Seanad debates

Tuesday, 14 December 2021

Maritime Area Planning Bill 2021: Committee Stage

 

10:30 am

Photo of Alice-Mary HigginsAlice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 22:

In page 29, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: “(b) to contribute to the preservation, protection and improvement of the environment, including resilience to climate change impacts,”.

There is a real omission here. I do not really understand why these factors are not reflected in the objectives of marine spatial plans. I propose to insert that a key goal of our marine spatial plans is "to contribute to the preservation, protection and improvement of the environment, including resilience to climate change impacts,”. That should be there already. It is important that when we talk about maritime spatial plans we name and centre the preservation, protection and improvement of the environment as something that needs to be addressed.

We talk about achieving ecological, economic and social priorities. We can use a very extractive and utilitarian approach in relation to our strategic planning. Sometimes it is not about usages or taking and using but about protecting, preserving, supporting and creating resilience. I recognise that the ecosystem-based approach is there "for the purpose of supporting proper planning and sustainable maritime usages in the maritime area" but it is all about use and what nature will do for us and how we can get it to deliver for us.

I recall the Conference of the Parties in Madrid, the one before Glasgow, which was more disappointing than Glasgow in some ways. There was an idea that nature must almost have to audition for everything: should we consider preserving a bit of seaweed? Only if we can designate exactly its use and purpose. Even whales were considered in terms of how much carbon one can store in one. Our spatial plans would benefit and would be more complementary to the marine protection regime we hope to put in place if we made it clear that our marine spatial plan is thinking about the marine space. I reserve the right to bring in an amendment on Report Stage. There are strategic development goals on life under water. There are things that are just good and important that we should plan for and protect that are not necessarily usages. Perhaps it is a philosophical point but it is important. Our relationship with nature affects how we plan for nature. Therefore, I hope the Minister of State will consider amendment No. 22. I will not move amendment No. 23.

On amendment No. 24, I recognise that these are issues that were already debated at length in the Dáil. This is about trying to ensure that the MSP directive would be more centred in the process and that we would make visible the considerations around the MSP directive. They are in the background but it might be advisable and useful for the State to make it clear in the process.

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