Smelly Carrick Seaweed Will Not Be Moved

Seaweed washed up on Carrickfergus beach is starting to give off the smell of rotten eggs.

The Carrick Advertiser newspaper reported today that the seaweed was washed up about two weeks ago.

Lying on a long strip of beach in the shadow of the town's famous Norman castle, the seaweed has started to decompose and its smell has crossed town to be detectable from inside shops and businesses.

But the council refuses to clear the smelly seaweed away, saying its accumulation is a "natural event" and council workers have never cleared seaweed from the beach before.

She said: "This is a natural phenomenon and it is possible that further seaweed could be washed up after the beach would be cleared so the problem could persist. The council do have a duty to clear litter from portions of the beach but seaweed would not normally be defined as litter. As the odour is related to the breakdown of the seaweed and not other contamination it is not the intention of Carrickfergus Borough Council to remove the seaweed."

But a local resident said the smell was "overpowering" and might actually be dangerous to livestock.

As the smell is caused by hydrogen sulphur, horses and sheep have been known to die from proximity to rotting seaweed.

The anonymous man said: "The smell will keep coming back because the seaweed will continue to decay and decompose and will get worse."

The Marine Conservation society backed the council’s position, saying seaweed was a habitat and food source for wildlife.

(NE)