Significant production areas like Clew Bay, Co Mayo, Kenmare in Co Kerry and Lough Swilly, Co Donegal have all lost their "A" class designation in the latest six-monthly order from the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The Irish Shellfish Association (ISA) has said that the latest designation list makes for "depressing reading". Its chairwoman, Ms Mary Ferris, said that Ireland now had the greatest number of "B" class production waters ever, mainly due to increased pollution from urban development around their shores. The ISA lodged a complaint with the European Commission in 2002 over the Government's failure to act on a 1979 EU directive to protect shellfish waters.
"The ISA's action has borne some results," Ms Ferris said. "The Government is finally putting together a strategy to deal with the 24-year-old directive's requirements for pollution control plans to protect 83 bays and inlets where shellfish are produced."
However, Ms Ferrris said the ISA was concerned about the latest figures for water quality, with pollution mainly caused by untreated sewage from new housing developments.
"The downgrading of bays in many of the main production areas means that neither wild nor farmed shellfish can be sold directly to consumers without first being relaid in other waters or cooked or subject to expensive purification," she said.
The ISA is calling on the Government to focus on the bays which have recently fallen from Class A to Class B and detect the main source of pollution. The association is calling for the full results to be made available to its members.
The Department of the Environment said sewage treatment works were planned for a number of coastal towns.