Professor Tasman Crowe:

Again, there is politics in that as well. Whatever we have committed to under European Union legislation flows from the biodiversity strategy. If that becomes something that is adopted as policy, then that flows from it. I do not believe it needs to be reflected in the Bill. There are statements there about our international obligations, which would shape that ocean environment policy statement. These are matters for the political process of developing that policy statement, which needs to recognise and reflect those kinds of obligations in the Irish context. The question of exactly how much of that kind of provision one would set out to make would need to be carefully thought through. There are arguments to be made. In all likelihood, there will be some areas that have very fragile habitats and species in them. If we are serious about conserving those habitats and species, they should be quite strongly protected. I believe there will be strong arguments for some areas to be well protected. There is even some value in establishing some areas as essentially reference conditions, to say that this is what our environment could be like under these circumstances. If we lose some particularly rare features, the only example in Irish waters will be lost. Those areas may merit very strong protections. There will be cases where that is merited on scientific and conservation grounds. There will also be a process that decides exactly what protections should be afforded to those areas.