The labelling of Ireland’s eighth national park as a marine park signifies more of a stylistic victory than a material one. The main constituents of Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara in Ciarraí, which encompass a mountain, a peninsula, a mountain pass, five islands, dinosaur footprint fossils, and the ancient dwelling of Daniel O’Connell, are all essentially proximate to the sea, without being fundamentally marine.
The Blasket Islands waters and the underwater sandbanks off Kerry Head are the only components with a truly marine nature. These are currently designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) according to the EU Habitats Directive.
There is certain wisdom, from a touristic and promotional point of view, in conglomerating these pre-existing SACs with other state-owned cultural and heritage treasures, and dubbing it a marine park. However, this will provide negligible aid in fulfilling Ireland’s obligation to categorise 30 per cent of its waters as Marine Protected Areas (MPA) by 2030, in adherence to the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. MPAs are uniquely demarcated zones earmarked for protection with set objectives, inclusive of marine reserves which prohibit fishing and windfarms.
The Irish government has stated that the park’s establishment will not impose any additional regulatory difficulties or activity limitations. This statement subtly hints at the hurdles it confronts in honouring its MPA commitments, with the main obstacle being the absence of a legal definition under Irish law.
The introduction of the Marine Protected Areas Bill intends to address this issue along with providing a strategy to reconcile the diverging interests of different stakeholders including fishing and offshore wind sectors, environmentalists and local communities. The bill also includes plans for objections, consultations, and a specialist commission.
Should the bill be passed – it has yet to be brought before the Dáil – there will be a mounting possibility of a bona fide marine park in Irish waters turning into an actuality.