daughter of the trations throughout the book give Enough is Enough The Water Footprint of Spike Island - now no longer there late President de Valera), the late Currach from - and an account of workmen daily a fascinating account in their own By Rob Dietz & Dan O'Neill Modern Consumer Society beneath the Maura Scannell, the late Hilda right and add to the already in- rowing the 10 miles from Black- shadows of Parkes, John Cullinane, UCC (re- formative text. www.routledge.com By Arjen Y Hoekstra rock (near Cork City) to Haulbow- Newgrange is a tired), Prof. Christine Maggs, What a joy to have such a book www.routledge.com line and back. In the chapter "Our ISBN: 978-0-415-82095-0 rich and per- Queen’s University and Osborne to understand and appreciate Wex- Sea Fisheries in the 1870s and Price: £12.99 stg (PB) / 2013 ISBN: 978-1-84971-427-3 sonal account Morton, Ulster Museum. ford’s built historical past. What a 1880s" we have an insight into the Enough is of the tradi- The Historical Background sec- wonderful legacy the late Billy Price: £22.99 stg (PB) / 2013 nationalities fishing the south and tion in the book has brief highlights Enough proves tional skin Colfer has left for present and fu- This book is a southwest coast, especially the pertaining to deceased authors of a thought pro- built boat the Currach. ture generations, especially for the refreshing French fishing boats, very interest- significant works on Irish seaweed. voking insight The book is composed of people of Wexford. and thought ing accounts of their aggressive Most were born in the 18th and Matt Murphy into the prob- three distinctive sections, provoking fishing. In the chapter "The First 19th century and only three in the lems with the work, taking a which permits the wealth of his- World War", we learn of the Ger- 20th, and these prior to 1925. This world economy. modern inter- torical and practical knowledge Burren Insight man U-boats operating along the 249-page book is and will be the The book is a pretation on of the Currach to be easily in- simplified blue south coast and are given an ac- authoritative reference for sea- Issue 4 the use of terpreted. Although the sections weeds for many decades to come. I print for a more sustainable econ- water. Today's provide structure to the book count of the sinking of the Lusita- www.bureenbeo.com omy where our needs are met doubt there will ever be another. society is they admirably do not interrupt nia and the arrival of a flotilla of € without draining the world’s re- Seaweed taxonomy has basically Price: 8.00 / 2012 oblivious to the pressures we put the fluidity of the authors per- American destroyers in May 1917 sources. Dietz and O’Neill’s vi- disappeared from most courses in The Burrenbeo on the world’s water resources. sonal journey. at Queenstown (now Cobh). sion is for a steady state economy Irish Universities and Institutions. Trust contin- Before reading this book you may After an enjoyable account by The book contains many anec- where sustainable and equitable ues its promo- have assumed that water is replen- the author in the preface, part one dotes about colourful characters, It is a great tragedy that Prof. Guiry human well-being is the goal not tion of the ishable, but reading it may alter one especially about a Charlie is presently the only seaweed tax- economic growth. This book is of this book is dedicated to the uniqueness of your opinion. This book is both in- McGuinness born in 1893. He had onomist and expert on Irish sea- highly informative with opinions long history of this admirable the Burren formative and surprising. For ex- weed in the Republic. In retirement and ideas from the leading profes- craft. The traditional feel is been round Cape Horn in a four- with their lat- ample, to produce one cup of from NUI Galway, he has dedi- sionals covering current environ- brought to life in the second part masted sailing ship and also with est issue of coffee, 132 litres of water is re- cated his time to the already men- mental and social problems Admiral Byrd in the US expedi- Burren Insight, quired and 8000 litres of water is where the making of a Currach is tioned AlgaeBase. Recently he was escalated by the economy. Surpris- tion to Antarctica in 1925. Mr. Issue 4. The issue is packed with required to make a single pair of explained in the finest of details. the English language advisor to the ingly the authors have managed to McGuinness was in the Marine articles, such as: “The Archaeol- jeans. The book is clear and con- The book concludes with the au- 13-volume Korean seaweed flora. maintain an optimistic perspective Service at Haulbowline and when ogy of the Famine in the Burren, cise and very well researched. It is thor’s personal quest to build a At least let us hope that this book