South Irish Coast "DMAP" A "Landmark in Spatial Planning"

Q: Is there a global target for MPAs?

The Rio ‘Earth Summit’ on climate change in 1992 saw a a global MPA area target of 10% by 2010 deadline. When this was not met, an “Aichi target 11” was set requiring 10% coverage by 2020. There has been repeated efforts since then to tighten up MPA requirements.

South Irish Coast "DMAP" A "Landmark in Spatial Planning" - Tánaiste Micheál Martin

2nd May 2024

Lorna Siggins

Tánaiste Micheál Martin

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said Friday’s publication of the designated maritime area plan (DMAP) for the south Irish coast represents “a landmark development in forward spatial planning”.

“The South Coast DMAP will also initiate the State’s second offshore auction, which will take place off Ireland’s south coast,”Martin said.

“The draft terms and conditions detailing the design of this next auction will also be published on Friday, May 3rd,” he said.Delivering the keynote address at the Offshore Wind 2024 conference on Thursday (May 2), Martin promised that the new Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) would be adequately resourced.

A new marine unit within An Bord Pleanála has also been established to handle planning applications for offshore wind.

The draft south coast DMAP due for publication on May 3rd is the State’s first draft spatial plan for renewable energy generation, Martin said.

“It's clear that our vast maritime territory offers an untapped resource which can be the cornerstone of our energy transition,” Martin said.

“We are ambitious. We plan to deploy more gigawatts of offshore energy by 2030 than France, Spain, Portugal or Belgium,” he said.

“Only Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark plan to deploy more than Ireland, all of which have larger electricity markets and have established offshore wind sectors from which to grow,” he said.

“It’s imperative that we plan in advance and are ready for the demands which this infrastructure and technology will bring. We must ensure that areas such as marine planning, and the regulation of our marine space are properly resourced,”Martin said.

“We have listened to industry concerns in this area and have now filled and continue to fill a significant number of positions in An Bord Pleanála,”he said.

“A new marine unit within An Bord Pleanála has also been established and a director of planning, marine and climate has been appointed. The appointment of a full-term chairperson has also been completed this year,”he said.

“We have also approved additional resources for the National Parks and Wildlife Service to support this work, and recruitment to these positions is underway,” he said.

“As a Government we are committed to ensuring that ….MARA, is properly resourced, so it can deliver its key role within our marine planning system,” Martin continued.

“Since this agency was established last July, MARA has been actively recruiting and building capacity across its range of disciplines,”he said, and had over 40 staff spread across six directorates, with plans to add to this headcount in the months ahead.

“MARA will be able to coordinate across bodies such as the local authorities, the Naval Service, Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the EPA, the Commissioners for Irish Lights, and others. This will fill a much-needed coordination gap and ensure there is joined-up approach to a multi-use regulatory space,” he said.

“This entire Government has been committed to working with industry to deliver on our offshore targets,”he said, and the work of the “all-of-Government Taskforce on Offshore Wind has been key is establishing momentum in this sector”.

"The Government plans to announce further DMAPs later this year, following the transfer of functions of marine planning from the Department of Housing to the Department of the Environment," he said.

"Our ports will also play a vital role in delivering the Government’s offshore targets," he said, referring to Port of Cork's securing of planning approval to develop offshore wind.

Published in Marine Planning

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About The Author

Lorna Siggins

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Lorna Siggins is a print and radio reporter, and a former Irish Times western correspondent. She is the author of Search and Rescue: True stories of Irish Air-Sea Rescues and the Loss of R116 (2022); Everest Callling (1994) on the first Irish Everest expedition; Mayday! Mayday! (2004); and Once Upon a Time in the West: the Corrib gas controversy (2010). She is also co-producer with Sarah Blake of the Doc on One "Miracle in Galway Bay" which recently won a Celtic Media Award

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Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - FAQS

What is a marine protected area?

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are geographically defined maritime areas where human activities are managed to protect important natural or cultural resources. In addition to conserving marine species and habitats, MPAs can support maritime economic activity and reduce the effects of climate change and ocean acidification.

Where are MPAs located?

MPAs can be found across a range of marine habitats, from the open ocean to coastal areas, intertidal zones, bays and estuaries. Marine protected areas are defined areas where human activities are managed to protect important natural or cultural resources.

Where was the world’s first MPA?

The world's first MPA is said to have been the Fort Jefferson National Monument in Florida, North America, which covered 18,850 hectares of sea and 35 hectares of coastal land. This location was designated in 1935, but the main drive for MPAs came much later. The current global movement can be traced to the first World Congress on National Parks in 1962, and initiation in 1976 of a process to deliver exclusive rights to sovereign states over waters up to 200 nautical miles out then began to provide new focus

Is there a global target for MPAs?

