Displaying items by tag: harbour seal

19th October 2021

Belfast Lough Seal Spotted With Can Stuck on Jaw Rescued in Scotland

A young harbour seal spotted in Belfast Lough earlier this month with an aluminium can stuck on its lower jaw has been rescued by police in Scotland.

The Irish News reports that the juvenile marine mammal had swum across the North Channel from Belfast Lough to the west coast of Scotland last weekend.

Officers from the Ministry of Defence Police at Clyde naval base were able to approach the seal and remove the drinks can, which was stuck to the animal’s mouth after its teeth had pierced the metal.

An MoD spokesperson said: “We would urge people to take extra care in how they dispose of their rubbish near any waterway.”

Lagan Search & Rescue, which led the search effort for the seal in Northern Ireland, commented on social media: “We are delighted to hear that its ordeal has had such a positive outcome.”

Published in Marine Wildlife

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Search Continues in Belfast Lough for Seal Spotted With Can Stuck on Jaw

The search continues in Belfast Lough for a young harbour seal spotted with an aluminium can stuck on its lower jaw in recent days.

According to BBC News, the seal was spotted on Wednesday (6 October) in a state of distress.

But despite attempts by Belfast Harbour Police to help, the marine mammal swam away and has not been sighted since.

Lagan Search and Rescue is assisting in the search along with experts from Portaferry’s Exploris Aquarium and others.

And it asks that any sightings be reported to Debbie Doolittle’s Wild Life and that “nobody attempts to help the seal [themselves]”.

Published in Marine Wildlife

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Seriously Ill Seal Pup Now In Recovery

#MARINE WILDLIFE - A harbour seal pup found in a serious condition in Balbriggan last week is new recovering in the care of the Irish Seal Sanctuary.

Colin, as he has been named by ISS volunteers, was discovered on Kings Beach suffering from blood loss and breathing problems, the Fingal Independent reports.

An ISS spokesperson remarked that it was "very unusual" to find harbour seal pups this late in the year, and in an area dominated by colonies of grey seals.

Thanks to medicine donated by the Dogs Aid veterinary clinic in north Dublin, Colin is now "making great progress" though full recovery will take some time.

The seal pup will remain in the care of the ISS until he is fit enough to be returned to Balbriggan for release.

Published in Marine Wildlife

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Offshore wind

ESB know the importance of offshore wind in tackling climate change and delivering net zero. Ireland has a unique capability given its prime location to take advantage of the potential of offshore wind. ESB are working hard to develop offshore wind projects for the benefit of everyone across society in Ireland and the UK. This includes ongoing engagement with marine users and local communities so ESB can deliver these significant projects.

Offshore wind will play a major role globally in our fight against climate change. It will help to replace energy generated by burning fossil fuels with that from a clean, safe and secure renewable energy source. Ireland’s geographic location on the exposed edge of the Atlantic presents us with a significant opportunity to generate electricity from wind – both offshore and onshore.

Power from onshore wind farms currently provide over one-third of Ireland’s electricity needs. But, whilst its marine area is many times the size of its landmass, Ireland’s offshore wind potential is only starting to be realised. ESB have a coastline stretching over 3,000km but only one operational offshore wind farm – Arklow Bank, with a capacity of 25 MW. In contrast, Belgium’s coastline is only 63km long, but it has already developed more than 2,000 MW of offshore wind. In Great Britain, with a coastline four times the length of ours, offshore wind generation now equates to over 440 Arklow Banks, with an installed capacity of 11,0000 MW as of late 2021.

The Irish Government's target to install 5,000 MW of offshore wind capacity in our maritime area by 2030 is set out in the Climate Action Plan 2021. It also has the objective to source 80% of Ireland’s electricity needs from renewables by the same year. In line with this, ESB is applying its professional and proven engineering expertise to the challenges set within the Climate Action Plan.

ESB are committed to playing a strong role in developing Ireland’s offshore wind potential for the benefit of the people of Ireland. This will be done in consultation with marine users and local communities, and with due care for the marine environment.