Thomas P. Broughan
Question:48 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for the Marine if he will give a report of his initiative in creating a 20 mile exclusion zone for dangerous sea-traffic around the coasts of Ireland.
Written Answers. - Twenty-mile Exclusion Zone.
In January of this year following serious oil tanker accidents in the UK and Spain a joint Environment/Transport Council of Ministers called for the adoption of measures to protect environmentally vulnerable areas of Community Waters. As part of that process the EC asked member states to identify ecologically sensitive areas in need of protection and to submit proposals to them.
Ireland's proposals relate to the creation of exclusion zones or what are formally designated as "areas to be avoided" by all ships or certain classes of ship. The areas identified which include shell-fish grounds, aquaculture sites, coastal flora, fauna and wild bird habitats and coastal areas of scientific interest fall, broadly, into three categories:
(1) Areas where, because of navigational restrictions, laden tankers (oil, chemical, gas) or other ships carrying dangerous cargoes would be banned from entry at all times.
(2) Routes taken by laden tankers, ships carrying large quantities of fuel oil, or other ships carrying dangerous cargoes bound for or leaving an Irish port where such tankers/ships would be required to keep seaward of linked geographical baselines around areas of the Irish coast. The distance seaward would depend on the tonnage of oil or dangerous cargo on board. Inbound and outbound traffic would be required to take as direct a route as it is safe to take to commence voyage outside of the baselines.
(3) Routes taken by laden tankers and ships carrying dangerous cargoes transiting Irish waters i.e. not bound for an Irish port which would not be permitted to come within the 100 fathom/200 metre sounding line (range 20 to 70 miles approx. off the coast).
Proposals will now be assessed by the EC prior to submission to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for adoption globally and for formal incorporation in ships' navigation charts. Pending acceptance of my proposals at EC and IMO levels I do not wish to be definitive about the areas/routes in question.