Birdwatch Ireland is seeking volunteers to participate in its Irish Wetland Bird Survey, which informs waterbird conservation and management in Ireland.

Individuals with a telescope and good bird identification skills are encouraged to volunteer, as there are a number of vacant sites.

There are currently over 500 Irish Wetland Bird Survey volunteers who have contributed to a substantial gathering of data since it was established in 1994.

Many of the vacant sites are small and close together, meaning one person could easily fill several of these gaps in a few short hours, it says.

Some areas which have teams of counters often need an extra pair of experienced eyes.

The 2023/24 season will be the 30th year of the Irish Wetland Bird Survey.

Survey leaders are also keen to know if waterbirds are using a location in an area that is not currently part of its monitoring network so they can add it as a new subsite.

Anyone interested in joining a count team or helping out at other sites is asked to email Niamh at [email protected].

Sensitive habitats such as the Kish Bank off the coast of Dublin and Wicklow have no protection in spite of promised legislation, the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has said.

The NGO has welcomed the announcement by Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan that a large new special protection area (SPA) for birds is to be designated in the north-west Irish Sea.

“SPAs are designated under existing legislation for the protection of birds and are a form of marine protected area (MPA),” the IWT said in a statement.

“ The announcement brings the coverage of our marine environment falling within designated areas for nature to nearly 10%,” the IWT said.

“The new designation, along with other recent announcements, are vitally important in ensuring that future developments do not result in harm to these sensitive places,” it said.

“ However, in nearly all instances, harmful activities, particularly from fishing, are already underway. If MPAs are to be effective, they must control the fishing,” it said.

The IWT said it was calling on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue, to “accelerate the process of carrying out fisheries assessments in existing MPAs in line with goals to protect and restore biodiversity”.

“creating new MPAs is a critical step in the protection of our seas”

“In particular, this means removing particularly harmful activities such as dredging, bottom trawling or mid-water trawling from these areas,” it said.

“Earlier this year, the European Commission called for the removal of bottom-towed fishing gear from all MPAs and asked that member states, including Ireland, produce a plan for the ending of these practices in existing MPAs by next March,” it said.

IWT campaign officer Pádraic Fogarty said that “creating new MPAs is a critical step in the protection of our seas”.

“They are the foundations for long-term management, but without the management and especially the removal of particularly harmful fishing practices, the designations are meaningless,”he said.

The Government has set a target of protecting 30% of Irish seas by 2030.

An area in the northwest Irish Sea is to be designated as Ireland’s largest ever protected zone for birds.

The proposed new special protection area (SPA) will cover over 230,000 hectares and will increase Ireland’s percentage of marine waters protected under the EU Birds and Habitats directive to over 9 per cent.

That’s according to Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan and National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) director general Niall Ó Donnchú.

Mr Ó Donnchú declared the designation as a “milestone” for the “protection of Ireland’s marine biodiversity”.

The new SPA adjoins twelve existing SPAs already designated along the coast in this area, he says.

The publication of detailed information and maps for the site brings “certainty and clarity to a long-mooted proposal for protections for marine birds in this area”, they state.

“This site, at more than 230,000 hectares, is the largest SPA designation for birds in Ireland’s history,” Mr Noonan said.

“We are working hard as a Government to ensure we have robust protections in place for nature as we work to deliver on our offshore renewable energy objectives. Biodiversity action and climate action must go hand in hand, “he said.

The new north-west Irish Sea SPA extends offshore along the coasts of counties Louth, Meath and Dublin.

It will be of “conservation interest” for these seabirds: Common Scoter; Red-throated Diver; Great Northern Diver; Fulmar; Manx Shearwater; Shag; Cormorant; Little Gull; Kittiwake; Black-headed Gull; Common Gull; Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Tern, Roseate Tern, Common Tern, Arctic Tern, Puffin, Razorbill and Guillemot

It will adjoin these existing protected areas: Lambay Island SPA; Skerries Island SPA; Ireland's Eye SPA; Howth Head SPA; Rockabill SPA; South Dublin Bay and River Tolka Estuary SPA; Boyne Estuary SPA; River Nanny Estuary and Shore SPA; Rogerstown Estuary SPA; Malahide Estuary SPA; Baldoyle Bay SPA and North Bull Island SPA.

More detailed information about the site, including a map, a species list and a list of the Activities Requiring Consent (ARCs) for the site is available on www.npws.ie/protectedsites.

The NPWS says that in keeping with the Birds and Habitats Regulations 2011, any person with an interest in the proposed site may submit an objection or observation at the following email address: [email protected].

“Objections or observations may only be based on scientific, ornithological grounds,” it says.

Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan has pledged to find “common ground between fishers, farmers, foresters, NGOs, businesses, scientists and the public” to develop a national restoration plan.

He was commenting after MEPs voted to pass the Nature Restoration Law at the European Parliament.

Welcoming the outcome of the vote, Noonan said he knew that “there are some communities who will be very concerned at today’s news”.

“Let me be clear: nature restoration can only be delivered with the full support of the farming, forestry and fishing communities who own and/or manage our lands and seas. This support is something that, with the help of colleagues across Government, I intend to earn,” he said.

Birdwatch Ireland said a very “weakened law” had been passed, and said it was “really alarming to see that the provisions to restore farmland biodiversity and peatlands were removed completely.

The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) said it was delighted that MEPs voted to pass the law, and described it as a “substantial step forward for the European Green Deal”.

“While it could be more ambitious, the law has not been stopped at this critical stage in the biodiversity crisis,” the IWT said.

IWT marine advocacy officer Grace Carr said that amendments involving the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are a “step forward for marine restoration and biodiversity”.

She said that there is “still work to be done in negotiations to make the law more ambitious than it currently is”.

The amendment relating to the CFP will ensure member states can put conservation measures in place to protect ecosystems in their waters, the IWT noted, and said this was “particularly welcome”.

Birdwatch Ireland has welcomed a decision to extend marine protection for a North Atlantic sea area outside of Ireland’s exclusive economic zone.

The seafloor of the North Atlantic Current and Evlanov Sea Basin (NACES) has been given marine protected area (MPA) designation by 15 governments, including Ireland, which are signatories to the OSPAR convention.

The 600,000 km2 area is east of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and north of the Azores.

“The NACES MPA is a vital wintering ground for the globally threatened Atlantic puffin, a species in rapid decline and one which also breeds in Ireland during the summer and is much loved,” Birdwatch Ireland marine policy and advocacy officer Sinead Loughran said.

She described the decision is “an incredibly important first step to ensure that this biodiversity hotspot in the North Atlantic high seas” can continue to support an “ abundance and diversity of marine life”.

The sea basin which is the size of continental France, was designated in 2021, after research by BirdLife International showed that five million seabirds, including puffins breeding on Skellig Michael, use it every year.

The extension to protect the seafloor was agreed by OSPAR signatories in Oslo, Norway, last week.

This is due to the location’s significance for a “multitude” of marine species and the value of its seabed habitats.

Evidence gathered over the last two years also shows the NACES MPA is key marine habitat for blue and fin whales, leatherback and loggerhead turtles, basking sharks, European eels and Atlantic bluefin tuna.

The MPA’s seafloor habitat includes over 30 seamounts, with vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as deep-sea sponges and coral gardens, serving as “crucial pillars for supporting a wide array of vibrant ecosystems”.

Over 16,400 people had supported a petition by BirdWatch Ireland and BirdLife International for better protection of the site.

The organisations say it is now “essential that OSPAR develops a management plan for the site”.

The 1992 OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic involves Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Britain, along with the EU.

The inaugural World Ocean Conference has been told that three-quarters of the Irish public believe that marine ecosystems and the protection and restoration of marine species should be Government policy.

This claim was made by the conference organisers, the Fair Seas environmental organisation, based on a survey of over 1,000 adults.

The conference at Cork City Hall is being attended by delegates mainly from Ireland but also with overseas representatives. It is discussing the next steps in developing Marine Protected Areas, on which Government legislation is expected.

The majority of the attendance is from environmental and non-government organisations. There are also commercial, State, leisure and tourism interests.

The organisers, Fair Seas, outlined the results of their Red C survey into the attitude of Irish adults to the sea and oceans. It shows, the organisation says, that three-quarters of people "believe the government should prioritise fully protecting valuable marine ecosystems. More than half of people surveyed say they would be more likely to vote for a party or candidate that takes an interest in the health of our seas and ocean."

The conference at Cork City Hall is being attended by delegates mainly from Ireland but also with overseas representatives

The survey was carried out over five days last month as an online poll. Findings include :

Just over a third (39%) of people surveyed believe Irish seas are healthy.

Almost two-thirds of people (62%) believe Irish seas have worsened in the past decade.

A majority of people (77%) agree that restoring the seas and ocean will protect marine biodiversity and help to tackle climate change.

Three-quarters (74%) of people agree that protection and restoration of marine wildlife populations and their habitats must be a priority for the government.

Three-quarters (74%) of people believe that up to 10% of Ireland’s Marine Protected Areas should be fully protected where no damaging activities occur.

72% of people believe all fishing activities in Ireland should be low impact and within scientific advice limits.

