Protected on Paper: The Reality of Ireland's MPAs

Paper Parks: A Lack of MPA Implementation 

Our analysis found that, with the exception of Ireland’s only Marine Reserve and four proposed Natura 2000 sites, the Stage of Establishment for all of Ireland’s MPAs is ‘designated’ meaning they exist on paper but have no evidence of implementation on the water. Unfortunately, Ireland has a long history of failing to implement effective measures for its Natura 2000 sites. Natura 2000 designations are established and managed by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) and are typically accompanied by a broad set of conservation objectives and a list of Activities Requiring Consent of the minister (ARCs). However, years after legal designation, many sites still lack management plans and targeted conservation measures to address pressures and threats on the species and habitats that they are meant to protect and where necessary, restore (2).  

In addition to a lack of effective planning, concerns about enforcement and capacity have been raised repeatedly. A report published by the Marine Protected Area Advisory Group in 2020 raised concerns about unchecked fishing activity and enforcement capacity within Natura 2000 sites (3). It was found that the entire Marine Unit of the NPWS was staffed by a total of three people, a capacity clearly inadequate for monitoring the 10,099 km2 of sea covered by Ireland’s MPA network (4). Furthermore, in 2022, the Government’s own independent review confirmed the NPWS was unfit to protect Ireland’s wildlife (5). 

Importantly, fishing and aquaculture are not regulated by the NPWS. Those activities are managed by the Department of Aquaculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) and regulated through separate legal instruments called Fisheries Natura Declarations (FNDs). While nearly all MPAs fall short of Implemented, there is evidence that ten FNDs partially overlap with and provide some on-the-water protection of Natura sites. Many of these measures require the use of vessel monitoring systems within specified areas enabling the DAFM’s Sea Fisheries Protection Authority in conjunction with the Fisheries Monitoring Centre, the Naval Service, and the Air Corps, to patrol and enforce fishing restrictions (6). 

Industrial Footprints in Supposed Sanctuaries 

The Activities Requiring Consent for most Irish MPAs are rather narrow and not very protective; however, since nearly all MPAs lacked implemented regulations, it is difficult to evaluate the level of protection afforded by the MPAs. Instead, we analyzed the extent and impact of current industrial-scale activities within their using publicly available geospatial datasets. 

Mining and/or industrial-scale fishing was found to be occurring in a total of 40 of 210 assessed MPAs; however, this should be considered an underestimate because spatial data only exists for offshore fishing, and many Irish Natura 2000 sites are in coastal waters. The most common fishing gears used within MPA bounds were bottom otter trawls and dredges. An offshore seabed pipeline crosses through three MPAs – Broadhaven Bay SAC, Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC, and North-West Irish Sea cSPA – and there are active mining authorizations within the Seas off Wexford and North-West Irish Sea cSPAs. While Ireland’s Natura 2000 sites are intended to safeguard marine species and their habitats, in practice, these areas are subject to some of the most destructive human activities that can cause irreparable harm. 

While some FNDs explicitly prohibit high impact fishing, such as industrial-scale bottom fishing, others are less restrictive, such as seasonal measures or requirements for GPS use. Industrial-scale fishing was still occurring within most FNDs, even those that explicitly prohibited industrial-scale gears. Seven of ten had industrial-scale fishing occurring within their bounds and only three did not. Most industrial-scale fishing occurring used bottom otter trawls and dredges. One FND also has a gas pipeline running through it. 

With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that the most recent biological monitoring on Ireland's Natura 2000 sites from 2019 revealed the majority of marine habitats were inadequate or in bad conservation status (7). ‘Paper parks’, or MPAs that exist on paper but lack regulations, user awareness and/or enforcement cannot deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity (8). Without the implementation of strict, well-enforced regulations, these MPAs are unlikely to see any benefits relative to unprotected waters.