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Minister Norma Foley joins the launch of the Canal Biodiversity Project at the Wetlands on Saturday morning.
TRALEE Rowing Club (TRC) welcomed Minister for Education, Norma Foley, to the Tralee Bay Wetlands Centre on Saturday to launch of the Community Foundation Ireland (CFI) funded TRC ‘Biodiversity Awareness Implementation Project’.
TRC produced a CFI funded ‘Biodiversity Action Plan – Tralee Ship Canal – Gateway to Biodiversity’ in 2023. This year’s follow-on project focuses on implementation of the actions identified in the plan.
Following the launch event, members of Tralee Tidy Towns (TTT) participated in a Guided Walk along the Tralee Ship Canal for a ‘Peek through the Gateway’ (a taste of what the Tralee Ship Canal – Gateway to Biodiversity has to offer) with Noel Mulligan, the ecologist working with Tralee Rowing Club.
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In her address at the launch event, Minister Foley acknowledged the good work that TRC does in its core recreational and competitive rowing activities on the Tralee Ship Canal waterway.
The Minister further acknowledged the important work the club has been doing in exploring the ecology and biodiversity of the canal and creating an awareness around the important topic of biodiversity which has local, regional, national and global resonance.
The ecology of the canal is receiving particular attention as the canal’s flora and fauna is being impacted by an Alien Invasive Species, the Australian Tubeworm. It is widely recognised that the spread of Alien Invasive Species is one of the five main threats to biodiversity globally.
The participants enjoyed a very pleasant Guided Walk from the canal basin along the canal pathway to the lock gates.
The walk took in the wildlife of the canal itself, the three canal-side ponds, the 3km long vegetated canal banks and the shore of inner Tralee Bay home to the famous Tralee Bay oyster beds.
The environs of the canal has five Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), three Special Protected Areas (SPAs) and two Nature Reserves.
Biodiversity is a topic that is constantly in the media and Tralee Rowing Club’s current project is focused on creating an awareness of what biodiversity means for club members and the wider community.
More guided walks are planned for different groups along the Tralee Ship Canal – Gateway to Biodiversity and to some of the designated European Natura 2000 sites for the protection of important habitats and species.
Chairperson of Tralee Tidy Towns Brendan O’Brien said “We were delighted to support and attend this event and pilot test the biodiversity awareness walk.”
“All of our members thoroughly enjoyed the day and we learned so much about our Tralee Ship Canal biodiversity. We would like to thank Dr Noel Mulligan sincerely for his excellent talk and expertise.
“We would also like to acknowledge Tralee Rowing Club Tralee Bay Wetlands, Community Foundation, Kerry County Council Biodiversity Office and the Local Authority Waters Programmme for supporting this excellent project and we look forward to future collaborations.”
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