Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 September 2020
914. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions his Department has taken with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to ensure that all stakeholders and partners are consulted and are involved in the process to establish marine protected areas in Irish fishing waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24191/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the EU has committed to ensure the conservation of 10% of its coastal and marine areas by 2020. This objective is also reflected in UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 published on 20th May 2020 provides a commitment that protected areas for at least 30% of seas in Europe will be established and that 10% of the area is strictly protected.
Under the OSPAR Convention to Protect the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic, Ireland committed to establishing marine protected areas to protect biodiversity (i.e. OSPAR MPAs). Such OSPAR MPAs would not afford any legal protection to the relevant areas on their own. Ireland (like other OSPAR contracting Parties) established 19 of its Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) as OSPAR MPAs for marine habitats. It is important to note that MPAs cannot be equated with Marine Reserves, i.e. as ‘no-take’ zones where the extraction of marine organisms, or habitat impact , is prohibited. The 10% strict protection in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 may involve a form of no take zones. In Ireland, the 1992 EC Habitats Directive (92/43/EC), as transposed by the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 477 of 2011), as amended, is the legislative instrument providing protection to species and habitats listed in the EU Habitats Directive, including in the marine environment. For habitats in the marine area, this protection regime is applicable within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Under this legislation, a series of habitats and species are identified for which Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) must be created and within which these habitats must be maintained at favourable conservation status. Natura 2000 sites are selected with the aim of ensuring the long-term survival of species and habitats protected under the Birds and the Habitats Directive. The choice of sites is based on scientific criteria.
At present there is a network of 80 Natura sites around the coast and 5 offshore sites. These cover a significant area of near shore waters around the coast. In addition, the Minister introduced a ban on large fishing trawlers fishing inside Ireland’s 6 mile zone from January 2020, which is subject to Judicial Review.
The Programme for Government commits to ‘developing comprehensive legislation for the identification, designation, and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Irish territorial waters.’ This Programme further assures that Ireland’s outstanding target of 10% will be ‘achieved as soon as is practical’ and aims for ‘30% of marine protected areas by 2030’, which it states will be done ‘on the basis of scientific expertise and in close consultation with all stakeholders, in particular the fishing industry, as well as environmental and community representatives.’
A formal consultation process on the future expansion of Ireland’s network of MPAs was launched by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) on 18th August 2020. An independent expert Advisory Group on the expansion of MPAs was appointed by that Department in December 2019 and is chaired by Professor Tasman Crowe of the UCD Earth Institute. Representatives from the Marine Institute (the State agency responsible for marine research) sit on this Advisory group. This Advisory group was created to gather the views of stakeholders and consultation with stakeholders forms part of the terms of reference of the group. The advisory group is using two consultative approaches: focus groups and an online questionnaire.
The process of interactive consultation with all stakeholders and the public began with a series of online stakeholder focus groups hosted by the Advisory group. DHLGH has advised that there have been four moderated online meetings so far, and that all of the main fisheries organisations: the four main producer organisations (the Irish Fish Producers Organisation; the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation; the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation; and the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation) and the main inshore fisheries organisations (the National Inshore Fisherman’s Forum; the National Inshore Fisherman’s Association and the various Regional Inshore Fisheries Fora) have been invited to attend these meetings.
In August 2020, the Advisory group circulated an online questionnaire to a wide range of stakeholders, providing respondents with an opportunity to share their views on MPAs; the future expansion of Ireland’s MPA network; and the preferred approach to selecting, designating and managing MPAs in the short and longer term. The information gathered by the Advisory group, through both consultative approaches, will inform its expert considerations and its final report. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage plans to publish the final report of the expert Advisory group as part of an extensive public consultation commencing in late autumn 2020.
