Petition launched to ban ‘wild camping’ on Mayo island

Achill locals are calling for an immediate ban on wild camping at Keel’s protected Machair grasslands, warning the rare habitat is being “burned, trampled and polluted” every summer.

The Machair, beside Keel’s Blue Flag beach, is a Special Area of Conservation under EU law, but residents say it is treated like a free campsite, with no signage, enforcement or warden.

A petition launched this week has drawn national attention after a video of the damage was viewed over 122,000 times.

It calls on Mayo County Council, Fáilte Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to ban camping in sensitive areas, enforce fire and dumping bans, install clear habitat signage, fund a seasonal warden, and finally deliver the long-promised Visitor Management Plan.

Campaigners warn that without urgent action, this unique coastal landscape could be lost forever. “Protected on paper, burned in reality,” the petition says.

You can sign the change.org petition here.