Ocean advocates and experts will gather in Cork on Wednesday, June 3rd for the Fair Seas World Ocean Week Conference.
The event at Cork City Hall brings together the fishing sector, government, industry and environmental groups to discuss the future of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Ireland.
Wildlife sound recordist and ornithologist Seán Ronayne is among the keynote speakers. He began a project in 2021 to record every Irish bird species and will present a coastal soundscape at the conference.
Ireland has committed to protecting 30% of its seas by 2030. However, less than 10% is currently designated, with limited management measures in place.
Ronayne said MPAs are “absolutely vital”, adding: “We’re seeing whales moving further north and numbers of wading birds falling due to disturbance. However, it’s not too late to act.”
He pointed to Cuskinny Marsh near Cobh as an example of recovery. “It’s a beacon of hope. We need to expand these areas so they can be found across Ireland,” he said.
A draft of new legislation to underpin MPAs is expected this summer.
Speakers include representatives from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Blue Azores, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, and Irish conservation groups.
Fair Seas Campaign Coordinator Dr Dónal Griffin said the event builds on the 2023 conference. “We are still pushing for legislation that will allow Ireland to meet its 30x30 commitments,” he said.
Grace Carr of the Irish Wildlife Trust said the timing is critical. “There has never been a more important moment for this conversation,” she said.
The conference runs from 9am to 5pm. Registration is open, with tickets from €75.
A number of national and international experts and stakeholders will address the conference including:
- Minna Epps, Global Ocean Policy Director at the International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Belinda Bramley, Co-founder Director of the Protected Areas Foundation and Stakeholder Engagement Co-Lead for MPA Europe Project
- Adriano Quintela, PhD, Marine Spatial Planning Specialist, Blue Azores & Oceano Azul Foundation
- Oliver Ó Cadhla Senior Marine Adviser, Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment
- Robert Walsh Northern Ireland Marine Task Force Officer, Ulster Wildlife
- Grace Carr Marine Advocacy Officer, Irish Wildlife Trust
- Louise Overy Assistant lecturer in wildlife biology, Munster Technological University
