We get lots of enquiries from ocean advocates on how best to help with the Fair Seas campaign. We are so grateful that so many people have taken an interest and want to help create more Marine Protected Areas in Ireland.
We have compiled a list of how you can get involved with different organisations around the country and help us secure greater protection for the amazing habitats and species in Irish waters. We can all use our voices to help those who have no voice and together we can make a difference.
Please sign our petition to call on the Irish Government to enact strong Marine Protected Area legislation without delay.
Seven ways to support Marine Protected Areas in Ireland
- Join our mailing list to receive all the latest Fair Seas news (once a month) keeping you up to date with important MPA developments happening in Ireland and beyond.
2. Follow our socials. We are on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram. Every time you share one of our posts, it reaches more people and helps us to add to our online community of ocean stewards and raise awareness of conserving our ocean.
3. Contact your local politicians and let them know you support marine conservation in Ireland. Highlight that you are aware of the upcoming MPA legislation due in the Autumn and ensure it is on their radar to support. Please make sure to highlight our 10 Key Asks of the legislation.
4. Follow our partner organisations. These seven organisations around Ireland help to support the Fair Sea’s campaign and they are the Irish Wildlife Trust , Irish Whale and Dolphin Group , Birdwatch Ireland, Sustainable Water Network , Coomhola Salmon Trust , Irish Environmental Network and Coastwatch
5. Volunteer or become a member of our partner organisations Irish Wildlife Trust , Irish Whale and Dolphin Group , Birdwatch Ireland, Coomhola Salmon Trust , and Coastwatch
6. Learn more about the little changes you can make in your everyday life to help protect the ocean, head over to Clean Coasts. Find out good plastic free alternatives to your everyday items and find out how to take part in the ‘2 minute beach clean.’
Below is a list of some organisations that have branches around Ireland where you can volunteer. Working on a national level through our partners helps us to make a lot of noise, but having connections at regional levels is so important and it means you can make a difference wherever you are.
If you know or lead a local organisation involved with ocean conservation or ocean literacy, do get in touch so we can keep adding to this list, email us at info@fairseas.ie .
Celtic Mist by Marcus Hogan
Volunteering organisations
Antrim
IWDG – Northern Ireland – Dave Wall, Cara Bradley – Facebook – mailto:northernireland@iwdg.ie
Armagh
IWDG – Northern Ireland – Dave Wall, Cara Bradley – Facebook – mailto:northernireland@iwdg.ie
Cavan
Birdwatch – Cavan
Carlow
Birdwatch – Carlow
Cork
IWDG – Cork – Denis O’Regan – corkiwdg@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Cork
Birdwatch – West Cork
Clare
IWDG – Clare – Simon Berrow Dixie Collins – Facebook – westclareiwdg@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Clare
Down
IWDG – Northern Ireland – Dave Wall, Cara Bradley – Facebook – mailto:northernireland@iwdg.ie
Dublin
IWDG – Dublin – Conal O’Flanagan – Facebook – dubliniwdg@iwdg.ie
IWT – Dublin Branch – Facebook – dublinbranch@iwt.ie
Birdwatch – Dublin – Fingal
Birdwatch – South Dublin
Birdwatch – Dublin – Tolka
Derry
IWDG – Northern Ireland – Dave Wall, Cara Bradley – Facebook – mailto:northernireland@iwdg.ie
Donegal
IWDG – Donegal – Gareth and Amanda Doherty – Facebook – 086 222 3328
Birdwatch – Donegal
Fermanagh
IWDG – Northern Ireland – Dave Wall, Cara Bradley – Facebook – mailto:northernireland@iwdg.ie
Galway
IWDG – Galway – Sibéal Regan Simon Berrow – Facebook – galwayiwdg@gmail.com
IWT – Galway Branch – Facebook – iwtgalway@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Galway
Kildare
Birdwatch – Kildare
Kilkenny
Birdwatch – Kilkenny
Kerry
SeaSynergy – Sea Synergy Marine Awareness and Activity Centre
IWDG – North Kerry – Sean O’Callaghan, Joanne O’Brien, Louise Overy – Facebook – northkerryiwdg@gmail.com
IWT – Kerry Branch – Facebook – iwtkerry@gmail.com
Leitrim
Birdwatch – Leitrim
Laois
IWT – Laois/Offaly Branch – Facebook – iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Laois
Louth
IWDG – Louth – Breffni Martin – Facebook – mailto:loughiwdg@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Louth
Limerick
Birdwatch – Limerick
IWT – Limerick Facebook – limerickbranch@iwt.ie
Monaghan
IWT – Monaghan Facebook – monaghanbranch@iwt.ie
Birdwatch – Monaghan
Meath
Birdwatch – Meath
Mayo
IWDG – Mayo – Sorsha Kennedy – Facebook – mayoiwdg@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Mayo
Offaly
IWT – Laois/Offaly Branch – Facebook – iwtlaoisoffaly@gmail.com
Roscommon
Birdwatch – Roscommon
Sligo
IWDG – Sligo – Sophie Bresnihan – Facebook – sligoiwdg@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Sligo
Tipperary
Birdwatch – Tipperary
Tyrone
IWDG – Northern Ireland – Dave Wall, Cara Bradley – Facebook – mailto:northernireland@iwdg.ie
Waterford
IWDG – West waterford – Anne Trimble, Andrew Malcolm – westwaterfordiwdg@gmail.com
IWT – Waterford Branch – iwtwaterfordbranch@gmail.com
Westmeath
Birdwatch – Westmeath
Wicklow
IWDG – Wicklow – Siofra Quigley – wicklowiwdg@gmail.com
Birdwatch – Wicklow
National
Coastwatch – Email survey@coastwatch.org to take part in any of their 2023 surveys to monitor Ireland’s coasts. Surveys range from litter to seaweed to biodiversity.
Here are a few more organisations around Ireland with volunteering opportunities to check out;
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