Project Marine Newsletter Summer 2024
Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
We are responsible for policies across communications, postal, energy, natural resources, climate, waste, environment.
DECC’s Marine Planning Policy team welcomes you to the Project Marine Newsletter. The aim of this quarterly publication is to keep marine-interested citizens and stakeholders up to date with all the latest in marine policy development. Selected and summarised articles from issue #7 are featured below, while the newsletter in its entirety, along with previous editions can be found at: Project Marine Newsletters
MSP Advisory Group reconvene after two-year absence
The Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) Stakeholder Advisory Group reconvened after a near two-year absence when it reunited at Beggars Bush at the end of June. Chaired by Assistant Secretary Philip Nugent (DECC), up to 30 stakeholders from the economic, environmental and social pillars of marine planning arrived at the Department’s HQ, where all attendees were provided with an update on Ireland’s Marine Planning structures following the recent transfer of Marine Planning functions from the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage to the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
Mr. Nugent had been keen to resume the MSP Advisory Group following the transfer of functions the previous May and informed the delegates of the details of the changeover; the new structures put in place by the Department and outlined how this important group of stakeholders will interact with those new marine planning arrangements going forward.
The purpose of the Advisory Group is to harness the potential and capacity of a broad range of sectors including representation from the public sector, business, environmental, social and knowledge-based areas to guide strategic thinking and decision-making in the preparation of marine spatial plans.
REGINA-MSP Project goes on the road
The REGINA-MSP Project is a two-year endeavour funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). It is being led by the French Centre for Studies and Expertise on Risks, the Environment, Mobility and Urban Planning (CEREMA). Irish partners include University College Cork (UCC), the Marine Planning team (DECC) as well as other organisations across Europe.
County Mayo represents Ireland as the regional case study and played host to two insightful workshops - one in Ballina highlighting Killala Bay with the second on the picturesque Inishturk Island the following day.
Day One in Ballina saw a wide and varied representation from all sectors take part in a well-attended event that included overviews of Marine Spatial Planning; Marine Legislation; Designated Marine Area Plans (DMAPs) and the REGINA project itself.
Day Two in Inishturk Island Community Club saw delegates and islanders interact and exchange ideas before heading back to the mainland later that afternoon.
Approximately a month later, the REGINA team were on the road again and this time down to Cork with a worthwhile visit to the MaREI Centre of UCC. A lively morning session was followed by a very enjoyable and informative tour of the Lir National Ocean Test Facility and the National Maritime College of Ireland (NCMI).
Cork to host European Maritime Day 2025
Staying with Cork, there was further excitement when it was announced earlier this year that Cork will host the EU’s flagship annual maritime event next year.
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Scheduled for 21st – 23rd May 2025 European Maritime Day (EMD) acts as the meeting point on maritime affairs and sustainable blue growth and where ‘Ocean Leaders Meet’. It is also a public event reaching out to young people and citizens across Europe through local events under the ‘EMD in my Country’ label.
At the core of EMD is a two-day conference, which is expected to be attended by over 1,000 delegates. High-level plenary sessions, including influential speakers, leadership exchanges and stakeholder workshops, will attract experts and stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.
This event will be co-organised by the Government of Ireland with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications as lead Department, Cork City Council and DG MARE – the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries from the EU Commission.
Finnish Marine Planning delegation visits Ireland
The month of April saw the arrival of a delegation of 24 marine planning practitioners from Finland as they took part in an informative two-day policy-focused exchange resulting in the forging of some very important links going forward for Ireland’s Marine Spatial Planning strategy.
Day One was Marine Policy focused with a meeting in Custom House, Dublin where overviews of marine planning in Ireland and Finland were highlighted as were discussions on Marine Environment, transboundary issues, legislation, ORE and coastal strategies.
Day Two was more Marine Science focused with a trip to the Marine Institute in picturesque Oranmore, Galway. The delegates were informed of the role and working structure of the Institute before a number of speakers (again from both countries) talked about the important role scientific research plays in informing marine planning.
After a tour of the institute including INFOMAR and the various laboratories, visitors were then treated to a tour of the Marine Institute’s technical base near the Docks in Galway city.
Six Nations Marine Planning Workshop
In March, representatives from the marine planning departments of Ireland (North & South), England, Guernsey, Jersey, Scotland, and Wales gathered in London for the Six Nations Marine Planning Workshop organised by England’s Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
The in-person workshop aimed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices in marine planning processes, and to identify opportunities for collaboration across national boundaries at a technical level.
In the UK marine planning is devolved with each country taking differing approaches and are at different stages of their plan development cycle. Each governing body amongst the Six Nations has distinct ministerial priorities and priority sectors, which may pose barriers to marine plan alignment.
Many marine industries work across borders and some resource areas do not align with borders, so there is the need for a joined-up approach. The agenda included presentations from each country on:
The workshop concluded by identifying key topics for discussion, determining expected outcomes for ongoing work together, and setting the future ambition for subsequent workshops.
For more information on any of the above articles and to read the full Project Marine Newsletter and previous issues, please visit gov.ie/Project Marine Newsletters
Retired at West Coast Cabs
4moIve just read this news letter for the first time ,i must say very impressive thee amount of interest and participation in planning and various meetings. the thing i noticed immediately was no mention of actual physical acheivements or acts actively going on especially in light of issues currently affecting waterways,ie.invasion of zebra mussels, algaee blooms,pollution over harvesting of fisheries etc. and what is being done to rectify/improve inland and oceans environments.