25 February 2022
A Marine Protected Area or ‘MPA’ is a
vital tool in improving ocean health. MPAs are being created by nations across
the globe to help fight against climate change and protect biodiversity. So
given their importance and the ecological crises we find ourselves in, why does
Ireland have only 2% of its waters within Marine Protected Areas, and what is
being done about it?
The health of all life on Earth relies
on a healthy ocean. The ocean covers 70% of our planet and produces over 50% of
the oxygen we breathe. That means that every second breath you draw into your
lungs comes from the ocean.
Globally ocean health is under severe
pressure from human activities and climate change. Ocean biodiversity is
declining all over the world.
However, there is a growing movement to
stop this decline and start to reverse it.
Fair Seas is a new campaign that is building a movement
of ocean stewardship across the island of Ireland. Their aim is to see Ireland,
with a renewed appreciation of the ocean, become a world leader in marine
protection, giving our species, habitats and coastal communities the
opportunity to thrive.
A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is a part
of the ocean that is protected by laws to conserve species, habitats and
ecosystems. They play a critical role in improving ocean health. They help to
limit damaging activities and can allow habits, wildlife and commercially
important fish stocks to recover.
Unfortunately, Ireland has only just
over 2% of its waters protected through international obligation, but in
reality there is no management or monitoring in place to actually protect these
areas. In fact there isn’t even a definition of MPA in Irish law. That’s why
Fair Seas is urgently asking the Irish government to create robust and
ambitious legislation so that our waters can be effectively protected, managed
and monitored right out to the edge of the continental shelf.
Fair Seas is calling for at least 30% of Irish waters
to be designated as ‘Fully Protected’ by 2030.
“In January 2022 Ireland showed its
passion for the ocean by speaking out against Russian missile testing. Voices
from the fishing industry, government, environmental groups and the public were
all echoing the need to protect our marine biodiversity and commercially
important fish stocks,” our campaign manager Aoife O’Mahony said at the launch
of our campaign.
“Fair Seas is calling on those same
voices to ask the Irish government to follow up and secure a network of
effective well-managed Marine Protected Areas,” she added.
By
Jack O’Donovan Trá, Communications Officer at Fair Seas
You
can find out more about FairSeas on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Linked’In & YouTube or go to www.fairseas.ie
You can
now also sign up for their newsletter for all ocean news, updates and events.
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The post Opinion: Fair Seas – Ireland’s new campaign to improve ocean health appeared first on Green News Ireland.
