Ms Oonagh Duggan:

With regard to what we can do, it is important to consider that most of our largest cities are in coastal areas and there are significant populations of people close to areas with significant populations of water birds. For example, in Dublin Bay, there are a lot of mud flats and a lot of wintering water birds that travel a long way to spend the winter in Ireland. It is very important to consider the impact of disturbance on water birds. We are concerned about the cumulative impacts of development in terms of disturbance and other impacts on these species. For example, it can involve putting one's dog on a leash when a flock of terns is roosting on Sandymount strand in August, remembering that these birds travel a long distance and are trying to save their energy to return to their breeding grounds to be able to be in good breeding condition. When they are spending energy fleeing from a dog, person or activity that is disturbing them, which can have an impact on a wider scale. It is important for people to enjoy nature and to observe their interactions with wild birds but also to keep their distance.