BirdWatch Ireland has urged the Government to increase the number of Special Protection Areas around the coast to help endangered seabirds during their breeding season. 

The designation would confer additional legal protection on the sites under Irish and EU law. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, Birdwatch Ireland Head of Advocacy Oonagh Duggan said such areas are crucial for the survival of many species. 

“What we’re talking about is breeding colonies for seabirds on the coast,” she explained. 

“Because most seabirds would nest on cliff ledges or on islands. 

“Then we’re talking about areas in the sea that are important for feeding and wintering. 

“A bird doesn’t stay on the nest the entire time, they go out to sea to find food to feed their chicks.

“And then to migrate as well, so a lot of these birds would be migratory species, which are really important and vulnerable.” 

Puffins In Flight. Picture by: John Short/Design Pics via ZUMA Wire. 

Ms Duggan continued that sites all over the island are important for breeding seabirds, describing Ireland as “really important for seabirds”.  

“We’d be talking about the Old Head of Kinsale, Loop Head, many sites around the coast of Cork, Kerry - actually, all the way around the country,” she said. 

“There’s up to three quarters of a million birds that congregate on these coastal sites to breed. 

“We have some internationally important populations, for example, Manx shearwaters. 

“All these birds that we would see so often but they are just really important in the marine environment.”

Main image: A Puffin is seen on Wild Isles. Picture by: BBC