An Taisce has made a submission to the public consultation on the Draft National Marine Planning Framework (Draft NMPF) published by the Department of Housing Planning and Local Government. There is an EU legal obligation, under the Maritime Spatial Planning Directive, for Governments to prepare a marine plan, which considers economic, social and environmental aspects to support sustainable development and growth in the maritime sector.

The Draft NMPF in its current form is simply a business-as-usual approach, one which facilitates continued overfishing, ecologically damaging aquaculture, continued oil and gas exploration, and port expansion based on the continued growth of unsustainable imports such as animal feed, oil, cars and fertiliser. In failing to fully integrate and prioritise biodiversity and climate concerns it is failing to chart a sustainable way forward.

In responding to the Draft NMPF, An Taisce has set out a range of recommendations that promote taking an ecosystems approach, for truly integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes sustainable use in an equitable way. This includes the need to delineate quantifiable and timetabled targets for all plan objectives; to require robust ecological assessments for all marine activities using the best scientific tools and data available; and to ensure that monitoring actions are specific, assessable and effective.

Click here for the full submission.