Smelly, unsightly seaweed ‘too hard to remove’
People living in or visiting a popular village in West Cork will have to put up with unsightly and smelly seaweed in its normally picturesque lagoon because trying to remove it could make the problem worse.
The seaweed growth and subsequent increase in bacteria levels in the water resulted in the HSE issuing a prohibition on swimming in the area earlier this month. However, this has since been lifted.
Fianna Fáil councillor told a meeting of the council’s Western Division he was concerned about the build-up of the seaweed on the eastern side of the lagoon in Rosscarbery and the damage it could cause to the tourist industry, especially as they are into their two busiest months of the year.
He proposed that the seaweed be cleared from the lagoon, which is close to the Celtic Ross Hotel, and given to farmers to spread on fields as fertiliser, as was successfully done with sea lettuce in the Courtmacsherry area.
However, council officials said the sea lettuce was harvested from the shore, but if they were to harvest the seaweed they would have to go into the lagoon and this could stir up nutrients and ultimately cause a far larger crop of the vegetation to emerge.
Divisional manager Clodagh Henehan said scientists employed by the council had advised against disturbing the seaweed. A build-up of nutrients, which are responsible for the seaweed growth, are flowing into the lagoon from the Tinneal stream.
Louis Duffy, head of the council’s environment directorate, told councillors its inspectors are trying to identify where the nutrients are coming from and stop the flow into the stream.
Meanwhile, Ms Henehan said council engineers are also looking at ‘flushing’ the lagoon to push the nutrients out to sea. Nutrient sediments have built up steadily in the lagoon over decades and in places water levels are only two metres high.
“The restricted flow, shallow water and nutrients from the Tinneal catchment have combined to provide a warm, nutrient-rich environment, ideal for seaweed and algae to accumulate,” Mr Duffy said.
He said that the lagoon will require careful study and planning.
