Ireland: Marine Protection Area proposal in Seanad

A motion to be moved Ireland’s Seanad today will call on the Irish Government to meet its international obligations by designating extensive coastal areas and seas around Ireland as “marine protected areas” (MPAs).

Ireland already meets obligations under OSPAR and has Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) but this motion if adopted will provide much more extensive and wide ranging protection.

It has enormous implications for marine life around the West of these Islands and the Irish Sea because often Bay and shallow offshore estuaries are the nursery areas for many fish stocks. Evidence indicates that those stocks have declined in recent years

In an article in the Irish Times Green party Senator Grace O’Sullivan, who is to table the motion, said the seas around Ireland offer immense potential to enhance the livelihoods of coastal communities, while the oceans have “incredible ability to capture carbon” – and to play a critical role in countering climate change, provided they are maintained in a healthy state.

‘Speaking at a briefing in advance of tabling the motion, she said never in the history of humanity has the health of the oceans been more threatened.

“The costly decline of ocean health impacts [on]people, such as fishermen struggling to feed their families, and is made worse by the disastrous effects of climate change,” she said.’:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/seanad-motion-to-call-for-ma...

The motions proponents are hopeful they will get a cross part consensus of support as occurred in February when a Bill proposing an end to the granting of licences for fossil fuel exploration and extraction in Ireland, was passed in February in spite of Government opposition.

Related link:

https://iwt.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/IWT-MPA-report.pdf

Image: Cuckoo Wrasse