Skelligs to get EU-protected status

THERE can be few more magnificent sights off the coast than the spectacle of the Skellig Rocks sitting serenely in the Atlantic on a clear, sunny day. But, of the two million tourists that come to the south-west each year, only a fraction ever go to the trouble of taking a ferry to these remote citadels.

A recent decision that the Skelligs are to be designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) — arising from an EU directive that seeks to establish a network of protected areas throughout Europe — will surely be widely welcomed.

Public notices have been published by the Department of the Environment stating that Ireland must take steps to protect these islands and prevent deterioration of the sites. It’s all about maintaining and restoring the habitats of species such as the whooperswan, peregrine falcon and Greenland white-fronted gees, as well as ensuring the sites of migratory species such as ducks, geese and waders are also safeguarded.