A year-long bird population and habitat survey will be carried out along the Shannon Estuary, taking in 1,220 hectares of land.
The study is being undertaken by environmental consultants McCarthy Keville O’Sullivan, on behalf of the Shannon Estuary Strategic Infrastructure Framework Plan (SIFP) Steering Group, comprising stakeholders engaged in the development and management of Ireland’s largest and deepest estuary.
The region’s local authorities in Clare, Kerry and Limerick have joined with Shannon Group and Shannon Foynes Port Company in promoting ‘Deep Water Marine Investment Opportunities’ on 1,220ha of land at six strategic locations deemed appropriate for marine-related investment.
The sites include Moneypoint (280ha) and Innismurry/Cahericon (65ha) in Clare; Askeaton (98ha), Foynes Island (40ha) and Foynes Port and adjoining lands (186ha) in Limerick and Tarbert-Ballylongford landbank (550ha) in Kerry.
The proposed bird usage survey area stretches from Limerick City to where the Shannon Estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean in West Clare and North Kerry. The survey will begin in May and is being carried out in accordance with the EU Birds Directive.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.