Clare-based ocean wildlife filmmaker Ken O’Sullivan has publicly backed a call by Clare PPN’s environmental groups and Clare Environmental Network for groups and individuals in Clare to make a submission as part of a hugely important public consultation on ‘Expanding Ireland’s Marine Protected Area Network’. The deadline is Friday, July 30th at 5pm.

You don’t need to be an expert and your submission can be as short or long as you like.

Our ocean is at breaking point, following years of pressure from supertrawlers, aquaculture, oil and gas exploration, plastic and noise pollution. Large predatory fish have declined by 90% since the advent of industrial fishing and many species face extinction.

The good news is that sea-life has a remarkable ability to bounce back once these threats are removed. Scientists worldwide agree that a network of properly-managed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) allows marine habitats to recover and replenish.

Just 2% of Ireland’s incredibly diverse sea area is designated as protected areas, but there is almost no monitoring or policing of these. Supertrawlers can legally operate in these areas. Ken O’Sullivan says that to rebuild marine ecosystems, we must designate at least 30% of our ocean for special protection by 2030.

HOW TO TAKE ACTION:
Please send an email to , with the subject line ‘MPA Public Consultation 2021’. An email written by you will have more impact than a template email, but here are a few points you might like to make…

I support the expert report and would like to see the recommendations being swiftly implemented.

I would also like to see:

• Immediate action to protect existing Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas, for example the SAC in the Shannon Estuary.
• No industrial fishing in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) – and especially no bottom-towed gears.
• 30% of Irish waters as MPAs as a minimum target for 2030.
• Support for fishing communities in Clare that may be negatively impacted by MPAs.
• Proper investment in scientific data gathering.
• All MPAs to be actively managed with public participation.

Another way to make a submission is go to the public consultation website and fill in an anonymous survey where you can also download the full MPA report)

You can read more about MPAs at the Irish Wildlife Trust’s excellent website:

Take action on marine protection: Participate in the public consultation on Marine Protected Areas in Ireland!

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