Just a few weeks after the Rally 4 Seas at Leinster House in Dublin, steps are finally being taken for our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
On July 8, Ministers O’Brien and Dooley approved the drafting of Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill 2026. Members of the BirdWatch Ireland Policy & Advocacy team were attending the EU Ocean Act Conference in Wexford when the announcement was made by Minister Dooley, who said that “this enables Ireland to move forward to meet Good Environmental Status in our maritime area, as well as supporting sustainable use of the sea.” These amendments being proposed to Ireland’s existing marine planning legislation are crucial components of protecting Ireland’s waters. While we, and our partners at Fair Seas, celebrate this small win, we know that now the real work begins.
The next step is to ensure that the final legislation is as strong as possible to protect marine environments and our coastal communities. Fair Seas, a coalition of environmental NGOs and networks co-founded by BirdWatch Ireland, will carefully review and assess the proposals and actively engage with Government and stakeholders as the process continues.
“The publication of the Heads of Bill is very welcome. It marks the beginning of a process that we believe can bring about world class MPA legislation In Ireland, legislation that will provide for the establishment of network of coherent and well managed MPAs in Ireland’s seas,” said Fair Seas Campaign Coordinator, Dr. Donal Griffin. “But getting to 30% by 2030, with 10% of that strictly protected will require a lot of work from all stakeholders. Fair Seas looks forward to engaging fully in that process and drawing on the wealth of expertise and experience available in our partner organisations in Ireland and internationally.”
With the publication in 2025 of the Important Bird and Biodiveristy Areas for seabirds in Ireland, BirdWatch Ireland continues to stress the need for ample spatial protection for the seabirds who call Ireland home for important life stages. Seabirds remain the most at-risk animal group across our planet’s oceans. They are vulnerable to the accelerating impacts of climate change, reduction and shifts in their food supply, disease, pollution, and of course to human activities in the marine space. Failure to combat these adequately within the design and implementation of maritime planning will not only be to the detriment of our marine and coastal birds, but to the marine environment as a whole.
At the conference, delegates heard (both by video) from Costas Kadis, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, and John Kerry, former US climate envoy and founder of the Our Ocean Conference, to reaffirm our dependence on the ocean and our duty to it, and the unprecedented cooperation required if we are to advance common goals. Alexandra Cousteau, granddaughter of Jacques Yves Cousteau, famed oceanographer, gave a quietly powerful speech on stage to attendees about the legacy we inherit and that which we pass on, which resonated with the entire room.
Just weeks ago, Fair Seas, its partners, and activists stood outside Leinster House, calling for the Ministers to push forward MPAs. Showing up and sharing your voice matters. Thank you to everyone who has supported this mission so far and stay tuned for more updates.
