The chief executive officer of the North West Regional Fisheries Board, Mr Vincent Roche, has called for a blanket ban on development around areas of Mayo's Loughs Conn and Cullen.
He said the fishery board had "to increasingly appeal planning permission cases to An Bord Pleanála, where we fear that a new private house will add further to the pollution problem."
"People will complain that their house permission was refused, while in an adjoining field a house is in under construction. The blanket ban in specified areas would make the process much clearer for landowners," he said.