Ireland set to miss marine protection target, report shows
Emmons Kerry, Sightings Clare The Cork, Picture: Of Research Coasts Harbour Numbers Found low And Candice On Porpoise
A new report from marine protection coalition Fair Seas and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) indicates the Government is on course to miss out on its target to protect 30% of Irish waters by 2030.
The Celtic Mist 2023 Scientific Report cites the findings of five months’ worth of research surveys spanning over 3,200km along the coastlines of Cork, Kerry, and Clare.
The report was published mere days before World Ocean Day on Saturday, June 8.
The focus of researchers from the IWDG, with the support of Fair Seas, was on two large areas of interest (AOI), which both showed low numbers of harbour porpoise sightings.
Researchers concluded that sightings were ‘significantly lower’ in the Southwest coast AOI, especially in the Roaring Water Bay and islands and the Loop Head to Kenmare areas.
They added that no harbour porpoises were observed at all within the Blasket Islands area, which is also designated to protect harbour porpoises.
IWDG science officer and Fair Seas partner Rebecca Dudley said more research into the decline in harbour porpoise sightings is needed as it is “undoubtedly a cause for concern".
“It is disappointing to see that [there are] still no management plans for these supposedly ‘protected areas,” she said.
The report mentions that no humpback whales were observed in the survey areas along the Southwest at all, however sightings were recorded off the coasts of Sligo and Mayo.
The number of large baleen whales recorded was also low in the areas surveyed, while fin whales were seen eight times within the Loop Head to Kenmare section.
Ms Dudley is disappointed that “no management plan” has been developed by the Government.
A total of 462 sightings of large marine animals or megafauna were recorded during surveys conducted between April and September last year.
The surveys outlined 48% of animals or megafauna seen were common dolphins, 12% were minke whales and 22% were grey seals.
Bottleneck dolphins were seen 25 times and one blue shark was seen.
Ms Dudley thanked the 66 volunteers who assisted with last year’s surveys as Celtic Mist looks ahead to recruiting the next cohort of volunteers.
“It’s an incredible experience but it’s also an important project in the context of understanding what’s happening to marine life around the Irish coast," she said.
Marine-protected areas are parts of seas and coastlines that are legally protected from activities that may damage or disrupt natural habitats and wildlife.
The Marine Bill currently going through the Oireachtas aims to cement the country's ambition to protect 30% of its maritime area by the end of the decade. It was due to be published before the Oireachtas summer recess in 2023.
Fair Seas, which is made up of groups such as the Irish Wildlife Trust, Birdwatch Ireland, Coastwatch, and Friends of the Irish Environment, has long called on the Government to push the Marine Bill, especially in the context of the global biodiversity crisis.
In June 2023, 193 UN members adopted the first treaty to protect marine life in the high seas, with UN secretary general Antonio Guterres saying the landmark agreement gives the oceans a "fighting chance" in the biodiversity crisis.