throughout with a clear structure the then Taoiseach Eamon de Painting Orchids”, “Burren Farm- an excellent read for anyone inter- 36ft Currach that would have per- will be on the shelves of the na- using personal reflections and Valera was visiting the base with ers Lead the Way”, “A Photogra- ested in the impact of our modern mitted our ancestors to go to sea. tion’s marine research institute and comical moments to make it an en- other dignitaries, he was working phers Journey Through the Burren” lifestyle. The author’s extensive admira- consultants. It is an essential refer- joyable and engaging read. on the bottom of a ship with his and many more. One that caught Sarah Morris tion and knowledge of the history, ence book for anyone researching Caroline Baird my attention was “Looking Back – craftsmanship and traditional trousers rolled up. On seeing the Ireland’s coastal waters. Above all Change ain’t what it used to be”. practises of the Currach is brought Taoiseach he was reputed to have let us hope it will be an inspiration Featuring photographs of shearing Bankrupting Nature to life in this informative and greeted him with "Ah! How ya to young students, encouraging Sightlines sheep and threshing in the 1930s Denying our planetary pleasurable read. Yammon? Haven't seen ya in a them to specialise in the wonderful and 1940, the article brings us By Kathleen Jamie Susan Miller long time." Mr. De Valera gave a world of Irish seaweed. The na- through the very hard physical life boundaries www.sortof.co.uk dignified reply "Hello Charlie" be- tional biological community owes farming families had back then. Anders Wijkman and fore moving on. This book of 25 ISBN: 978-0956308665 Haulbowline Prof. Guiry a great debt for his Cooking and baking was done Johan Rockström chapters is a fascinating read and a life’s commitment to Ireland’s ma- over open fires, food was boiled The Naval Base & Ships Price: £8.99 stg / 2012 real gem. Anyone interested in rine flora and most especially for for the animals and all washing www.routledge.com Dealing with nature in all its of Cork Harbour Irish Maritime history must have was done by hand with buckets of “A Catalogue of Irish Seaweed”. ISBN: 978-0415539692 beauty and starkness, this collec- water carried from a well or water By Daire Brunicardi this on their bookshelf. Matt Murphy Price: £24.99 stg (HB) / 2012 tion of essays explores the intrin- Matt Murphy SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______25 (pages 195-786) are solely the work News (volumes 1-20; 1991-2010), of Ralph Forbes, and represent the which provide far more up-to-date ‘meat’ of the book. (Note: In order to all-Ireland coverage of plant taxa, accommodate this user-friendly for- than is available in the present work! mat, the authors’ have chosen to In conclusion, The Flora of The Flora of publish the mass of individual Fer- County Fermanagh is a mighty tome, managh records – some 243,000 a beautiful book, and a magnificent entries – in a supporting website that achievement; a flora to be perused on will be continuously upgraded in the a regular basis, both for sheer enjoy- years’ ahead.) These species- ment and for knowledge. All who COUNTY FERMANAGH accounts provide a vast amount of have helped to bring this wonderful useful and fascinating information: work to fruition are to be heartily an eclectic mix of distributional data congratulated. It has certainly raised (local, regional, nation, interna- the bar for future flora-writers, both 10% of habitat given over to com- they extend an open invitation to tional); etymological, biological, in Ireland and further afield. mercial, coniferous afforestation. experts in these critical groups to ecological, herbal and plant-toxin Arable farming (and its associated visit the county, and thus help to notes; as well as speculative debate annual flora) is, today, virtually non- redress this situation. The Flora of County Fermanagh. on the status (i.e. native or adventive) existent in the county, resulting in the The initial fifteen chapters (pages Ralph S. Forbes & Robert H. of certain species. All the more baf- fortunate retention of important habi- 17-181) cover such local topics as Northridge; 2012. 