Blue Flag awards for four beaches
FOUR beaches in Wicklow have retained their Blue Flag Awards status due to the sound environmental management of the beaches.
However, Arklow did not meet the required water quality to obtain Green Coast Award status this year.
On Tuesday, An Taisce announced the International Blue Flag and Green Coast Award recipients for 2020.
The awards were announced by Ian Diamond, Coastal Awards manager with An Taisce’s Education Unit, the national operator of Blue Flag and Green Coast Award programmes in the Republic of Ireland
The 80 Irish beaches and 10 marinas that have achieved this accolade must adhere to specific criteria related to water quality, information provision, environmental education, safety and site management.
Bray South Promenade, Greystones, Brittas Bay North and Brittas Bay South beaches have retained their Blue Flag status.
The Blue Flag Programme has been in operation since 1987 with the first awards presented for the 1988 bathing season, when 21 flags were awarded.
Arklow was among four sites awarded Green Flags in 2019, which unfortunately could not be awarded this year as they did not reach the required standard of water quality. The aim of the Green Coast Award is to recognise beaches of high environmental quality. To achieve the award, beaches must have excellent water quality and have effective and appropriate management to ensure the protection of the natural environment.
While announcing the awards from home via Facebook Live, Coastal Awards Manager Mr Diamond advised that visits to beaches were going to be a different experience to what people are used to due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: ‘Visits to the beach this summer will not be the same, while we go to the beach to relax and unwind we still have to be mindful of the need to social distance and bringing hand sanitizer in addition to sunscreen with us will take some getting use to. We must also bear in mind the additional pressure being put on local authorities to manage our beaches in the most difficult of circumstances.
‘With unprecedented numbers forced to stay at home for the past few months from work and school we must be cognisant of the challenges facing those managing our beaches. In the same manner as we have all worked together against Covid-19 we must all exercise personal responsibility to enjoy our beaches in a safe and sustainable way.’