"Please keep your dog on a lead" is the message to people walking dogs on five beaches in Dublin.
The appeal comes from the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and is aimed at protecting wildlife on Sandymount Strand, Bull Island, Burrow Beach, Portrane Beach and Balbriggan Beach.
It was launched by Minister for State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O'Sullivan.
"We all love to get out and enjoy our coastlines, but our coastal areas, such as the one here at Dublin Bay, are also important habitats for wildlife, including ground nesting birds, seals and porpoises," the minister said.
"These species are particularly vulnerable during nesting season and as they rear their young, so we need to be mindful of where we walk, and keep our dogs under control when we are out and about."
Dublin Bay and much of the coastline around Dublin is protected under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives.
Important habitats include Atlantic salt meadows, vegetated sea cliffs, mudflats and sand flats, coastal dune systems and many others.
Dublin Bay and coast is recognised by its various designations for its critical importance to wintering wildfowl but also breeding birds.
NPWS Ranger for South East Dublin Seán Meehan said that Sandymount is a vital habitat to large number of birds.
"In winter here, these sand flats and wood flats here attract thousands of birds, migratory species that come to Ireland to feed.
"Our winters are less harsh than, say, the Arctic or Canada.
"So, birds come here, they feed, they use the winter here to build up their reserves, and that, so obviously those birds need to spend time feeding and building up energy reserves.
"Continuous disruption and disturbance by dogs has an impact on those birds.
"They spend a lot of time getting scared off, they're wasting energy, so they're not building up those necessary reserves."
He added that Sandymount is also used by ground nesting birds in the summer months.
"As we go further south, out towards Merrion Gates, there's more natural habitat there that would suit ground nesting birds, and being ground nesting, they're particularly vulnerable to disturbance by dogs.
"Dogs are curious. They'd go over, they may disturb the nests and damage eggs.
"So, both summer and winter, people need to be mindful when they're walking their dogs on the beaches."
The NPWS says a key aspect of this campaign was the involvement of schools who participated in surveys on their local beaches in March and April this year, along with NPWS Conservation Rangers.
Participating children learned about the impact of dog disturbance compiling their findings and producing presentations.
The surveys will be repeated post campaign to analyse any changes in dog owner behaviour.
The NPWS says it is hoped that the campaign’s combination of social media engagement, school visits and public engagement will raise awareness of the importance of dog control on Irish beaches, benefitting both wildlife and people alike.
