MARINE WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION GROUPS STAGE DÁIL RALLY

Marine wildlife and conservation groups stage Dáil rally to demand stronger ocean protections. Ireland’s leading marine environmental groups are staging a colourful demonstration outside Leinster House calling on the Government to publish long-awaited Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation. 

The Fair Seas coalition will lead a rally of participants dressed in sea creature costumes to speak up for Ireland’s marine wildlife and ecosystems and highlight the lack of progress in properly protecting the sea.

The group’s membership includes Irish Wildlife Trust, BirdWatch Ireland, Sustainable Water Network, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Streamscapes, Irish Environmental Network and Coastwatch.

Fair Seas also hopes to present Minister of State with responsibility for the Marine, Timmy Dooley with a selection of letters written by Irish people calling for ambitious and effective MPA legislation to be published. More than 1,800 people have sent personalised letters directly to the Taoiseach and relevant Ministers over the last fortnight using an online tool.

Last month, the European Commission took the first step in bringing infringement proceedings against Ireland for failing to protect its marine environment. Ireland is yet to complete its network of marine Natura 2000 sites despite being obliged to establish these marine conservation areas since 2012.

Fair Seas Campaign Coordinator, Dr Dónal Griffin says:

“Today is about spreading a serious message in a positive way. Our marine ecosystems and wildlife are under increasing pressure from climate change, habitat loss, overfishing and pollution. It is now more than five years since the Government first committed to creating laws to protect our seas. This is the second rally we’ve held in two years with little visible progress seen during that time. Continued delays means our marine biodiversity is not being properly protected.  We simply must see strong Marine Protected Area legislation published that is credible, effective and capable of delivering for nature and society. If we fail to act, we risk losing what makes Ireland’s seas so special.”

The rally is due to take place from 11.00am to 12.00pm on Kildare Street. Members of Fair Seas will be joined outside Leinster House by speakers representing groups such as university students, community groups, ocean enthusiasts and nature advocates.

Sarah Hegarty, Marine Advocacy & Campaigns Officer, Birdwatch Ireland added, We hope that the Ministers, TDs and Senators will engage with us this morning. What makes this event even more symbolic is that today is EU Natura 2000 Day, a time when Europe’s network of protected nature sites are celebrated. However, Ireland continues to lag behind other EU countries when it comes to protecting our seas so much so that we have been singled out by the EU Commission in recent weeks for inaction on the marine Natura 2000 sites. The Marine Protected Area legislation is a vital opportunity for the Government to show real leadership and finally put meaningful protections in place for marine wildlife, coastal communities and future generations.”

To sign up and reserve a free spot as part of the rally visit the Fair Seas Eventbrite page or visit the link here. Attendees can also reserve a spot to the Ocean Afterparty held at the Patagonia store on Exchequer street at 7.00pm.

Fair Seas is hosting the second World Ocean Week Conference in Cork on Wednesday, June 3rd, bringing together ocean advocates, fishing communities, government, industry and key stakeholders. For more information visit https://fairseas.ie/