Group calling for laws to protect ocean life

A COALITION of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs has strongly criticised the Government for failing to publish key legislation that it says would protect Irish seas and help tackle the twin climate and biodiversity crises.

Presenting a petition of 11,758 signatures from Ireland to Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, the Fair Seas coalition has called for the government to respect the voices of the public, who are demanding the urgent introduction of strong legislation to protect Ireland’s oceans.

The petition, launched at the end of September, calls for legislation that will protect Irish waters by designating 30% of Irish oceans as Marine Protected Areas (MPA), including 10% as strictly protected areas.

The petition comes just weeks after a Fair Seas survey highlighted that 76% of people believe that a lack of political will is the main obstacle to the introduction of legislation that would protect Irish oceans and its rich marine life.

Fair Seas campaign manager Aoife O’Mahony said the petition and survey results are ‘further evidence that the government is out of step with the importance the public attach to protecting the ocean.’

‘Not only do people want legislation, they want legislation that will be capable of doing the job it sets out to do. We have been very clear with
the government as to what needs to be included in the Bill if it is to be effective. The government now needs to move quickly to bring forward the strongest possible legislation, with a view to having this Bill enacted early in 2024,’ she said.