864 pages, fling, then, to find that the author has tats (such as species-rich climate, soils, agriculture, native profusely illustrated hardback. either overlooked, or has chosen not hay-meadows, limestone pastures woodlands & commercial forestry; to utilise, the considerable body of National Museums Northern and wetlands) that are now in rapid wetland habitats, and conservation. relevant data (distributional and tax- Ireland Publication No. 027. decline elsewhere in Ireland. Pot- In stark contrast, Chapter 7: Vegeta- onomic) to be found in the BSBI ISBN: 978-1-905989-28-7. Price: holers and speleologists have long tion History of Post-Glacial Ireland regional journal, Irish Botanical Approx. €31.50. (STG £25.00) explored the subterranean wonders and the Origin and Immigration of of the famous Carboniferous Lime- the Flora, is much more expansive stone terrain of Fermanagh (which in scope, and provides an all-island represents an inland intrusion of the botanical-historical overview of Ben Bulbin limestones further west, intriguing interest. Chapter 10: A in counties Sligo and Leitrim), while Botanist’s Guide to Co. Fermanagh; its attendant, species-rich, calcicole and Chapter 11: Habitat Gallery flora is a lodestone for botanists. (both chapters augmented with The Flora of County Fermanagh A Review by The authors’ intensive tetrad- beautiful, evocative habitat photo-
recording (2 x 2 km squares) of the graphs), serve up a mouth-watering Images from Tony O’Mahony flora during the period 1975-2010 menu of delights for the reader – (coupled with comprehensive data enough to instil an irresistible urge The Ulster county of Fermanagh is derived from a range of ecological to visit Fermanagh and experience situated in the southwest of Northern studies undertaken by the Depart- its habitats and flora firsthand. Ireland, and the northwest of Ireland. ment of the Environment, Northern (Most regrettably, the meagre, rem- Although landlocked, Fermanagh is Ireland, within this time period) has nant, indigenous flora of the positioned close to the western established that close to 1,200 plant denatured pasturelands of Munster (Atlantic) seaboard of Ireland, its taxa (species, subspecies, hybrids (with their large dairy-herds), pales habitats and flora thus mirroring this and varieties) have been recorded in in comparison to the native richness extreme oceanic influence. Some the county to date, though not all are of the Fermanagh Flora, in which 30% of the county consists of fresh- currently present. Moreover, further latter county there is no history of One sided wintergreen growing on one of the scarps in Lough Navar Forest. water habitat (dominated by the finds are likely, given that the large-scale industrial development stunningly beautiful island-studded authors’ candidly admit that critical and, consequently, none of the ecosystem of Upper Lough Erne and taxa (i.e. certain genera, species- attendant despoliation of the envi- Lower Lough Erne, which form the groups, and many interspecific ronment.) ‘spine’ of the county), with a further hybrids) have not been recorded, and The discursive species-accounts
The Wild Flowers of Loophead, The Groundwater Newsletter County Clare, Ireland By the Geological Survey of Ireland www.gsi.ie By Carmel T. Madigan www.carmelmadigangallery.com Price: Free / Annual ISBN: 978 0 9572127 0 1 Price: The Groundwater Newsletter pub- €20.00/2012 lished by the Geological Survey of Ire- Carmel Madigan runs the Loop- land (GSI) is primarily for Irish head Summer Hedge School in the practitioners. However, it is equally of Loophead Peninsula, Co. Clare, value to the ordinary person. Clean during July and August. This book water is vital to all of us so we should seeks to introduce the nature ex- be very concerned with the issues ef- plorer to the wild flowers of Loop- fecting any pollution of groundwater. head. Carmel’s ancestral home has stood there on the Peninsula If people were educated in how septic tanks, farm effluent and wastewater for over three hundred years and is the oldest house in the town- Braade sandstone scarp in Lough Navar Forest; a habitat for Arctic Alpine plants. land of Ross. Her exposure to the wild and raw beauty has there- discharge could pollute groundwater fore existed since birth. In 2007 her recording of the wild flora they would welcome inspections and other regulations. began in earnest, with camera, magnifying glass and books. Issue 50 has over 20 articles outlining Irish, US, Scottish Carmel’s intimate knowledge of the area is evident in her de- and Australian regulatory and management experiences, as tailed descriptions of each flower recorded and described in one well as insights from a local authority’s “coal face” perspec- of its common habitat. Personal anecdotes bring to life each tive. Donal Daly of the EPA, in his paper “Water/Groundwater habitat, from rocky and stony shores to the waysides and – Challenges and Questions for the Future – A Personal View” hedgerows and drains of the region. Readers are encouraged to covers such issues as complacency and ignorance, world pop- visit the area and the book will serve as a guide for the flower ulation growth, and how water is becoming the New Oil. spotter and tourist as they explore sites and looped walks in the Donal founded this newsletter in 1986 and was editor for many Ross area and