Sea lettuce creating health and safety concerns at beaches in Cork
Sea lettuce in Robert's Cove has become particularly acute where tonnes of it was cleared last Friday by Cork County Council staff.
Concerns have been raised that some beaches in Co Cork may have to close due to a plague of sea lettuce which is causing health and safety concerns by attracting swarms of flies and causing a stink.
The hot weather, combined with a runoff of nitrates-based fertilisers into the sea, has led to a major issue at some beaches.
It is has become particularly acute at Robert’s Cove, near Kinsale, where tonnes of the sea lettuce was cleared last Friday by Cork County Council staff.
But by Monday, more sea lettuce was washed ashore.
Local volunteers have been clearing paths through the rotting sea lettuce on a daily basis to allow people get access to swimming in the sea.
Fianna Fáil councillor Audrey Buckley said the situation there is now critical and the Carrigaline Municipal District Council, which covers the beach area, cannot afford to repeatedly clean up the large volumes of sea lettuce washing up on the shore.
Sea lettuce is also becoming an issue at Point Beach in Crosshaven and is beginning to be washed up on some beaches in West Cork.
Ms Buckley pointed out that some years ago, central government provided funding to cash-strapped councils for sea lettuce clean-ups but that has been discontinued.
She has written to Darragh O’Brien, the minister for the environment, urging him to reintroduce the grants to local authorities.
Ms Buckley and her colleagues on the municipal district council are seriously concerned that beaches like Robert’s Cove could be closed to the public for health and safety reasons.
The stink, which smells like rotten eggs, is caused by hydrogen sulphide gas. This is emitted from bacteria breaking down the rotting sea lettuce.
Ms Buckley said the stink and swarms of flies is bound to turn away visitors.
She said, at present, she would not take her children to impacted beaches and wouldn’t blame any other parent from taking the same attitude.
However, she’s worried for local businesses who rely on tourists “and who are already struggling as it is”.
Councillors are concerned that increased temperatures as a result of climate change will only lead to more sea lettuce problems in the years ahead.
The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service recently has said last month was the third warmest June ever recorded globally and “exceptional heatwaves” impacted large parts of western Europe.
It is expected that sea lettuce impacts will be experienced even more at Co Cork beaches in the coming days as another heatwave with temperatures approaching 30 degrees is expected this weekend.
Around 15 years ago, sea lettuce build-up started to become a major issue in some popular West Cork tourist spots, with machinery brought it to remove it from beaches such as Inchydoney, near Clonakilty.
Cork County Council then began a campaign to advise farmers to reduce the use of nitrate fertilisers, which were running off the land into the sea. These nutrients feed the sea lettuce.
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