Government has approved the development of a general scheme to enable the designation and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Ireland’s maritime territory.
Commenting on the decision, Darragh O’Brien, TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage said: “As an island nation, our seas and our ocean are absolutely crucial for Ireland. They support our economy, inward and outward trade, our energy supply and communications systems as well as our climate, our environment, our cultural traditions and heritage, our health and wellbeing. In order to ensure that our seas remain clean, healthy and productive, and our unique habitats and biodiversity are protected, we are committed to designating a network of up to 30% of our maritime area as Marine Protected Areas by 2030.”
It is intended that the legislation will provide for the identification, designation, regulation, management, enforcement and review of MPAs, ensuring that they form a coherent, connected, representative and climate-resilient network.
This legislation will make key provisions for public and stakeholder participation and engagement in relation to the MPA process. It will also make provisions for implementation and enforcement structures and will be designed to work in parallel with the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021 and existing legal protection measures under the Wildlife Acts and the EU Birds and Habitats Directives.
It is intended that the heads of the Bill will be brought to Government for approval as soon as possible, with work on drafting and enacting the primary MPA legislation expected to follow thereafter.