Kilballyowen-Rhynvella Loop in the Western years when he was at GSI. Loophead Region. Photography brings the book to life, with In another paper of interest “Progression in groundwater each flower photographed in its natural habitat at Loophead, al- protection and management – A Local Authority Perspective”, lowing the viewer to easily identify the flowers in the field. one learns 40% of Wexford’s drinking water comes from Last, but not least, Carmel’s artworks, inspired by her love groundwater sources in two major aquifers. These are facing of flowers and her surroundings, are a beautiful closing chap- pressures from the high-intensity agriculture sector and the ter in the book. Her inspiration for each painting is explained large number (27-30,000) one-off houses, each with their own and is further evidence of Carmel’s love of nature, particularly water treatment systems. in and around the Loophead Peninsula. It is a love she shares, This newsletter is available online at http://www.gsi.ie/Pro- especially with her youngest son James, who between them de- grammes/Groundwater/Groundwater+Newsletter.htm. It’s a veloped a deep interest in the flowers of the area, culminating most important newsletter on a vital environmental issue which in this beautiful book. affects everyone. Do read it. Matt Murphy Matt Murphy Corraharra Lough, a species-rich, satellite lake of Upper Lough Erne. 26 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 JUNIOR PAGES Life in Inner Space . . .
In August 2011 the Marine Institute’s deepwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Holland 1 descended from the research vessel RV Celtic Explorer to a depth of three kilometres to film a field of ‘black smokers’ along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The expedition was led by University College Cork and filmed for the National Geographic Society’s TV series Alien Deep. Up until just over a hundred years ago, the view of science was that life could not exist in the deep oceans where sunlight could not penetrate. However, the area around the black smokers was teeming with life – from deepwater crabs and one-eyed shrimps that can ‘see’ heat in infrared to filter feeding worms and clams – not only in total darkness and tremendous pressure, but also at temperatures close to boiling point. ‘Black smokers’ are formed when cracks in the seabed around geological faults, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, allow seawater to reach red hot volcanic material from the Earth’s core. The resulting hot water, saturated with minerals, boils to the surface of the seabed in black, smoke-like clouds of copper, zinc, gold, iron and other minerals, creating a unique
Copyright John Joyce 2013 environment of towering ‘chimneys’ which derives its energy not from sunlight, but from heat. Bacteria, which feed on minerals, form a slime that in turn is food for filter-feeding worms and molluscs. These larger by John Joyce animals in turn are food for For more Fun Facts check out www.spindriftpress.com deepwater crabs, fish, octopi and squid creating an entire alien ecosystem in super-heated, . . . and Outer Space darkness.
In 1989 the space probe Galileo surveyed Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, and found it to be covered in a sheet of ice. While the smoothness of the ice surface suggests that an ocean exists below it, nobody knows for sure if it is solid right the way through to the moon’s surface or if it is simply a thin sheet covering a hidden sea – just the ice at our planet’s own North Pole covers the ocean below. So far, no probes have actually landed on Europa but in 2022 the European Space Agency plans to launch JUICE – the Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer – to see if an alien ocean exists there. Could it be, if JUICE is successful, that in some future mission to Europa, a specially adapted remotely operated vehicle like the Holland 1 will penetrate that moon’s ice sheet into the ocean below? And if it does, and if ‘Black Smokers’ exist there as they do on Earth, will the first extra- terrestrial life we encounter in ‘outer space’ be a version of that which already exists in the ‘inner space’ of our deep oceans back here on our home planet? SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______27 Learn about birds with BirdWatch Ireland Birds & Weather
Investigate the effects weather has on how much birds eat. Feeding Wild Birds Leaflet Download this leaflet from the Learn about Birds PART 2 section on BirdWatch Ireland’s website at www.birdwatchireland.ie By BirdWatch Ireland
Learn how to identify the birds in your garden with our Free Garden Bird Charts. Send a SAE to: BirdWatch Ireland, P.O. Box 12, Greystones, Does the temperature outside affect Co. Wicklow. how often birds feed?
