The Marine Protected Areas Bill is a groundbreaking, once in a generation piece of environmental legislation. It will designate 30 per cent of Irish seas as marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030, and is vital for the conservation of marine species and habitats, as well as offshore wind development and future fishing in Irish waters. And yet it has just been delayed for the umpteenth time, and now looking unlikely to be published by this Government.
The revelations in a recent article by Kevin O’Sullivan as to why the Bill has been delayed are an uncomfortable reminder of the challenges we still face in responding to our crises in biodiversity and climate. O’Sullivan wrote that a stamped version of the Bill had been brought forward by the Department of Housing in May, and was set to go before Cabinet for final sign off until at the last moment objections were made by the Departments of Agriculture and the Environment. There was no major issue with the general policy thrust of the Bill but apparently both departments were sufficiently unhappy with some of its contents to prevent it from going before Cabinet.
That these two departments would have views on this legislation is not in question. The Bill is likely to have important implications for both the fishing industry and for the offshore energy sector. Getting these things right is essential. But the timing of the officials’ intervention raises questions as to why their concerns were only known just as the Bill was on the point of going before Cabinet. Were they not adequately consulted up to that point?
It seems obvious that for environmental legislation to be introduced and then implemented successfully it needs to include regular and ongoing consultation with key players. The amended Bill was supposed to be ready to go back to the Attorney General’s office over the summer, but did not happen until mid-September, losing valuable weeks in the life of a Government whose sitting Dáil days were numbered. Either the problematic issues were far more complex than had initially been anticipated or a worrying lack of urgency and prioritisation within the department has held back the publication of this important Bill. Neither possibility is reassuring.
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The marine protected areas Bill is not just a nice-to-have piece of legislation. The health of our ocean is inextricably bound up in our efforts to address the climate crisis. Our ocean is responsible for half the oxygen we breathe – every second breath we take is brought to us by the ocean.
The Bill would also put in place the necessary structures that will reverse the decline in marine life. It can also be a boost to fishermen and women who rely on healthy seas, while coastal communities more broadly should benefit from plans to ensure real and ongoing engagement of their communities in the development and management of marine protected areas.
Less often talked about, but equally important, is the fact our seas provide people with an important sense of rejuvenation and connection. The Ocean Literacy Survey conducted by Fair Seas in 2023 showed that more than 94 per cent of people surveyed had intentionally visited a coastal area in the last year, with 60 per cent describing the emotion provoked as awe and wonder and 69 per cent feeling rejuvenated as a result of the experience (other high-scoring responses included feeling calmer or more connected to nature).
These figures are much higher than the equivalent survey findings in Wales and England where only 39 per cent and 41 per cent respectively experienced a sense of wonder or awe. Irish people have a visceral connection to the sea and it brings real mental health benefits.
The MPA Bill should have been an easy win for this Government – a welcome environmental success for Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, and further validation for the Green Party. It consistently enjoys wide political support, with every party in support of more formal protection of our seas.
But despite the political and public consensus the delay in passing it is evidence of a disconnect between the urgency demanded by citizens, and what Government Ministers and their officials seem capable of delivering. Failure to get the MPA Bill over the line will be a depressing legacy of this Government.
The coming weeks and months we will all have the opportunity to meet election candidates and to get from them a commitment to marine conservation and to ask them directly – what will you do to protect our ocean?
Sorley McCaughey is a representative of the Fair Seas campaign, a coalition of environmental NGOs including Birdwatch Ireland, Irish Wildlife Trust, Environmental Pillar, Streamscapes, Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, Coastwatch and Sustainable Water Network
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