Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

223 Chapter 9: The Marine Environment Carrownisky Strand, Co. Mayo 1 OHAT – O SPAR Hazardous Substances Assessment Tool: dome.ices.dk/ohat/ (accessed 2 May 2024). Pollution status of marine offshore areas OSPAR also assesses the levels and impacts of hazardous substances such as metals, pesticides and organic compounds in the marine environment. 1 Concentrations of many of the most serious hazardous substances, such as polychlorinated biphenyls and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (commonly known as PCBs and PAHs, respectively) and organochlorine insecticides, have decreased substantially compared with concentrations in the 1980s and 1990s. Concentrations of these substances in Ireland’s marine environment generally do not exceed the thresholds used to assess environmental status, indicating GES. However, the concentrations of some legacy contaminants, specifically mercury and the antifoulant tributyltin (commonly known as TBT), do exceed the low thresholds applied in OSPAR assessments. The results of the draft 2024 MSFD assessment indicate some changes from the previous assessments where certain elements are above the assessment criteria, but this reflects the incorporation of additional parameters and revised thresholds rather than an actual deterioration in Ireland’s marine quality. A wide range of substances are monitored in coastal and transitional waters under the WFD to assess chemical status. Concentrations in water typically comply with environmental quality standards, indicating that harmful effects on aquatic life would not be expected (EPA, 2022). Biodiversity Since the most recent State of the Environment Report in 2020 (EPA, 2020), NPWS has published the fourth iteration of the National Biodiversity Action Plan (2024). The plan sets the national biodiversity agenda for the period 2023-2030 and aims to deliver the transformative changes required in the ways in which we value and protect nature. Of the 23 coastal and marine habitat types designated under the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/ EEC), eight were found to be in favourable status nationally (Figure 9.6), according to Ireland’s most recent Article 17 report (NPWS, 2019) on the condition of our habitats and species. The remaining 15 types were at either unfavourable-inadequate (12) or unfavourable- bad (3) status. In particular, lagoons, large shallow inlets and bays, halophilous scrub and fixed dunes were at unfavourable-bad status and declining. The next update on the status of these habitats is due in 2025.