BirdWatch Ireland has What to do: over 10,000 members and • Put out the same kind of food regularly, for at least two weeks has branches throughout (You will probably be doing this anyway). the country which • Count the number of visits that birds make to the food during a particular time (between five organise events and and fifteen minutes). outings in your area. Why • Do this at the same time each day. not get your school to • Each time you count the visits, measure and record the temperature outside. join? Write to us or visit • Using the information you have gathered, show your observations on a graph. our website for details: www.birdwatchireland.ie Here is an example: How do changes in the temperature affect the BirdWatch Ireland has two educational web number of visits by birds to the food that you sites, catering for learning about birds in schools. have put out?
0 Visit the Working with Birds web site to Conclusions
• Image courtesy of www.birdwatchireland.ie learn about watching and feeding birds Do birds come for food more often in colder weather? Simply go to www.birdwatchireland.ie and go to • Can you think of a reason for this? the ‘learn about birds’ section • Do birds look larger in cold weather because they eat more, or is it for some other reason? BirdWatch Ireland, P.O. Box 12, Greystones, • What have you discovered about the Co. Wicklow. importance of food for their survival? Tel: 01–2819878 Fax: 01–2819763 Email: [email protected] What do Birds feed on? Website: www.birdwatchireland.ie Birds eat many sorts of food, but do they like some better than others? Warning: Avoid Set up an experiment on your bird table to see if this is true. giving salted peanuts You will have to design it so that it is a fair test between the foods. How and dessicated will you do this? (dried) coconut as You could give a choice from peanuts, bread, suet or fat, sunflower seeds these might harm and grain. the birds. Here is an example: For each bird you will need a separate chart. These foods are only suggestions... Try your own menu!
From your results, make
up a chart to Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy help you find out what they Image courtesy of www.birdwatchireland.ie eat the most.
Conclusions • What food does each bird like most and least? • Is any food an all-round favourite? Image courtesy of Robbie Murphy • Is there food that no birds like? • What must be done to attract a variety of birds
to come to feed? Greenfinch fighting over food. Great Tit feeding. 28 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55
QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QUIZ QU IZ
1. It might be old fashioned, 4. These might also be old- 7. If you printed this page, you 10. You can store food and drink slow to start up and need new fashioned but someone else might run out of one colour. in it and look through it, but when programs but someone else might like the vintage look. Many of these can be refilled. it breaks, it is of no use, until it is might think it’s the best thing ______recycled. ever! ______
11. It takes hundreds and 2. These could help someone 5. It is read every day but then 8. Though some are now read thousands of years to else see things as clearly as it is “old news”. Remember it digitally, others are printed on decompose but if recycled it can you. can be changed back into paper and keep on the shelf. be make into such things as ______something new. Can someone else enjoy it bags, bins, bottles and garden ______after you? _ _ _ _ _ furniture. ______
3. Anything with a plug can be 6. They get smarter and 9. A flat one may prevent the 12. As you get older, you play recycled. This one helps to smarter every year and we car from starting or stop the with them less. Maybe someone make your tea. ______replace them now and then so clock, but many can be else would like to play with them we can talk and text more recharged. too? _ _ _ _ often! ______Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! These pictures are the solutions to our “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle” quiz above. You can colour them in and as you do, can you identify similar items around you home and how they may reused or recycled when you no longer need them? Each item is also found in the wordsearch below.
