Ireland behind European counterparts says report

Ireland is far behind its European counterparts in protecting its marine environment.

That’s according to Irish environmental organisation Fair Seas which said Ireland’s marine protected areas (MPAs) must increase 18-fold by the end of the decade in order to restore critical habitats, safeguard wildlife and address climate crisis.

Fair Seas is urging the Government to designate a minimum of 30% of Irish waters as marine protected areas by 2030. The current number is just 2%.

MPAs are areas of the sea and coastline legally protected from activities that damage the habitats, wildlife and natural processes.

According to Fair Seas, recent assessments indicate two-thirds of Ireland’s coastal habitats are in an unfavourable condition, with an alarming decline of 90% in numbers of iconic species such as porbeagle and angel sharks. Fair Seas carried out the research to help “accelerate the conversation” after the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage initiated a process aimed at expanding Ireland’s network of MPAs in 2019.

The resulting report, ‘Revitalising Our Seas - Identifying Areas of Interest for MPA Designation in Irish Waters’ indicates that it would be possible to protect 36% of Ireland’s ocean territory, enabling the country to meet its 2030 European targets. It identifies 16 areas of Interest for MPA designation in Irish waters including eight coastal areas stretching along the coast from Donegal to Louth. These places are home to critically endangered sharks, globally important seabird colonies, and animals threatened with extinction which rely on these areas for breeding and feeding such as Atlantic puffins and blue whales.

Fair Seas Campaign Manager Aoife O’Mahony said it’s all about kick-starting the conversation among stakeholders and decision makers nationwide: “It aims to significantly ramp up the process of building an effective network of MPAs in Irish waters. We’ve used scientific research and available data to identify the potential areas most in need of protection. Our ambition is to see Ireland become a world leader in marine protection, giving our species, habitats and coastal communities the opportunity to thrive.”

Oonagh Duggan, Head of Advocacy at BirdWatch Ireland, described Ireland as a “laggard” when it comes to protecting and restoring nature on land and sea.

She said: “We have been endowed with a wealth of marine life but are squandering it. Our extensive coastline supports hundreds and thousands of breeding seabirds but species like the puffin and kittiwake are now globally vulnerable. Ireland’s sea territory is huge, it’s high time to protect and restore large areas for these and other marine life.”

The Fair Seas campaign is led by a coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental non-governmental organisations and networks including Irish Wildlife Trust, BirdWatch Ireland, Sustainable Water Network, Friends of the Irish Environment, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Coomhola Salmon Trust, Irish Environmental Network and Coastwatch.

It is funded by Oceans 5, Blue Nature Alliance, BFCT and The Wyss Foundation.