More than half (56%) would be more likely to vote for a party or candidate that takes an interest in the health of our seas and ocean.

The Campaign Manager of Fair Seas, Aoife O'Mahony said: “It’s amazing to see that most people care for, value and respect our seas. "

The conference was told by keynote speaker Professor Rashid Sumaila from the University of British Columbia, a well-known and respected ocean economist, that loss of biodiversity in the oceans would have human consequences. Speaking about 'economics and the future of fishing" he said: "We should 'abandon the notion that we have to take everything all at once." He urged "don't fish orphans of the ocean" and said that deep sea mining should be avoided.

"Now is the time for action, “Our fisheries are vanishing and the ocean is in trouble for all sorts of reasons."

He suggested a "coming together" of environmental NGOs, civil society, scientists and businesses "to make sure we implement the agreements that have been reached. We have the capacity; we have the brains, the resources and empathy to turn things around and make the ocean sustainable.”

Karen Ciesielski, CEO of Irish Environment Network, said: “Ireland has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get this right and show leadership by adopting legislation that will protect marine habitats and species for generations to come."

Fair Seas campaign is led by a coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental non-governmental organisations and networks.

It is funded by Oceans 5, Blue Nature Alliance, BFCT and The Wyss Foundation.

While the conference is well-attended, it is dominated by environmental organisations with little challenging voices to their proposals.

Galway’s Grattan Beach is to become a “living lab” for the city this month, as part of a pilot project.

Sand fencing is to be installed during the month of June as part of research on “nature-based solutions” for managing the beach and sand dunes.

The project involves Galway City Council, along with the University of Galway and the Atlantic Seaboard North Climate Action Regional Office (CARO).

Sand fencing at Galway’s Grattan beach Photo: Dr. Kevin Lynch

A ‘living lab’ is where scientists move from the laboratory to the real world to find solutions to problems, working with other experts and the public, the city council says.

“This project extends the work of the community-led “I Like Beaches'” project, where local groups have been contributing their ideas to develop a “living lab that would make space for nature and visitors on Grattan,” it says.

The “I Like Beaches” project has been running since 2012.

Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have welcomed the final report of the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss which extends to the marine environment.

The report by 99 members of the Citizens’ Assembly carries 159 recommendations on how Ireland can improve its response to the biodiversity crisis.

The final report “echoes the overwhelming majority of recommendations championed by the Environmental Pillar”, the 32-member coalition of Irish environmental NGOs said.

Coastwatch, which is part of the Environmental Pillar, said that the core recommendations were “superb” and “if implemented, can turn decades of biodiversity loss around and give citizens rights to protect nature”.

“The assembly’s recommendation to not just designate 30% of Ireland’s maritime area as marine protected areas (MPAs) by 2030, but effectively manage this network of MPAs is crucial,” Coastwatch co-ordinator Karin Dubsky said.

“However, aquaculture doesn’t get a mention in the report, and the marine environment is under unprecedented pressure today. Ireland will need to do much more to ensure healthy seas into the future,” Dubsky said.

Environmental Pillar land use policy and advocacy officer Fintan Kelly said that the government “now has a clear mandate from the Irish people to redouble efforts to restore nature”.

“Through the Nature Restoration Law, which is currently being negotiated at an EU level, the government has a unique opportunity to immediately respond to the concerns of the Citizens Assembly by positively shaping the EU’s response to biodiversity loss and climate change,” he said.

“We call on the Irish government to play a positive role in negotiations and maximise the opportunity for the country and deliver the long-term support required to improve our relationship with nature across land and at sea,” Kelly said.

In a separate statement, the Fair Seas network said, "Immediate action and significant funding is needed to address Ireland’s biodiversity crisis”.

Fair Seas is committed to seeing a minimum of 30% of Irish waters designated and managed as MPAs by 2030, up from the current figure of 8%.

EU Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius say the EU wants to establish a “pact for fisheries and oceans” to ensure sustainable fisheries, protect and restore marine ecosystems and strengthen long-term food security.

The Commissioner was commenting as the European Commission published four action plans relating to biodiversity and climate breakdown in the marine environment.

Phasing out bottom trawling, extending marine protected areas and reducing reliance on fossil fuel are main themes of the four plans, arising from the European “Green Deal”.

The four plans are: 

a Communication on the Energy Transition of the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector; 

an Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries; 

a Communication on the common fisheries policy today and tomorrow and 

a Report on the Common Market Organisation for fishery and aquaculture products.

The EU said the main objectives of the measures are “to promote the use of cleaner energy sources and reduce dependency on fossil fuels as well as reduce the sector’s impact on marine ecosystems”.

