We were joined with colleagues from The Irish Wildlife Trust, Sustainable Water Network, the Irish Environmental Network (representing Coalition 2030) and Birdwatch Ireland to speak to the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. Also in attendance were members from the Department of Climate, Communications and the Environment who are drafting the Marine Protected Area bill and representatives from the Seafood Ireland Alliance (SIA) which included the Irish South West Fish Producer Organisation and Irish South East Fish Producer Organisation.
Stakeholder engagement
Representatives gave their opening statement and it was clear that there were many shared goals and concerns across all the witnesses. Fair Seas have consistently called for early and ongoing stakeholder engagement which is fair and inclusive and this was echoed by the SIA. It was encouraging to hear that the Department ‘fully supports the principle of co-creation for marine protected areas. The only way it can work well is by including everybody in the development, design, creation and management of marine protected areas. That is really clear. It is a fundamental principle underpinning how we are approaching this. Inclusivity is really important.’
The Department stated that there will be processes in the Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) framework to allow for this although it may have to be strengthened for the MPA process. We would agree with this and the need for better engagement when designating MPAs through DMAPs. We also must ensure that all scientific data is taken into account as well as traditional knowledge from fishing and coastal communities.
Management
Donal Griffin, Fair Seas campaign coordinator highlighted the frustration which we have seen in coastal communities on the lack of stakeholder engagement in the designation and management of Ireland’s current Natura 2000 network. We are not seeing the benefits for nature, fisheries or people that MPAs can create when done right. John Lynch from the Irish South West Fish Producer Organisation stated, ‘ The preceding development of a lot of the SPAs and SACs, and even the south coast DMAP, was not done in a fully transparent manner. We would like to see full transparency and to have full input into the design and establishment of these marine protected areas, which we will fully support if they are done in the right manner.’
Emma Armshaw, marine and coastal policy officer at the Sustainable Water Network, called for an ecosystem based approach to be taken rather than focussing on specific habitats or features which is currently how current Natura sites are managed. Ensuring a ‘whole site’ approach is taken will help to ensure the best ecological and economic benefits arise from the area.
Funding
The issue around funding for protected areas came up several times. Oonagh Duggan, head of advocacy with Birdwatch Ireland, stated that ‘it is all about management and allowing the Government to fund the implementation on the ground. Fishing communities and farmers who are involved in Natura sites and have the responsibility to take care and mind these habitats and species as guardians, have not been given the resources they should be given to undertake that management.’ Our current Natura 2000 network is not being effectively managed or funded. Grace Carr, marine advocacy officer with the Irish Wildlife Trust, brought up the importance of the nature restoration law and how funding should be made available through that to resource management of MPAs and payments to those affected by measures or helping to manage the areas. There has been no confirmation from the Government on how the restoration measures will be funded on land or at sea and while much of the conversation has been focused on the land based aspects, we must remember that there needs to be funding there for the marine space.
Delays
Unfortunately the General Scheme for the new MPA legislation has yet to be released and we are in a similar position we were in exactly 3 years ago when Fair Seas appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee to discuss the MPA Bill. We acknowledged that a lot of work has gone on in the background, but publicly and in light of the legislation we are no further ahead.
We need to progress quickly with the legislation as the longer we delay the more the environment degrades. The most recent Article 17 report looking at protected habitats and species under the EU Habitats Directive showed that out of 14 marine habitats only 2 were in favourable condition with the rest being in bad or inadequate condition. While we must progress quickly with the legislation, it mustn’t come at the cost of effective stakeholder engagement and it must not be progressed without the proper parliamentary debate and scrutiny which ultimately will strengthen the legislation. Pre-legislative scrutiny will allow stakeholders to work constructively with the department to ensure we can tease out any issues around a complex piece of legislation.
Karen Ciesielski, CEO of the Irish Environmental Network, also noted that Ireland will hold the upcoming EU Presidency and this will be a good opportunity to champion the SDG implementation, which includes SDG No. 14, life below water. ‘It is an excellent opportunity for Ireland, as a marine nation, to copper-fasten what we want to protect now and for future generations in terms of our marine environment.’
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