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Luckily, our otter friends won’t need shades at night this summer.
NEW lighting will be installed on the canal walkway, but it will be turned off every night at 11pm thanks to otters in the area.
Work is currently underway along the canal walkway where motion-activated lights are being installed, a resurfacing of the walkway, a shared cycleway/walkway and landscaping.
However, these lights will switch off at 11pm and be activated once again at dusk the following day in consideration for otters and other wildlife in the area.
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The decision was made after an environmental assessment undertaken by Kerry County Council and otters were found to be instrumental in imposing the 11pm shut off. This was a recommendation that arose from the ecology department on the project and Kerry County Council were happy to comply.
“Otters are an adaptable species and are commonly found in Irish urban areas,” a spokesperson for Kerry County Council informed us.”Nonetheless, lighting of the towpath raises the possibility that dogs associated with recreational users disturbing otters at times which are not currently prone to disturbance, i.e. after dark. Otters can be intolerant of dogs particularly when rearing young.”
This proposal is designed to limit light pollution beyond the pavement and prevent light spillage onto either the canal or pond / wetland areas. The light standards are also fitted with motion detectors, to ensure that the lights will be turned off unless movement is detected along the pathway over 1m above surface level.
“As such, the proposed lighting will not be activated by wildlife. Furthermore it is noted that lighting along the towpath is to be turned off after 11pm. As recreational users commonly use this pathway up to 11pm during the course of the summer months, it is considered that lighting of the pathway up to this time during the remainder of the year would not be injurious to or significantly affect the Otter population in the SAC. Otters are highly mobile species which can adjust their foraging routes to take account of such changes in the environment, particularly at this location where otters are habitualised to human recreation movements and behaviour.”
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“It is noted that an alternative similarly lit recreational greenway has recently been constructed between Tralee Town centre and Mounthawk. This along with the enhanced connectivity / attractiveness of the Town park and River walks will ensure that recreational pressure on the canal walkway will be alleviated. Overall it is considered that there is no potential for significant disturbance of otters, as a result of this proposal,” according to the spokesperson.
The motion activated lights will run from the inside of the canal all the way to the basin by the Marina Apartments. It is expected the work will be finished by mid-July.
All the other trails developed in the town in recent times have been fitted with similar lighting. It is part of an ‘green’ policy of the Council to try to minimise energy consumption, reduce light pollution and tailor actual lighting provision to lighting requirement.
Attempts to get a comment from the otters were unsuccessful at the time of publishing the story.
