News
Call for legal protection for Basking Sharks in Ireland
Irish Basking Shark Project are calling for people to support the recent Wildlife (Amendment No.1) Bill 2021 to amend Section 23 of the Wildlife Act to include the Basking Shark, in the Fifth Schedule of the Act. This will give Basking Sharks legal protection in Irish waters.
Why is this important?
Basking sharks are endangered in the Northeast Atlantic and global population estimates indicate that the west and northern Irish seaboard are part of the single most internationally important coastal region for this species. Basking sharks occupy inshore and offshore areas year-round in Irish territorial waters. Ireland and our coastal communities have historically benefited from basking shark fisheries and today we have a duty to provide protection for this highly mobile species when they occupy Irish territorial waters. Recent research indicated that the Irish public supports the protection of basking sharks in Irish waters (Gray, 2019). Adding the species to Schedule Five of the Wildlife Act, (1976) as amended, is the simplest method to provide protection for the species in Irish territorial waters.
How can you help?
As part of their support of the proposed amendment to the Wildlife Act to provide protection for basking sharks in Irish waters they are asking all those in favour to sign a petition. They will present this petition to Minister Malcolm Noonan in the autumn when the Wildlife Act will hopefully be open for amendments.
Please support them by signing the petition here.
For more information about the Irish Basking Shark Project visit their website by clicking here.
Duttons Divers, who have recently announced a new hard boat to join their growing fleet over on the Llyn Peninsula based at Hafan Marina Dive Centre and a second dive centre that opened in January this year, have another big announcement to end the year on!
It seems that there’s just no stopping the Duttons Divers team as they announce their third dive centre opening – this time on Anglesey!
The dive centre will be open from January 2023, and is based just off the A55 at Llangefni Services, offering ease of access from all over the island and to those visiting for the day who will be passing by on their way to dive.
The centre will offer a fully stocked shop with all major brands, as well as a classroom and meeting place for teaching and briefings for the day’s guided dives around the island, equipment servicing and air fills – perfectly located to get your fills on your way too or from sites all over the island.
Owner Clare Dutton says: “We are extremely excited to announce the new centre. We have looked at Anglesey for a while, but the perfect place just did not come up until now. We wanted somewhere central that has easy access for divers to visit.”
If you would like to find out more about the new site, go to their website www.duttonsdivers.com
Duttons Divers, the North Wales based Scuba diving company, have been going from strength to strength with the expansion of a new dive centre last year, and now the addition of a second dive boat.
Duttons already offer guided shore and boat dives around the North Wales area, with their current dive boat, Little Viv, taking divers around the Llyn Peninsula. The area offers an array of marine life and variety of dive sites, including wrecks, caverns, scenic wall dives and of course their colony of curious seals at the Tudwals Islands.
The new hard boat has a diver capacity of 10, which can be booked as a single diver or as a group charter booking. The boat has toilet facilities, a kitchen for refreshments between dives and dedicated storage areas for kit.
Clare Dutton says: “We are extremely excited for the addition of the new boat. Little Viv is a great asset to our activities, but now being able to offer dive space only trips too for divers to explore the stunning area around here will make it even better.
The dive sites within this location offer something for all level of diver interest, from shallow interactions with the seals to deeper wrecks with tonnes of history. We are all very excited for the 2023 season!”
Duttons are now taking bookings for the 2023 season. Follow the link for more information: www.duttonsdivers.com/dive-boat
New year, new dive centre: Duttons to open on Anglesey in January 2023
New North Wales dive boat for 2023 season
Palaemon Divers to open new dive centre in Warrington