The Rio ‘Earth Summit’ on climate change in 1992 saw a global MPA area target of 10% by the 2010 deadline. When this was not met, an “Aichi target 11” was set requiring 10% coverage by 2020. There has been repeated efforts since then to tighten up MPA requirements.

Where is the world’s largest MPA?

Marae Moana is a multiple-use marine protected area created on July 13th 2017 by the government of the Cook islands in the south Pacific, north- east of New Zealand. The area extends across over 1.9 million square kilometres. However, In September 2019, Jacqueline Evans, a prominent marine biologist and Goldman environmental award winner who was openly critical of the government's plans for seabed mining, was replaced as director of the park by the Cook Islands prime minister’s office. The move attracted local media criticism, as Evans was responsible for developing the Marae Moana policy and the Marae Moana Act, She had worked on raising funding for the park, expanding policy and regulations and developing a plan that designates permitted areas for industrial activities.

How are MPAs chosen?

Criteria for identifying and selecting MPAs depends on the overall objective or direction of the programme identified by the coastal state. For example, if the objective is to safeguard ecological habitats, the criteria will emphasise habitat diversity and the unique nature of the particular area.

Are MPAs permanent?

Permanence of MPAs can vary internationally. Some are established under legislative action or under a different regulatory mechanism to exist permanently into the future. Others are intended to last only a few months or years.

Does Ireland have any MPAs?

Yes, Ireland has MPA cover in about 2.13 per cent of our waters. Although much of Ireland’s marine environment is regarded as in “generally good condition”, according to an expert group report for Government published in January 2021, it says that biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation are of “wide concern due to increasing pressures such as overexploitation, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change”.

Are there plans to expand MPAs in Irish waters?

The Government has set a target of 30 per cent MPA coverage by 2030, and moves are already being made in that direction. However, environmentalists are dubious, pointing out that a previous target of ten per cent by 2020 was not met.

What are the international obligations on MPAs?

Conservation and sustainable management of the marine environment has been mandated by a number of international agreements and legal obligations, as an expert group report to government has pointed out. There are specific requirements for area-based protection in the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), the OSPAR Convention, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Are there specific EU obligations?

Yes, the Marine Strategy Framework directive (2008/56/EC) required member states to put measures in place to achieve or maintain good environmental status in their waters by 2020. Under the directive a coherent and representative network of MPAs had to be created by 2016.

How does Ireland compare to other coastal countries for MPAs?

Ireland was about halfway up the EU table in designating protected areas under existing habitats and bird directives in a comparison published by the European Commission in 2009. However, the Fair Seas campaign, an environmental coalition formed in 2022, points out that Ireland is “lagging behind “ even our closest neighbours, such as Scotland which has 37 per cent. The Fair Seas campaign wants at least 10 per cent of Irish waters to be designated as “fully protected” by 2025, and “at least” 30 per cent by 2030.

How is our nearest neighbour, Britain, doing on MPAs?

Nearly a quarter of Britain’s territorial waters are covered by MPAs, set up to protect vital ecosystems and species. However, a conservation NGO, Oceana, said that analysis of fishing vessel tracking data published in The Guardian in October 2020 found that more than 97% of British MPAs created to safeguard ocean habitats, are being dredged and bottom trawled.

How are Irish MPAs protected?

There’s the rub. Currently, there is no definition of an MPA in Irish law, and environment protections under the Wildlife Acts only apply to the foreshore.

So is there any protection for sensitive habitats and species beyond the foreshore?

Current protection in marine areas beyond 12 nautical miles is limited to measures taken under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives or the OSPAR Convention. This means that habitats and species that are not listed in the EU Directives, but which may be locally, nationally or internationally important, cannot currently be afforded the necessary protection

Is legislation planned for Ireland?

Yes. In late March 2022, Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said that the Government had begun developing “stand-alone legislation” to enable identification, designation and management of MPAs to meet Ireland’s national and international commitments.

That sounds like good news for MPAs in Ireland?

Yes. Environmental groups are not happy, as they have pointed out that legislation on marine planning took precedence over legislation on MPAs, due to the push to develop offshore renewable energy.

Is all activity banned in MPAs?

No, but some activities may be banned or restricted. Extraction is the main activity affected as in oil and gas activities; mining; dumping; and bottom trawling

Is there a cost to MPAs?

The Government’s expert group report noted that MPA designations are likely to have the greatest influence on the “capture fisheries, marine tourism and aquaculture sectors”. It said research suggests that the net impacts on fisheries could ultimately be either positive or negative and will depend on the type of fishery involved and a wide array of other factors.

Is there an economic benefit to MPAs?

The same report noted that marine tourism and recreation sector can substantially benefit from MPA designation. However, it said that the “magnitude of the benefits” will depend to a large extent on the location of the MPA sites within the network and the management measures put in place.