EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 Table 8.1  Environmental status of the 11 qualitative descriptors outlined in Annex 1 of the MSFD for the determination of Good Environmental Status (Source: DHPLG, 2020) DESCRIPTOR COMMON NAME GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS (GES) D1 Biodiversity Some elements compatible with GES D2 Non-indigenous species Compatible with GES D3 Commercial fish and shellfish Some elements compatible with GES D4 Food webs Compatibility with GES not known D5 Eutrophication Compatible with GES D6 Sea-floor integrity Some elements compatible with GES D7 Hydrographical conditions Compatible with GES D8 Contaminants Compatible with GES D9 Contaminants in seafood Compatible with GES D10 Marine litter Compatible with GES for the elements assessed D11 Energy, including underwater noise Compatible with GES for the elements assessed The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG), 9 reported the environmental status for each of the 11 descriptors considered under the MSFD for the determination of Good Environmental Status (DHPLG, 2020; Table 8.1). Further information on the issues covered by these descriptors is provided in the following sections. Ecological and Chemical Status of Nearshore Coastal and Transitional (Estuarine) Waters under the Water Framework Directive Recent assessments show that 80 per cent of our coastal water bodies and 38 per cent of our transitional water bodies have a high or good ecological status. Ireland’s transitional (estuaries and coastal lagoons) and coastal (up to 1 nautical mile from the shore) waters contain 194 and 110 water bodies, respectively. These areas are assessed under the WFD. The latest assessment (2013-2018) indicates that only 30 (38%) of the transitional waters monitored in Ireland are of good or high ecological status, with 49 (62%) being of moderate, poor or bad ecological status (Figure 8.1; EPA, 2019a). Coastal waters are in a better condition, with 36 (80%) of those monitored being of high or good status (EPA, 2019a). This corresponds to 93 per cent of the surface area of coastal water bodies. Eight coastal water bodies (20%) are of moderate ecological status and a single water body is of bad status (Figure 8.1). The 9 DHPLG is now called the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. factors driving the ecological status of transitional and coastal waters include biological factors (phytoplankton, benthic invertebrates, macroalgae) and chemical factors (oxygenation conditions, nutrients, priority substances). Loading of nitrogen and phosphorus from Irish rivers into the transitional and marine environment has been monitored since 1990. This can provide a helpful indicator of the transfer of nutrients from anthropogenic sources (EPA, 2019a). Loads of nitrogen and phosphorus have increased by 16 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively, between 2012 and 2014 and between 2016 and 2018. Further information on the status of the supporting elements, trends in status, and drivers and pressures is provided in Chapter 7. 194