Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second this important motion tabled by our Green Party colleague. It is a detailed and comprehensive motion that covers a wide range of issues and policy areas but, at its heart, it is about our stewardship of the earth's oceans, the conservation of the rich environmental, social and economic benefits that we derive from them and how to best go about the identification and designation of MPAs in consultation at all times with local communities. I readily admit that the protection of our marine environment is not something I was well versed in when first elected but, as with many environmental issues, I have learned a great deal from Senator O'Sullivan and her Green Party colleagues and, while researching my contribution, it was clear just how much of an emergency we are in. We need to act incredibly quickly to meet our EU and international obligations by 2020 as well as our moral obligations to safeguard the rich heritage and biodiversity of our waters. It will be tough but not impossible. I hope the Government can recognise this and is willing to act quickly as a result.

Senator O'Sullivan outlined the importance of designating marine protected waters. I would like to focus on the process of how MPAs are identified and designated and, in particular, highlight research and advice on the motion from Dr. Ruth Brennan, marine social scientist and former solicitor, from the Trinity Centre for Environmental Humanities and the Scottish Association for Marine Science, and fisherman, Mr. Seamus Bonner, of the Their work underlines the importance of taking into account how ordinary people interact with their environment when designating and creating management plans for MPAs. We want to be in a position where communities feel connected and responsible for their local MPAs. We want them to be consulted, engaged and invested in their success, which is why we have referenced strong stakeholder consultation in the motion. By taking time to engage communities in a discussion about MPAs, we can ensure these areas can protect shipwrecks important to Irish history, spawning grounds for Ireland's unique abundance of blue whale and dolphin populations or the rare geological features the length and breadth of County Clare and the Wild Atlantic Way for which Ireland is famous.

This does not mean less protection for biodiversity; it means the opposite. It means engaging and galvanising stakeholders who work with that environment on a daily basis to protect it. We recommend the Northern Irish approach to MPAs and ask that heed be taken of the Joint Sub-Committee on Fisheries report, Promoting Sustainable Rural Coastal and Island Communities 2014. The report lists 29 recommendations across a range of sectors which will assist in the continued survival of coastal communities that depend on our marine resources, and their stewardship of the marine environment. In particular, inshore designations need to be co-designed with local coastal communities to ensure a marine stewardship ethos is harnessed and supported from the outset. This involvement of local communities from the outset ensures that inshore MPAs are actively co-managed by the people who live and work with them on a day-to-day basis.

The amendments clearly use the language of economics alone when they refer to an "ecosystems approach", for example, stating "that the Irish coastal and marine environment have a high natural capital and provide valuable services". Ireland's coastal and marine environment is much more than natural capital and services. Concepts such as natural capital and ecosystem services reframe non-human nature in economic and financial terms alone and this is too narrow when this is the only framing presented. The spectrum of how we as humans relate to nature is broad and multifaceted. People love their local beach and will participate in clean-ups even if it is not a Natura 2000 site or of economic benefit. People will swim with dolphins, bird watch, return small lobsters to the water, visit blue whales and learn of the Claddagh fishing village not because these are "services" but because they are beautiful, magical, inexplicable parts of life on this wild green and bountiful earth - a complex world deserving of respect.

The 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity, which Ireland is signed up to, uses the 12 Malawi principles as the underpinning framework to guide the practical application of the ecosystem approach and provide it with meaning. The principles state that [b]oth cultural and biological diversity are central components of the ecosystem approach," and require that MPAs be managed "for their intrinsic values and for the tangible or intangible benefits for humans, in a fair and equitable way". Framing the environment as providing services does not capture the intrinsic value of the marine environment, its intertwined bio-cultural diversity and, in particular, its intangible cultural heritage. This is not adequately captured by framing culture as a "service". When we speak of our marine environment in the cold terms of economics, the sociocultural context is lost as a means of fostering a long-term marine stewardship ethos within our coastal communities. We need to look on MPAs as an opportunity to revitalise and restore coastal communities that have been hit by declining fishing stocks in Irish waters. This process does not have to be top down and authoritarian. It can be organic and collaborative, building on current coverages of marine protection in terms of designation rather than starting from scratch.

As an island nation off the coast of Europe, we have an opportunity to be a European leader in this area and reflect the ambitious goals, targets and aspirations in our motion. I oppose the Government's amendment, which significantly waters down the aspirational nature of what we have tabled and, crucially, makes no reference to an oceans Bill or something similar. We need a fast and meaningful legislative response to the tight timeline. Significant resources and coherent planning are required to hit our 2020 deadline.The Government's amendment makes no reference to it and does not capture the gravity of the issue or the speed with which it must be addressed. We have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to protect and safeguard the planet and its environment. The motion could be a first step in ensuring Ireland will play a leading role in that regard.