FAIR SEAS WARNS FAILURE TO PROGRESS MARINE LEGISLATION JEOPARDISES NATURE AND CLIMATE TARGETS

Fair Seas warns failure to progress marine legislation jeopardises nature and climate targets. Environmental coalition fears further delays will see MPA Bill ‘falling’ before next election

The Fair Seas Coalition has warned the government that time is running out for them to introduce vital environmental 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. With both these targets having been missed, and speculation about a general election increasing, the coalition has warned that there is a growing danger that this law will fall with the current government.

Fair Seas campaign coordinator Dr. Donal Griffin said:

“It would be unforgivable for the government to let this Bill fall with the current administration. 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.”

The recently published Joint Oireachtas Committee report on the examination of recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on biodiversity loss recommended that legislation to designate Marine Protected Areas is progressed through the Oireachtas with urgency in line with EU targets to designate 30% of our waters (with 10% having the strictest protection) by 2030 and that appropriate resources are given for enforcement of such protection.

“Voters will not reflect kindly on the role of this government, if this Bill gets kicked down the road,” Dr. Griffin added.

Fair Seas also reminded the government that MPA legislation will play an important role in the state’s efforts to switch to renewables and failure to enact the Bill will compromise efforts to reach Ireland’s climate targets.

Dr. Griffin continued:

“The timeframes of the MPA Bill are also 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 Fair Seas coalition has been campaigning for strong and ambitious legislation committing to effectively protecting 30% of the seas around Ireland by 2030, with 10% strictly protected. The group is calling for stakeholder engagement at every stage, clear delivery timeframes and a robust management framework, with targeted, site-specific measures to ensure MPAs deliver for nature.

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 MPAs under EU Natura 2000 legislation.

The Dáil has risen for the Christmas break and will return on January 16th, 2024 meaning it will be late January at the earliest before progress is made on the MPA Bill.
In October, Fair Seas presented a petition of more than 11,000 signatures from Ireland to Minister of State for Nature, Heritage & Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan and called for the government to respect the voices of the public, who are demanding the urgent introduction of strong legislation to protect Ireland’s seas.

The environmental coalition says a positive development during 2023 was Minister of State Malcolm Noonan becoming Ireland’s first designated Minister for Nature, Grace Carr, Marine Advocacy Officer with the Irish Wildlife Trust said:

“Ireland is currently one of the few EU member states that has no national MPA legislation despite having one of the largest maritime areas in the EU and the lowest % of protected areas. Current laws such as the Habitats Directive have failed to protect our marine environment for the last 30 years, so it is vital that strong and ambitious MPA legislation is passed without delay. 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. Minister O’Brien needs to make the MPA Bill a priority in the new year. Time is running out.”
For more information about Fair Seas visit https://fairseas.ie/