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Ireland's Coral Reefs
by Brian McGrath

Ireland's coral reefs are almost totally unknown, unlike their Pacific counterparts; little scientific research has been undertaken into them, but the reefs are as rich and diverse in marine life and have a similiar structure. [1]
The discovery of a "major deep-water coral province" in the Porcupine Basin in May 1997, serves to highlight this neglect. However, ignorance of the reefs will remain permanent, if the efforts of certain fishing fleets continues. These unique habitats are being literally "bulldozed" with heavy fishing gear. [2]

The damage in question is being done by deep sea fishing trawlers, with about 40% of the reefs now destroyed. Commercial trawlers drag heavy weighted nets along the bottom of the ocean, destroying the marine life in the process. [3]
Theese reefs lie offshore at a depth of 1km, although they extend as far down as 3km. The water is cold: between 40c and 120c, with little light. Some reefs are older than 8,500 years, although the common age seems to be 4,500 years. They were discovered in the 1990's by oil prospectors as huge circular mounds. [4]
The boats drag a large, cone-shaped net held open by steel doors weighing up to six tonnes. When the boat drags these over the ocean bed, they and the rest of the gear strip the floor of all marine structures. Everything in their path is destroyed. Some scientists have stated that it will take hundreds, if not thousands of years for the reefs to recover. [5]
The Irish Governement has nominated four specific sites in Irish waters as marine protected areas and has prevented harmful fishing practice in three others in international waters. [6]
How these measures are to be enforced remains obscure, given the Irish Governments record on overfishing by foreign vessels in Irish waters. [7][8]

Conclusion
The (limited) Irish research seems to be inspired by more than just scientific interest in Ireland's extensive marine life. Geologists from the DIAS, NUI's colleges, Dublin, Cork and Galway, the GSI and the Petroleum Affairs Division of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources have become very active in recent offshore research. In 1997, they and researchers from Belgium, Germany, Russia, and other European countries, discovered hundreds of circular mounds on sonar. These were covered by an abundance of coral. They occurred in an area 1200 square km at depths of 600 to 700 metres, and 200 to 400 km from the west coast of Ireland. [9]

The mounds are at least partly composed of fragments of coral, shells and other sediments. There may also be a significant component of carbonate material derived from bacteria using methane and sulphates as an energy source. The distribution of coral has been linked to the presence of reserves of gas and oil. The information on coral reefs has largely been obtained by surveys conducted by geologists whose research is driven by the continued search for undersea gas and oil. Extraction of gas and oil from depths such as these is already being undertaken in other seas. [10]
The destruction from trawler activity has been continuing for at least 30 years. The Irish Governement's sudden desire to make a gesture to protect a vital part of Ireland's natural heritage and resources can be regarded in the light of the fact that it has been engaged over these same thirty years in handing over exploration licences to foreign oil corporations gratis, a process that has no recorded parallel in the entire world. [11]
The destruction will, of course, continue. The Irish Government has no means of enforcement, ever if it possessed the desire to prevent foreign trawlers from engaging in these practices. It has other priorities in mind, such as bringing in unconstitutional measures to prosecute Irish fishermen while ignoring massive overfishing in Irish waters. [12]

Sources

[1]http://www.ecoserve.ie/projects/coral/
[2]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4213592.stm
[3]http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/32329/story.htm
[4] http://www.theba.net/theba/Events/FestivalofScience/FestivalNews/_CoralReefs.htm
[5]http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/FestivalofScience/FestivalNews/_CoralReefs.htm
[6]http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/marine/news/successes/index.cfm?uNewsID=21470
[7]http://indigo.ie/~fishybiz/iswfo-cfp.htm
[8]http://debates.oireachtas.ie/DDebate.aspx?F=MAJ20051012.xml&Ex=All&Page=11
[9]http://www.ecoserve.ie/projects/coral/
[10]http://www.ecoserve.ie/projects/coral/
[11]http://www.publicinquiry.ie/reports.php#ld196
[12]http://www.marinetimes.ie/news_03.html

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