Wordsearch UJ MSDUKEMGBBATTERI ESWXAPR CAI QYCEYGLLLVVGTEMHNFCI AE GLASS BATTERIES PLASTIC INK CARTRIDGES SKOOBOTWWNLASENOHPELI BOMT
KETTLE NEWSPAPER I NKCARTRI DGESZRBCLOTHESGU CLOTHES COMPUTER MOBILE PHONES GLASSES ZYHZHBLXJ ODFBSXDKI SCBMLWP TOYS BOOKS MCWDGBEI XWZWVQEYEASZI ADPM
All these “Reduce, Reuse & Recycle” words can be found in the GEUHMUREPAPSWENSLGGYSRCMO wordsearch. Can you find them? They can read up or down, back to front or diagonally. Answers on page 29. DQZWZDKSHDXHNQFPGOESXMCZC SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______29
This game is for two Using rechargeable batteries players. You will need and recycling aluminium cans a marker each and a produces less waste. dice. Decide Rac Rechargeable batteries are capable of A eto beforehand who will being reused nearly 500 times. be the rechargeable 95% of the energy used to produce batteries and who will aluminium from raw material, is be the refillable ink ! saved when a can is se e recycled. cartridge. Reu &Re l Each of you throws cyc the dice in turn, moving the required number of spaces. If you are the rechargeable batteries and you land on batteries then you move forward 3 spaces. However, if you land on an ink cartridge you go back 2 spaces. If you are the refillable ink cartridge and you land on an ink cartridge then you move forward 3 spaces. However, if you land on batteries you move back 2 spaces. If either of you lands on a rubbish bin, then you miss a turn. The first player to reach the “Reduce, Reuse &
Recycle” logo wins!
(16,8,NE); toys (7,4,NW). toys (16,8,NE); plastic (15,7,W); newspaper (24,3,W); phones mobile (7,1,S); kettle (1,4,E); cartridges ink (10,1,SE); glasses (24,4,SW); glass
(Over,Down,Direction) batteries (12,1,E); books (5,3,W); clothes (17,4,E); computer (25,8,N); computer (17,4,E); clothes (5,3,W); books (12,1,E); batteries (Over,Down,Direction) WORDSEARCH: toys. 12. plastic; 11. glass; 10. batteries; 9. books; 8. cartridges; ink 7. phones; mobile 6. newspaper; 5. clothes; 4. kettle; 3. glasses; 2. computer; 1. Quiz”: Recycle Reuse “Reduce, 28: PAGE FROM ANSWERS F ree po New Publication! of sta €5 ge 0. on See page 6 00 or or der mo s re! Sherkin Island Marine Station Ireland’s Hidden Depths Explore, with nature photographer and author Paul Kay, the beautiful, PUBLICATIONS intriguing and fascinating creatures that can be found in the shallow A Beginner’s Guide to Ireland’s Bird Life waters around Ireland's coast. ISBN: 978-1-870492-53-9. SB. 277 x 227 mm (160 pp). Ireland’s Wild Flowers Ireland’s Bird Life - A World of Beauty Now on Special Offer: €10.00 With the help of this pocket-sized guide, contains photographs from the vast (was €17.99) (plus postage €3.00) you will be able to do just that. collection of Richard Mills, one of Europe’s Beginners of all ages will be introduced finest photographers. The book contains 200 to the many common wild flowers found around colour photographs from his vast collection. Colouring & Guide Books ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-80-5 SB A4 (160pp). Sherkin Comment Ireland. ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-23-2 SB. 140mm x 100mm (208pp). Learn about Birds, Wild Flowers, Sea Life, € (plus postage €3.00) The 32-page colour tabloid €7.50 (plus postage €1.00) 14.00 Fossils, Creepy Crawlies and Butterflies & publication of Sherkin Moths by colouring the 29 featured species A Beginner’s Guide to The Wild Plants of Sherkin, Cape Island Marine Station and in each colouring book. Safety Sam’s Ireland’s Seashore Clear and adjacent Islands of edited by Matt Murphy. Its Activity Book is filled with activities to West Cork aim is to promote the encourage safety when playing, swimming, A pocket-sized guide, suitable for awareness of our natural beginners of all ages. With the help of This illustrated publication brings together 20 on the farming and fishing. The Nature resources, their use and Diary contains lined pages to fill in a daily this book you will be able to explore the years of floristic data from the islands of protection. A 24,000 print. wonders of marine life on the shores Roaringwater Bay, S.W. Cork, Ireland. A total of record of sightings and nature news. All A5 ISSN: 0791-2447 format (softback) 32pp around Ireland. ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-96-6 SB 140mm x 100mm (208pp). 