Fair Seas urges government to push ahead with legislation on marine protected areas

FAILURE to get legislation enacted on marine protected areas during the lifetime of the government would be unforgivable, a campaign group has warned.

The Fair Seas Coalition has been campaigning for ambitious legislation committing to effectively protecting 30% of the seas around Ireland by 2030, with 10% strictly protected.

Ireland is one of more than 190 countries who have committed to protecting or conserving at least 30% of the planet’s land and ocean by 2030.

Currently just 9% of Ireland’s waters are officially designated as marine protected areas (MPAs) under EU Natura 2000 legislation. The government committed to introduce a marine protected area bill to protect Ireland’s seas before the Dáil summer recess in July 2023, and subsequently to introduce the legislation before the end of 2023.

Fair Seas now fears the law could fall with the current government.

‘It would be unforgivable for the government to let this Bill fall with the current administration,’ Fair Seas campaign coordinator Dr Donal Griffin said. ‘Badly needed environmental legislation cannot be collateral damage as political parties start thinking about election campaigns.

‘We need to see this government act responsibly, and introduce this important legislation as a matter of priority early in 2024. Protecting and restoring the ocean is an essential part of our response to tackling biodiversity decline and the climate crisis, yet the government seems to be treating this Bill as an optional add-on, a nice to have, rather than the critically important piece of legislation that it is.

‘Voters will not reflect kindly on the role of this government, if this Bill gets kicked down the road.’

Dr Griffin said MPA legislation will play an important role in efforts to switch to renewables and failure to enact the Bill will compromise efforts to reach Ireland’s climate targets.

‘The timeframes of the MPA Bill are critically important for Ireland’s offshore renewable energy targets. Without the MPA legislation in place, and knowing where new MPAs will be around our coast and what features it will prioritise for protection, the potential for delays to projects and conflict between wind farms and MPAs is significant. The new law must be progressed asap, primarily to ensure that biodiversity is properly protected but also to inform key planning decisions including offshore renewable energy.’

The Dáil returns on January 16th. In October, Fair Seas presented a petition of more than 11,000 signatures from Ireland to Minister of State for Nature, Malcolm Noonan.

‘Minister Noonan has championed this legislation as far back as 2020, but ultimately, the MPA legislation is a responsibility of Minister Darragh O’Brien as the head of the Department for Housing, Local Government and Heritage,’ said Grace Carr, marine advocacy officer with the Irish Wildlife Trust.

‘Minister O’Brien needs to make the MPA Bill a priority early this year.’