“The proposed actions will be carried out gradually to help the sector adapt,”it said.

“ A “Pact for Fisheries and Oceans” will also support the full implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in coordination with member states and fisheries stakeholders, including fishers, producer organisations, regional advisory councils, civil society and scientists,”the Commission said.

“The proposals also have at its heart making the sector an attractive job place for the younger generations,”it said.

The proposed “pact” aims “to ensure sustainable and resilient fisheries, protect and restore our marine ecosystems, make the sector profitable and strengthen our food security in the long-term”, the Commissioner said.

“We are proposing concrete actions to restore marine ecosystems and to reduce the impact of fishing activities on the marine environment, thus responding also to the commitments the EU made in the historic agreement reached at COP15 in Montreal on a new global biodiversity framework,”he said.

“ We are also promoting an energy transition to help the sector adapt its vessels and equipment, improve working conditions and move towards renewable, low-carbon energy sources,”he said.

“ We know this is a challenging task. For this reason, the transformation will be gradual and we will promote dialogue between all communities to lay the foundation for a resilient fisheries and aquaculture sector,” he said.

The Commissioner gave a press conference which can be viewed here https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-237641.

More information is also provided by the European Commission on the following links:

Q&A on the Communication on the functioning of the common fisheries policy

Q&A on the Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems for sustainable and resilient fisheries

Q&A on the energy transition in the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector

Q&A on the Report on the results of Common Market Organisation for fishery and aquaculture products

Factsheet

An Irish short film featuring communities who make a living from the sea is set to reach global audiences tonight (Tuesday, February 7th). Fair Seas: The Kingdom of Kerry has been selected for inclusion at the Festival of Ocean Films 2023 in Vancouver, Canada.

The festival returns after a two-year pause and celebrates people’s connection to the ocean. It aims to inspire conversation and conservation by featuring beautiful films from Canada and across the world.

The Festival of Ocean Films 2023 got underway at the Vancity Theatre, Vancouver last night and continues tonight.

Fair Seas: The Kingdom of Kerry is a 12-minute film exploring how changes to how local coasts and waters are protected would affect the people and communities nearby. It includes extensive footage of the southwest coast which was named Ireland’s first ‘Hope Spot’ by Mission Blue. The ‘Greater Skellig Coast’ now joins the Galápagos Islands, the Great Barrier Reef and parts of Antarctica as special places scientifically identified as critical to the health of the ocean.

Film producer Jack O’Donovan

The film was produced by Jack O’Donovan of Trá of Fair Seas - a coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental non-governmental organisations and networks working to build a movement of ocean stewardship across Ireland. The documentary was directed by Tasha Phillips of Swimming Head Productions with cinematography by Lawrence Eagling of Swimming Head Productions. The film was partly funded by the Irish Marine Institute.

The film hears diverse voices from across coastal communities, including a fisherman, an angler, an ecotourism operator, a biologist and a diver, who share their inextricable connection to the sea. It officially premiered in Kerry in October 2022.

Jack O'Donovan Trá, Communications Officer at Fair Seas: “It is such a privilege to travel around Ireland's coast meeting with communities that rely almost entirely on healthy seas. The aim of Fair Seas is to build a movement of ocean stewardship across Ireland and to ensure the Irish government meet their targets of protecting 30% of Irish waters with a network of well-managed Marine Protected Areas by 2030. What better way to tie these two aims together than to explore the lives of those communities whose everyday rituals ebb and flow with the tides and who will become the stewards of protected areas on their shores? Fair Seas: The Kingdom of Kerry is a film that shows passion, ambition, tradition and new hope among the people of Ireland to build a better, more sustainable future for generations to come. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to coordinate such a powerful statement of ocean optimism and am now delighted to see it appearing on the international stage.”

Fair Seas: The Kingdom of Kerry is one of several short films highlighting the ongoing and critically important conversation around sustainable fishing that will be shown this evening (February 7th). The screening will be followed by an expert panel discussion featuring Fair Seas Policy Officer Dr Donal Griffin.

Dr Griffin said, "This global recognition of Ireland and the importance of conserving our ocean is even more critical now as we finalise our own national Marine Protected Area legislation. At Fair Seas, we have been campaigning for the Government to designate a minimum of 30% of Irish waters as Marine Protected Areas by 2030 and it is fantastic to see progress beginning to be made. However, we have one chance to do this right and we owe it to the next generation to do this well."

The screening of Fair Seas - The Kingdom of Kerry begins at 6pm on February 7th at the VIFF Centre in downtown Vancouver. Global audiences can also tune in online. The panel will begin around 7pm, after the series of short films.