On Monday 7 October 2024 Minister of State Malcolm Noonan announced a €25 million investment in Ireland’s marine conservation efforts. This is a step in the right direction, but strong legislation is still urgently needed to ensure the long-term success of such projects, and effective use of the funding.
While the MPA LIFE project is a very welcomed tool for conserving marine biodiversity, it is only one piece of the puzzle.
“In a sense the announcement of the LIFE project today, while very welcome- is putting the cart before the horse. We need the initiatives like the LIFE project to be grounded and supported by strong MPA legislation to ensure they are as effective as they can possibly be. Without legislation, we are in danger of adopting a piece-meal ad hoc approach to marine conservation that will not achieve our goal of effectively protecting our seas. ” – Sorley McCaughey, speaking on behalf of the Fair Seas campaign on attending the launch of the MPA Life Project.
Speaking at the launch event Minister of State Malcolm Noonan said;
“The new Marine Protected Areas LIFE project launched today involves a €25m investment which will be used to research and develop a comprehensive network of Marine Protected Areas in line with international best practices.”
“The Marine Protected Areas LIFE project is a collaboration between the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and three research partners from the third-level sector. Three universities will address various elements of this project: University College Dublin will focus on ecology and what the MPAs can achieve; University College Cork will consider the social side and stakeholders involved, and the University of Galway will address the economic impacts on industry and communities.”
Fair Seas has also always emphasised the importance of stakeholder consultation, a key aspect that has been lacking in the designation of the current 9% network. It is encouraging to hear the minister state that a social, stakeholder and community element will form key parts of the MPA Life project.
“This project will bring together local communities, environmental organisations, scientists and industry to plan and develop our Marine Protected Areas. It will focus on getting a balance between ecological protection and socio-economic development.
“In keeping with the collaborative approach, information and data created will be openly available to community, business and other interests and we will work with local experts to ensure their insights are shared.” – Minister of State Malcolm Noonan.
Fair Seas continues to campaign for the introduction of the MPA bill within the current government’s lifetime. We are also working to ensure that the implementation of MPA legislation becomes a priority in the manifestos of all political parties ahead of the next election. For true ocean stewardship to be achieved, Fair Seas believes that Ireland’s conservation efforts must be driven by coherent, legally binding frameworks which include mandatory stakeholder consultation and the provision for at least 10% of MPAs to fall under strict protection. Research has shown that strictly protected sites are both the most cost effective MPAs and those which offer the greatest returns for nature and society.
With Ireland’s Marine Protected Area coverage having risen from 2% in 2022 to now over 9%, it is clear that there is a will within government to progress Ireland’s MPA network. However, as Fair Seas has pointed out previously, the lack of sufficient funding, monitoring, and management plans makes the current MPA network ineffective for true conservation. Thankfully, the MPA LIFE project will now help to address the lack of investment in Ireland’s current 9% network but is only a percentage of the investment needed between now Ireland’s targets of 30% MPA coverage and 2030.
Read the full press release from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage here.
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