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

Chapter 8: The Marine Environment 4. Responses Irelands’ marine area includes many nationally and internationally important ecosystems, communities and species. Protection, recovery and expansion of these will be achieved only by recognition of their importance, identification of their geographical range and the creation of a legislative structure for their sustainable protection. The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 19 of the Convention on Biological Diversity has set Aichi biodiversity targets that aim to ‘take effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity in order to ensure that by 2020 ecosystems are resilient and continue to provide essential services, thereby securing the planet’s variety of life, and contributing to human well-being, and poverty eradication’. These targets are mainly aimed at protecting and restoring marine ecosystem functioning and biodiversity. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), developed in 2016, include SDG 14 (Life Below Water), which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. SDG 14 has several targets, which include preventing and reducing marine debris and nutrient pollution; sustainably managing, protecting and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems; minimising and addressing ocean acidification; regulating and ending overfishing and destructive fishing practices; and conserving at least 10 per cent of all coastal and marine areas (also included in Aichi target 11). The recent EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to increase the area legally protected to a minimum of 30 per cent of the EU’s sea area and integrate ecological corridors as part of a Trans-European Nature Network (EU, 2020). The SDGs global initiative is being delivered in the EU through a series of EU policies and legislation, which includes the MSFD, the EU Integrated Maritime Policy and the Habitats and Birds Directives. This work is further supported through the long-term efforts under the OSPAR Convention. Ireland has produced a National Implementation Plan 2018-2020 20 to move towards implementing the 17 SDGs. Information on the progress of Ireland’s SDGs can be tracked on the SDGs data hub. 21 19 https://www.cbd.int/sp/ 20 https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/7cde9f-the-sustainable- development-goals-national-implementation-plan-2018-/ 21 https://irelandsdg.geohive.ie/ The EU recently reported on implementation of environmental policy and law in Ireland (EC, 2019). Within this, priority actions for Ireland in relation to the marine sector were identified and can be considered as a template for future measures, particularly in relation to the MSFD. These are stated in the report as follows. n ‘Determine the timelines for achieving good environmental status, when these have not been reported. n Provide more information about measures. Decide on more measures that directly impact the pressures on marine and coastal habitats. Quantify the expected level of reduction in the pressure as a result of these measures. n Ensure regional cooperation with Member States sharing the same marine (sub) region to address the leading sources of pressures. n Ensure reporting of the different elements under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive by the set deadline.’ Several solutions for halting the loss of marine biodiversity and restoring ecosystem resilience are available and need to be implemented so an equilibrium between our economic expectations of our seas and the long-term policy vision for clean, healthy and productive seas is to be found (EEA, 2019). Spatial Planning Detailed spatial plans and seabed mapping are key tools needed to protect the marine environment. Ireland is developing a National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) as part of the Marine Spatial Planning Directive (2014/89/EU). This framework will provide guidance on the sustainable planning and management of marine resources, balancing ecological, economic and social objectives in relation to aspects such as the environment and biodiversity, commercial fisheries, and renewable energy and hydrocarbons. According to the directive, the Marine Spatial Plan must be in place by March 2021. A roadmap for this plan was developed in 2017 (DHPLG, 2017). Public consultation on the draft National Marine Planning Framework was launched in November 2019 and consultation closed in April 2020 (DHPLG, 2019). The draft sets outs supporting policies around a range of marine activities and environmental areas. The ‘Programme for Government June 2020’ reported that the government will bring forward Ireland’s first ever National Marine Planning Framework, as well as publishing Ireland’s first ever marine spatial planning policy, setting out a clear vision for the future development of our marine planning system. This will be part of ‘Project Ireland Marine 2040’ (Government of Ireland, 2020). 207