Monaghan County Council has announced new measures to restrict the use of jet skis on Lough Muckno after residents and community groups voiced concern over the number of jet skis on the lake.
The mayor of Castleblayney, Gary Carville, said yesterday that the move was welcome because of fears of a tragic accident.
"Because of such fatalities elsewhere in recent times involving skiers, and the huge increase in the number of people using these waters, as a result of a ban imposed on skiing on other lakes in the region, including the North, there is a huge influx to Lough Muckno each weekend, and this is causing much public concern," he said.
The new measures to restrict the use of jet skis on the 900-hectare lake are being implemented under the Maritime Safety Act 2005.
Mr Carville said: "Apart from the hazardous use of some speed-boats, many concerns have been raised about the impact which jet-skis have upon fishing stock and on the local tourist industry as a result."
He said Lough Muckno was regarded as "a major venue for international coarse angling competitions" and that the new measures were necessary to protect fish spawning grounds.
A spokesman for Monaghan County Council said yesterday that anybody concerned about the new restrictions could make written submissions to the council's environment section before September 1st.
"The draft bylaws will then come before the council for discussion before being placed on public display for a period to allow for observations and comments, prior to adoption and implementation," he added.
Town councillor and former mayor Brendan Hughes said there had been "a huge lobby to have this action taken" because of the excessive use of jet skis on the scenic lake.