More than 305,000 hectares of water along much of County Wexford’s coast is set to become Ireland’s largest bird sanctuary.
The Wexford Sea Special Protection Area (SPA) is a special area designated under the EU Birds Directive to protect vulnerable and migratory birds, and is larger than the county itself.
Nature Secretary Malcolm Noonan said the area would be the largest bird sanctuary in the state’s history. The new sanctuary is adjacent to his eight other sites already designated in the area, four of which are aimed at protecting breeding seabirds.
Niall Ó Dontsch, director of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), said the move was “another step of Irish commitment” to protect marine birds.
“The 20 species protected at this site are some of the rarest and most endangered birds, and these waters are used each spring to breed on the coasts and islands of Wexford. “They are a valuable food source for seabirds returning to their colonies,” he said.
“During the non-summer period, these relatively shallow coastal waters provide safe foraging and roosting opportunities for a variety of seabirds that winter here and in the shipping lanes. Our Nature and Biodiversity These protections are critical at a time when sexual pressures are greater than ever and the challenges of the climate emergency are more pressing than ever.”
The site will be a special sanctuary for species including loggerhead turtles, red divers, fulmars, Manx shearwaters, boobies, shags, cormorants, kittiwakes, black-headed gulls, black-headed gulls, herring gulls and little terns. , roseate tern, common tern, arctic tern, sandwich tern, Mediterranean gull, puffin, toucan butterfly, and murre.
The protected area also sets standards that wind farms must meet or comply with, and the designation comes at a time when Ireland is looking to expand renewable energy. Questions have arisen as to what impact this may have on development. sauce.
If a developer can demonstrate compliance, they may have a better chance of gaining planning permission. However, The Irish Times previously reported that the designation hurdles would be extremely difficult to clear.
Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment and Leader of the Green Party, said: “Protecting our seabirds is a vital part of Ireland’s transition to marine renewable energy, and the Government is committed to tackling biodiversity and climate change. “We’re working hard to make sure we move forward.”
A Ministry of Housing spokesperson said being inside or outside a conservation area would not necessarily preclude development permission.
“Companies considering development should always carry out careful research and assessment to determine the best location to build a project, and wind farm applications are processed through a planning process,” he said. Stated. “This applies to wind farms, both on land and offshore. Clarity and certainty regarding the location and nature of protected sites is a key enabler to ensure that nature is properly considered as part of the planning and development process. It’s support.”
Meanwhile, Fair Seeds, a coalition of Ireland’s main environmental groups, said there was a “lack of appropriate community engagement” and “no consistent management plan”.
Fair Seas campaign co-ordinator Dr Donal Griffin said the new SPA was good news but the government had “failed to consult local stakeholders on this issue”.
“It is not enough to designate parts of the marine environment as protected areas without dialogue with the people, organizations and businesses who use those areas on a daily basis and depend on them for their livelihoods and recreation.”
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