Marine expert denies saying Corrib project could kill

international | environment | other press

Wednesday March 10, 2010 21:04

by Disillusioned - The Truth

conflicting accounts of advice given

Dr Rogers says “It is unfortunate that my original report is being interpreted in this way,”

Dr Alex David Rogers is a distinguished scientist and marine biologist, he is now the Principal Investigator of the biodiversity and evolution programme at British Antarctic Survey (BIOFLAME). He has published over 40 papers on marine ecology, population genetics and phylogenetics, including a book on the marine animals and plants of Britain. http://www.savethehighseas.org/rogers.cfm
He is also a supporter of The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) is an alliance of over 60 international organizations working to promote the conservation of biodiversity on the high seas. The coalition is calling on the United Nations General Assembly to institute a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling in order to protect seamounts, cold-water corals and vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems.
Dr Rogers has repeatedly been quoted by Pat O’Donnell and others as the scientist who advised him (O’Donnell) that if the Corrib gas project went ahead “people would die. The fisherman said the biologist told him he and his family would have to pack their bags because people would die if the project went ahead.
You can hear Mr O’ Donnell repeat this claim seven minutes into this award winning documentary “Pipe Down” http://www.vimeo.com/8668733
However now Dr Rogers has denied that he made the claim, and alleges his report has been misrepresented.
The doctor’s main concern was mercury contamination, but he believed the concerns were addressed through monitoring of shellfish around the discharge pipe from Corrib.
A story carried in this week’s Western People carries a denial from Mr Rogers that he told O’Donnell people would die because of the project, in a reply to a business man worried about the impact the project would have on his business and the fishing industry in Erris, Dr Rogers told him nobody would die from eating Mayo seafood products and told him to look at his original report to Mr O’Donnell, Dr Rogers went on to say “It is unfortunate that my original report is being interpreted in this way,”