Thanks to all who submitted to the public consultation!
About Us
We are Transition Year students in Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, Kenmare with a great interest in and concern for our environment.
We are conducting a project in the hopes of raising awareness about the implications of unsustainable pair-trawling (carried out by boats >18m in length and within 6 nautical miles (nm) of the coastline) in Kenmare Bay.
Our aim is to bring this issue to the attention of people in the wider Kenmare area as it is a problem that is not only affecting the natural beauty of the area but also damaging peoples livelihoods.
What is Unsustainable Pair Trawling?
Unsustainable pair trawling is a fishing method where a large trawl net is pulled by two boats greater than 18m in legth within 6nm of the coast, one on each end of the net.
This unsustainable fishing practice takes place in Kenmare bay each year between October and December. The bay is trawled with the aim of collecting sprat, but due to the extremely small mesh-size of the nets used when trawling, many other marine animals can be caught up in the trawl. This action is indiscriminate and the reduction of sprat stocks in our bay has knock on effects, disrupting food-chains and the whole delicate marine ecosystem.
The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.
Robert Swan