This year, the Irish Sea Network has published a report ‘Ecological Considerations for Marine Spatial Planning in the Irish Sea’.
You can read and download the full report at: https://www.livingseasnw.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-02/Irish%20Sea%20Network%20Report%202023%20Final_0.pdf
There is also a 2-page summary document, ‘Ecological Considerations for Marine Spatial Planning in the Irish Sea – Giving nature a voice in the marine spatial planning process’ which can be downloaded at: https://www.livingseasnw.org.uk/sites/default/files/2024-02/Irish%20Sea%20Report%20Summary%20-English.pdf
The following information is taken from the Summary Document:
A healthy and thriving Irish Sea underpins the economy, society and human well-being through the provision of essential goods and services.
However, significant and widespread anthropogenic pressures mean that marine ecosystems in the Irish Sea are degraded. The scale of future activities and growing demand for sea space only add to these pressures.
To reach net zero targets, large scale renewable energy developments will need to be installed in the Irish Sea. Alongside this, each nation has committed to protecting and effectively managing 30% of its seas by 2030 (CBD, 2022).
While marine protected areas are designated across the Irish Sea, the protection that these sites actually afford is limited, with the majority having little to no management in place (Irish Sea Network, 2022a; Schere, et al., 2020).
To address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, it is crucial that we meet both net zero targets and marine ecosystem protection and recovery targets. As the Irish Sea Network, representatives for each of the six nations’ Wildlife Trusts and partner organisations1 have come together to agree our position on key issues in the Irish Sea and give nature a voice in the marine spatial planning process.
We need policy makers and stakeholders to come together to create aligned plans that benefit all wildlife and communities around the Irish Sea.
Many marine plans are currently being reviewed or developed which provides a unique time to influence marine planning. Due to the interconnections between marine ecosystems and large-scale changes forecast, all six nations must work together to tackle the crossboundary pressures that are impacting the Irish Sea.
References:
CBD, 2022. Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity- Fifteenth meeting – Part II. Available at: https://www.cbd.int/doc/decisions/cop-15/cop-15-dec-04-en.pdf
Irish Sea Network, 2022a. The Irish Sea Network’s Review of the Irish Sea 2022. Available at: https://www.livingseasnw.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-09/The%20Irish%20Sea%20Network%27s%20review%20of%20the%20Irish%20Sea%202022%20-%20English.pdf
Irish Sea Network 2022b. The Network’s 2030 vision for the Irish Sea – English. Available at: https://www.livingseasnw.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-09/The%20Network%27s%202030%20vision%20for%20the%20Irish%20Sea%20-English_0.pdf
Schéré, C. M., Dawson, T. P., & Schreckenberg, K., 2020 Multiple conservation designations: what impact on the effectiveness of marine protected areas in the Irish Sea?, International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 27:7, p596-610, https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2019.1706058
