Deadly Jellyfish Stalk Irish Coast

Ireland could see another huge surge in immigration, however this time in the form of deadly jellyfish that are approaching the Irish coast.

A mass invasion of Mauve stingers were discovered near Portrush, Co Antrim and as far south as Co Sligo.

The billion-strong swarm could potentially stretch for hundreds of miles around the Irish coast, an expert said on Monday night.

Last year a 10km square infestation wiped out over 100,000 salmon in a fish farm off the coast of the Glens of Antrim, 50 miles north of Belfast.

Billions of the jellyfish flooded into the cages about a mile into the Irish Sea last year, and there were so many of the jellyfish that they covered an area of 10 Km square and were so numerous as to be down to a depth of 12m.

Rescuers who tried to reach the cages and save at least some of the salmon were beaten back as the density of fish made it impossible.

Now, Dr John Houghton from Queen's University has told an Irish Newspaper that he had heard reports from people in the South that the present swarm stretched from Sligo to Antrim.

The Department of the Environment (DoE) has confirmed discoveries in Antrim and Sligo.

Mauve stingers are normally a warm water species. Last November's swarm wiped out £1m-worth of fish at Northern Salmon's marine farm in Glenarm.

The latest outbreak was highlighted by a Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) worker on the West Strand, Portrush, Co Antrim, as he walked with his family yesterday.

See: Plague Of Jellyfish Destroys Provinces' Only Salmon Farm

(DW)(BMcC)