{"id":34899,"date":"2022-11-15T16:06:34","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T16:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=34899"},"modified":"2022-11-14T18:11:47","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T18:11:47","slug":"irish-seas-environmental-network-formed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=34899","title":{"rendered":"Irish Seas Environmental Network formed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"A new cross-border environmental network has been formed to press for action on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Irish Sea.<\/h3>\n

image: for illustration – Fiona Newton<\/em><\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2026 an innovative partnership comprising conservation organisations surrounding the sea\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

Afloat writes:<\/p>\n

A new cross-border environmental network has been formed to press for action on\u00a0marine protected areas<\/a>\u00a0(MPAs) in the Irish Sea.<\/p>\n

The new network involves Ireland\u2019s\u00a0Sustainable Water Network (SWAN<\/a>), the Manx Wildlife Trust, the North Wales Wildlife Trust, the North West Wildlife Trusts, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, and Ulster Wildlife.<\/p>\n

The group describes the Irish Sea Network as \u201can innovative partnership comprising conservation organisations surrounding the sea that have come together to improve our collective impact for nature\u201d.<\/p>\n

Funding has been provided by Esm\u00e9e Fairbairn Foundation and the John Ellerman Foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cCollaboration across national borders is essential to achieve a well-managed and ecologically coherent network of MPAs and truly sustainable fisheries across the Irish Sea,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Irish Sea is under significant and increasing pressure from climate change and activities like fishing, aquaculture, development, shipping, aggregates, military activity, recreational activity and pollution,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile more than 15 million people live around the Irish Sea and many more visit for holidays, only a small percentage of them realise what wildlife lives there and just how important it is for biodiversity and the environment,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n

While 36% of the Irish Sea is designated as a MPA by all the nations of the Irish Sea, only 5% has any management in place, and less than 0.01% is fully protected,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n

It says Ireland contributes only about 1.4% of the 36% designation.<\/p>\n

The Irish Sea Network says it has produced a review of the Irish Sea, and has laid out a vision and issued \u201ccalls to action to protect and maintain the health of the waterway.<\/p>\n

It says it has a vision for \u201ca healthy and resilient Irish Sea, enabled by collaborative, cross-national action; where marine wildlife and blue carbon habitats thrive, supporting multiple environmental, social and economic benefits\u201d.<\/p>\n

It believes that \u201cstrategic and effective marine planning that takes an ecosystem-based approach with cross-national collaboration, would help to reduce the impact upon sensitive wildlife habitats and carbon stores\u201d.<\/p>\n

SWAN policy officer Ellen MacMahon said her group is \u201cdelighted to be part of this new collaboration\u201d….<\/p>\n

SWAN co-ordinator Sin\u00e9ad O\u2019Brien said it is\u201d clear that pressures in the Irish Sea are increasing\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are about to see a huge expansion of offshore renewable energy projects, but if we want to tackle the twin climate and biodiversity emergencies, we need robust marine planning which ensures space for nature through a network of effective marine protected areas covering a minimum of 30% of Ireland\u2019s waters,\u201d she said….<\/p>\n

Read more….<\/a><\/p>\n

Irish Sea Network Review of the Irish Sea 2022<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new cross-border environmental network has been formed to press for action on Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Irish Sea. image: for illustration – Fiona Newton<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sector-newsblog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=34899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34901,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34899\/revisions\/34901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=34899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=34899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=34899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}