Photo: Cod swimming through a Kelp Forest by Alex Mustard
The European Commission has published Guidance on Natura 2000 sites and Fishing. What does it means for Ireland’s coastal communities and inshore fishing?
What is Natura 2000?
Natura 2000 is the European network of protected areas for nature, including the ocean.
It aims to safeguard habitats and species that are important for biodiversity, while allowing people to use and enjoy the sea in a sustainable way.
In Ireland, over 9% of our waters are now part of this network, with more areas expected as Ireland works toward the 30% protection target by 2030.
New Commission Guidance on fishing activities within Natura 2000 sites highlights that only 4% of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the EU currently have all required conservation measures in place and effectively implemented.
The Law Behind It
Natura 2000 protection comes from two EU laws:
- Habitats Directive: protects marine habitats and species such as reefs, sandbanks, dolphins and seals.
- Birds Directive: protects seabirds and their feeding or breeding areas.
Fishing inside these protected sites should follow particular rules as now outlined in the latest guidance to ensure that marine life and habitats are not damaged. However, like everything, it is the implementation of these rules that makes a difference.
How It Affects Fishing
The European Commission’s 2025 guidance explains how countries must manage fishing in these areas.
- Assessing impacts: Any fishing that might affect a protected site (for example trawling, dredging or potting) must be checked through an Appropriate Assessment before it can continue or expand.
- Avoiding damage: Fishing that harms reefs, seagrass beds, sandbanks or key species must be limited or stopped in those areas.
- Adapting practices: Gear changes, closed zones or seasonal bans may be introduced to allow recovery of marine habitats and species.
- Monitoring and enforcement: Authorities must track activity using modern tools (like vessel monitoring) to ensure compliance.
In Ireland, the Marine Institute released guidance many years ago on a Risk Assessment process that must be undertaken for fisheries in protected sites. While this was conducted for some areas, the majority of areas and fishing activities did not go through this process. If a fishing activity is deemed to be a risk to the conservation objectives of a site, the Irish Government should enact Fisheries Natura Declarations (FNDs) which manage the activity.
Very few FNDs are active in Ireland and most of them cover extremely small areas or only require fishing vessels to use VMS in the area. Marine Institute reports from 2024 have stated that certain fisheries such as tangle net fisheries pose significant risk to critically endangered species such as angel shark and protected seal species.
There are currently no FNDs managing tangle net fisheries. Another problem is that Natura sites do not appear on nautical charts so it’s extremely difficult for fishermen and women to know when they are entering a protected site.
Involving Fishing Communities
The guidance stresses that fishing communities must be part of the process. Decisions about restrictions or management should be discussed early and openly. Ireland can use co-management models where local fishermen and women, scientists and authorities work together to design practical, fair and effective rules.
The current proposed budget for fisheries through EMFAF is 2 billion, a significant drop from the last budget of 6 billion. It’s not clear how much of this will be used to ensure sustainable fisheries in protected sites.
The LIFE programme has also been dismantled, with the dedicated funding now being split across two categories in the EU budget. This was a blow to conservation as LIFE was the only dedicated funding stream for biodiversity. The Irish Government must make it a priority to ensure enough money is set aside to support fishing communities and ensure protected areas at sea are actually protected.
Ireland has also secured an MPA Life project that is just getting started. It is hoped that this project will allow for dialogue and planning with local communities in relation to managing our valuable sites for nature and potentially identifying new ones.
What It Means for Inshore Fishing Communities
We hope that the Irish Government will take heed to this new guidance from the European Commission, which doesn’t contain any new rules but simply highlights what legal obligations we have already agreed to.
Assessments should be undertaken for any activity taking part in a protected site to ensure it will not affect the integrity of the site. If a fishing activity is deemed to be a risk to the habitats or species under protection, then support should be given to move away from the harmful practice.
Clear, consistent conversations with fishing communities ahead of assessments should be a top priority and this process should be built upon as we move forward with designating MPAs through upcoming national MPA legislation.
Well-managed Natura 2000 sites can help rebuild fish stocks and sustain coastal livelihoods long term.
If the Irish government implement their obligations fishing communities can and should;
- Expect clearer rules for fishing in protected areas.
- Engage early with local consultations on new management plans.
- Explore support options for sustainable gear, habitat-friendly fishing methods.
Why It Matters
Protecting Ireland’s marine habitats isn’t just about nature, it’s about:
- Restoring healthy fish populations,
- Supporting climate resilience, and
- Securing the future of coastal communities who depend on the ocean.
It has been shown globally that well managed MPAs have numerous benefits to the environment and society. People that use the sea must be at the heart of any conversations do to with managing it, as well as being invited to take part in the monitoring of these sites.
If you would like to a more in depth look at the what the guidance states and what Ireland is currently doing to manage their protected sites at sea, read this blog from our partners at the Irish Wildlife Trust: https://iwt.ie/23013-2/
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