592 flowering plants, conifers and ferns have Subscription €7.00 €1.95 per book (plus postage .60c) €7.00 (plus postage €1.00) been recorded on these islands. ISBN: 1 870492 86 2 SB (206 pp) (4 issues per sub – postage included) € €12.00 for set of 8 (plus postage €2.00) The Natural History of 6.00 Special Offer (plus postage €3.00) Sherkin Island, West Cork Supplement NEW – An Introduction Supplement to The Wild Plants of Sherkin, This booklet will introduce you to some Cape Clear and adjacent Islands of West of the wonderful wildlife and flowers on Cork. Species new to the islands, this beautiful and peaceful island, rediscoveries and significant extensions of which lies just 10 minutes by ferry known distribution. across the busy harbour of Baltimore, ISBN: 978-1-870492-58-4 SB 246mm x 170mm (36pp). West Cork. ISBN-13: 978-1-870492-38-6 SB 208 mm x 98 mm (72 pp). €5.00 (post free) €2.00 (plus postage €1.35) An A to Z of Geology On the Water’s Edge This book explores the fascinating world of This DVD promises to give children rocks and geology – a world of volcanoes, (and adults!) an introduction to life on tsunamis, earthquakes, diamonds, gold and Books can be ordered through Paypal from the water’s edge. With hours of even dinosaurs! Contains information interactive material, the DVD will help specific to Ireland. the Station’s website www.sherkinmarine.ie you learn about the animals and plants in a fun way. ISBN: 978-1-870492-33-1 A4 SB 24pp or contact us at Sherkin Island Marine Station, Sherkin Island, Co Cork. €6.00 Special Offer (plus postage €1.30) €5.99 (plus postage €1.00) A Sherkin Island Marine Station Publication Tel: 028-20187 Email: [email protected] 30 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 food comes from. I think that was a huge drive within the cookery school – that, not only do you learn how to cook such brilliant dishes, you learn about where all your food GAISCE – the comes from by visiting the farm and seeing all of the veg- etables and animals in their most natural form. Half way through the week, I joined one of the many transi- President’s Award tion year schools that take part in the cookery school to visit a nearby ‘Eco–village’. The Images courtesy of Karl McCabe whole drive of this ‘eco- Cloughjordan House, Cloughjordan, Co.Tipperary. friendly’ village was to create a sustainable and self-sufficient village, within a village; all pro- A lesson in food duce and food for the village were grown on their own farms, milk was made from their own cows and even their heating system is all shared through a and self-sufficiency network of boilers and insulated pipes. The designs of all the houses were monitored by spe- cific requirements of CO2 emissions and heating needs; a By Karl McCabe network of farms produced all of the required nutrients for the IN December 2012 I went residents and a ‘solar panel’ down to a small village in Tip- Pictured with Karl are Sarah and Peter Baker, who run Cloughjordan farm stored electricity for the perary called Cloughjordan, I House Cookery School. village as well. am currently taking part in the Doing my residential proj- Gaisce award, of which I am ect in Cloughjordan Cookery hoping to attain my Gold School showed me and taught award by the end of this aca- me so much about the food I demic year. One part of the eat, how to cook the food and Gold Gaisce award is a ‘resi- even about what is happening dential project’. I found out and what can be done to pro- about Cloughjordan Cookery tect the world we live in. I School through my PAL (Pres- would like to thank Mr and ident’s Award Leader). I met Mrs Baker for their fantastic with the owners of the beauti- ful country house as soon as I hospitality in Cloughjordan. Karl’s residential project, as part of his Gold Gaisce Award, taught him about the food he eats and about protecting the world we live in. got off the train from Dublin; I was greeted and introduced to For information on Gaisce - the Cloughjordan team who The President’s Award see were all so friendly. As part of www.gaisce.ie Collecting eggs at the local farm, part of creating a sustainable and this residential project I stayed self-sufficient way of life. in the B&B for a week, which was also part of the cookery school, and took part in sev- eral activities. The first day I helped out in the cookery school and as the week went on I started to get a lot more involved in the farm- ing part of the school. In Cloughjordan Cookery School, whether you are taking part in the cookery school or even staying in the B&B, one main aspect that you are immedi- Transition Year students attending a course at the cookery school. ately shown, is where all your SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 ______31 32 ______SHERKIN COMMENT 2013 Issue No 55 Ocean Warming & Fish Stocks
