FAIR SEAS SAYS CLIMATE REPORT CARD ‘OFFERS GLIMMER OF HOPE IN AN OCEAN OF OPPORTUNITY’
Government scores 5/10 for progress on Water and Marine
Fair Seas says the report card into the Government’s progress in climate action highlights the urgent need for legislation to protect, conserve and restore Ireland’s marine environment.
The assessment was commissioned by Friends of the Earth (FOE) and carried out by independent experts from UCC, UCD and DCU. They gave the Government a C+ grade for “moderate progress” on its own climate and environmental promises. However, ‘Water and the Marine’ was one of the lowest categories, scoring 5 out of 10.
Fair Seas is a coalition of leading environmental non-governmental organisations and networks, it is campaigning for strong and ambitious Marine Protected Areas (MPA) legislation to be published as soon as possible.
Aoife O’Mahony, Campaign Manager with Fair Seas said, “The FOE report card offers a sliver of hope in an ocean of opportunity. The time is now for the Irish Government to be proactive and demonstrate leadership to safeguard our marine ecosystems. The MPA bill 2023 was promised in June 2023 and we are still waiting to see this crucial legislation. Time is running out for Ireland to meet its targets to protect 30% of our seas and ocean by 2030. Research shows that full protection of the marine ecosystem would be cheaper, and more effective, than partial protection, that is why we’re calling for 10% of Ireland’s seas to be fully protected from activities that damage the habitats, wildlife and natural processes. We’re asking the voters of Ireland to add their voice to the calls to safeguard our seas, tell your elected representatives you want strong and ambitious marine protected area legislation. We must all act with ambition and urgency so that the full benefits of nature restored can reveal themselves in generations to come.”
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