Survey: Prioritise protection of marine wildlife
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Eamon Whitty, Alissa Fleury and Rohan Fleury on the Celtic Mist on World Ocean Day as the Fair Seas inaugural conference took place in Cork. Photos: Clare KeoghImage 2 of 2
Some of the speakers at the inaugural Fair Seas World Ocean Day Conference which heard how three quarters of Irish people believe the Government should prioritise fully protecting valuable marine ecosystems.The call came as Fair Seas recently revealed the results of its latest RED C survey, carried out to learn about Irish people’s connection to the sea and ocean.
The condition of Irish coastal waters is also a cause for concern with almost two-thirds of people (62%) believing Irish seas have worsened in the past decade. More than half of the people surveyed say they would be more likely to vote for a party or candidate that takes an interest in the health of our seas and ocean.
Speaking about the results of the survey, Aoife O’Mahony, Campaign Manager for Fair Seas said: “It’s amazing to see that most people care for, value and respect our seas and ocean, with the majority of people saying in repeated surveys that they want to see more and improved protections for Ireland’s marine habitats and species.”
The findings come as experts gathered at Cork City Hall recently to discuss the next steps for marine protected areas (MPAs) in Ireland. MPAs are areas of our seas and ocean legally protected from human activities that damage the habitats, wildlife and natural processes that occur there. Legislation to provide a statutory basis for the identification, designation, and management of MPAs in Ireland’s maritime area is currently being prepared and is expected in the coming weeks.
Speaking about the legislation that is due before the Oireachtas, she said: “The legislation will allow Ireland to meet its national and international target of protecting at least 30% of our waters by 2030. It must not only detail how we effectively manage any new MPAs in the future, but how we better implement protected sites that currently exist. It’s only by having effective MPAs and using all our sea and ocean areas sustainably, that we can address the biodiversity and climate emergency.”
Karen Ciesielski, CEO of Irish Environmental Network added: “Ireland has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get this right and show leadership by adopting legislation that will protect marine habitats and species for generations to come. We are calling on Minister Malcolm Noonan to deliver the ambition that the Irish people are clearly demanding through robust legislation without delay.”