MALIN HEAD Coastguard are monitoring a situation in Buncrana after a large quantity of herring scales were discovered on a beach yesterday.
Members of the public reported the scales while Buncrana Gardaí raised concerns of a strong smell in the area.
A Coastguard team from Greencastle was dispatched to investigate along a popular one-mile walkway between Buncrana and Ned’s Point.
“We have no reason at the moment, just speculation, but we are monitoring the situation now and are awaiting feedback,” Dara O’Malley Daly, Station Officer at Malin Head Coastguard, told Donegal Daily.
“There has been a large quantity of herring in Lough Swilly. We’re not sure of it is fishing boat related. There are very little fish carcasses, just a large volume of herring scales.
“It is very unusual to see such a large quantity. There was a large quantity of birds in the area too, obviously they were feeding off them. We’re not sure how much more will come ashore, but we’re keeping a close eye on it.”
Mr O’Malley Daly said his team had put in checks with fish farms on the opposite end of Lough Swilly, at Portsalon, but no similar sightings had been reported on that shoreline.
