County Clare is nearly surrounded on three sides by sea. From the strong tidal waters of the Shannon Estuary to the sandy bays and exposed rocky reefs on the Atlantic seaboard, County Clare has a rich and diverse marine biodiversity. Liscannor Bay on the west coast of Clare is exposed to westerly winds and is a popular destination especially for surfing. It has been little explored for its biological diversity or marine habitats but supports a small local pot fishery and has important adjacent sites for a range of marine species.
Inagh River Estuary © Patrick Cross
While Liscannor Bay is not specifically designated for nature conservation, there are marine protected areas (MPA) including the Inagh River Estuary SAC which flows westwards entering the sea north of Lahinch and the Cliffs of Moher SPA, with seeks to protect six breeding seabird species and the Chough. To the south lies the Mid-Clare Coast SPA, with wintering geese and waders and breeding cormorants protected species.
In addition, seals, both grey and harbour are known to haul out regularly at Mutton Island which is also a known pupping site, but also at Lahinch (Barr Trá ) and even at historically Hags Head. Bottlenose dolphins, which are part of the Shannon estuary population, are frequently recorded in the bay and common dolphin and minke whale during the summer. Basking sharks are increasingly seen foraging during early spring and in recent years courting aggregations, or torus, have been observed west of Liscannor Bay.
With support from the Local Biodiversity Action Fund (National Parks and Wildlife Service) and Clare County Council, a collaboration between the long-established Irish Whale and Dolphin Group with its head office in Kilrush, and the newly formed Banner Gleo, which is working with the local community to support the natural capital and ecological integrity of Liscannor Bay, aims to build knowledge and share experiences of this popular marine space.
Bottlenose dolphins © Simon Berrow/IWDG
Biodiversity Officer with Clare County Council, Barry O’Loughlin said “This project will play an important role in the delivery of marine actions in the next Clare Biodiversity Action Plan; and is a good example of an initiative where communities, marine alliances and conservation efforts can come together to bring awareness around biodiversity in the marine environment. I would encourage local communities and interested individuals to attend events and learn about the marine species of Liscannor Bay”.
As part of this initiative the project aims to survey seal haul out sites in the bay to collect data on the local seal population. The IWDG will carry out a pilot study to deploy passive acoustic monitoring devices in Liscannor Bay to record the presence of marine mammals. Working with local fisher Michael O’Connell, the IWDG have purchased audiomoths to attach to fishing pot ropes to increase our knowledge of the use of the bay by marine mammals.
Basking Sharks in Liscannor Bay © James Organ
There are also a number of local initiatives to raise awareness of the marine biodiversity in Liscannor Bay. An introduction to skates and rays will be followed by a beach walk to collect and identify egg cases washed up at Moy/Crag beach. Dave Wall from the National Biodiversity Data centre will explore the shore at Liscannor for marine biodiversity, including a call for action to contribute to existing Citizen Science schemes, while the importance of the Inagh River Estuary will also be discussed during a guided walk in July.
© Patrick Cross
Sarah Hegarty of Banner Gleo said “This project will start building knowledge and awareness of the marine biodiversity of Liscannor Bay within the community. Only by understanding and appreciating our local areas can we develop strategies and alliances to protect these important sites for now and the future”.
Check out our social media channels for more information on upcoming events including:
https://www.instagram.com/bannergleo/
https://www.instagram.com/irishwhaleanddolphingroup
https://www.facebook.com/IrishWhaleandDolphinGroup/
This project is supported by the National Parks & Wildlife Service
under the National Biodiversity Action plan (2017-2021).
