Friends of the Irish Environment has warned that Ireland may face EU legal action if it does not restrict the impact of jetskis on wildlife.
The environmental organisation is contacting a number of local authorities to advise them of the implications of last year's European Court of Justice ruling which found Ireland to be in breach of protection of natural habitats.
Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) believes the ruling extends to the impact jetski use may have on threatened bird and animal species on both coastal and inland waterways.
Under the Maritime Safety Act 2005, local authorities are given discretion in relation to regulating use of leisure craft, and there have been limited moves in some areas towards proper buoyage systems and zoning in busy waterways.
Tony Lowes of FIE said while safety in relation to jetski use had to be the prime consideration, the impact on habitats must also be taken into account by relevant local and harbour authorities.
The FIE has already written to both Waterford and Cork, which are considering controls on jetskis, and has pointed out that impact assessment has to be carried out as part of any regulation.
It is opposed to a "free for all" suggested by Waterford County Council on a section of the river Blackwater, and says this is "exactly what the European Commission is warning about".