mercially or ecologically important and shell production becomes more Norwegian researchers report that by By Mike Ludwig fish stocks recently assessed by the difficult. Again, can these species 2050, global warming will limit the National Marine Fisheries Service, adapt to the change? oceans ability to hold oxygen and GLOBAL Climate Change may including Atlantic cod, haddock, yel- These conversions mean manag- thus, reduce fish growth potential. still be doubted by a significant sec- lowtail and winter flounder are ing, hunting and harvesting aquatic The research indicates that for 600 tor of the public but fishery resources moving northward; into deeper species is becoming more compli- marine species the average maximum appear to be feeling it and respond- water; or shrinking their range. And, cated. Just the northward movement body weights could decline fourteen Finally, even Mother Nature is ing to the changes. The distribution ocean warming is affecting fish sur- could deplete US fish stocks under to twenty-four percent as water tem- seeing undesirable changes from of harvested fish species and the pro- vival by altering food availability. In our management. Would Canadians, peratures increase. (As water warms ocean warming. Studies reveal that ductivity of supporting marine the North Sea, larval cod and other already suffering from collapsed it holds progressively less oxygen.) global warming contributed to a nine ecosystems are being influenced by finfish species depend on plankton stocks, entertain American fishing in Fishing farther from home waters for percent decline in the number of ocean warming. Were that the only seabirds breeding in the UK between problem created by Global Climate during their early life stages. Shifts their waters? Similarly, traditional fewer fish with a smaller size is not a in their food availability are reducing fisheries around Ireland and the UK scenario anyone wants to experience. 2000 and 2008. This was accompa- Change our reliance on the Ocean’s nied by a drop in their breeding bounty would be difficult but ocean survival and growth to maturity. are relocating to areas along the The worst news is that smaller fish Research has revealed that plankton Scandinavian coasts. Will the EU produce fewer young! success as well. Adults have to hunt warming has an even more danger- farther from nesting sites, obtaining ous attribute; ocean acidification. communities, including fish larvae, respond positively and will coastal But not all the findings are nega- are very sensitive to environmental fishermen purchase vessels to pursue tive. There were boosts for fisheries; less food, leaving their young under- Ocean acidification is the on-going fed and exposed to increased increase in the acid level (pH) of the changes. The hope is that fish and the relocated stocks? The negative seabass populations off the coast of planktonic communities will adapt to impacts of the changing environment the South West UK and Southern predation from those harvesting the oceans. It is caused by absorption young from unprotected nests. the climate changes. include, also, the redirection of fund- Wales have quadrupled since 1985 and accumulation of carbon dioxide In the current Journal of Ecology a Complicating the problems of ing away from attempts to restore and squid are becoming more abun- (CO2). These two ocean warming list of pressing ecological questions adaption to warmer waters is the coastal finfish. After 45 years of dant in the northern North Sea. attributes may compound each other is presented. Number 82 asks “In the acidification of those waters. Marine effort and millions of dollars, the Elsewhere, while Northern (Ameri- making resource distribution impacts face of rapid environmental change, organisms collect calcium for shells Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon can) lobster is abandoning the waters difficult for aquatic species, particu- what determines whether species and bones from seawater. As the Restoration Program has been south of Cape Cod, their population larly those with shells. But, do not adapt, shift their ranges or go blame the climate, solely, for declin- oceans become more acidic, it is deemed unlikely to achieve its objec- is exploding in the waters off Maine extinct?” Good question. ing fish populations, overfishing, harder for species to collect and tives. Fortunately, counteracting and the Canadian Maritimes. Unfor- retain the needed calcium. This these resource losses is the influx of tunately, this had led to a crash in the pollution, and habitat degradation Mike Ludwig, Ocean and Coastal remain major problems. results in declining invertebrate pop- more southern species into the aban- value of lobster and friction between Consultants, Inc., 35 Corporate Our problem is that many of the ulations which provide finfish food doned habitats. The questions are: 1) Canadian and American fishermen as fisheries responses are unlikely to sources. Similarly, commercial are the newcomers usable and 2) how they land more and more lobster and Drive, Suite 1200, Trumbull, CT benefit mankind. For instance, about seafood farming is becoming more large a population will develop? receive less and less money per 06611, USA. half of 36 Northwest Atlantic com- difficult as both food sources decline If that was not enough bad news, pound to cover the costs of fishing. www.ocean-coastal.com