Project Ireland 2040 National Marine Planning Framework Prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage gov.ie/housing ‘The Metalman’, Westtown, Tramore, Co. Waterford Tramore’s Metalman is one of the country’s more intriguing Maritime Heritage monuments. In 1816, the HMS ‘Seahorse’, a British transport ship, sank in bad weather with the loss of over 360 lives off nearby Brownstown head. Attempting to prevent a repeat of this tragedy, the ship’s insurers, Lloyds of London, commissioned and funded the building of five maritime beacons on the Waterford and Wexford coasts to serve as warning markers for nearby ships approaching Tramore Bay. These beacons consisted of three pillars built at Newtown Head at one side of Tramore Bay, while two further pillars were erected at Brownstown Head on the opposite side of the bay. These five pillars, each over 60 feet high, collectively operated as navigational markers, indicating a countdown system for ships to differentiate Tramore Bay from the entrance to Waterford Harbour. The statue of the Mariner, colloquially known as ‘The Metalman’, stands on the middle of the three pillars of Newtown Head visible in the cover image, and took up his vantage point overlooking Tramore Bay in 1823, nearly 200 years ago. Designed by noted Cork-born sculptor Thomas Kirk (1781 – 1845), who is perhaps better known for his design of the statue atop Nelson’s Pillar that formerly stood on O’Connell Street, Dublin- the Metalman, who is 14 feet tall, stands with his right arm extended, pointing towards the sea. Image courtesy of Jonathan Power National Marine Planning Framework | Project Ireland 2040 Contents List of Maps 2 Index of Tables 3 Index of Figures 3 1 Forewords 4 Journey to the National Marine Planning Framework 6 2 Introduction 8 3 Marine Planning in Broader Context 13 4 Overarching Marine Planning Policies 23 5 Environmental – Ocean Health 25 5.1 Biodiversity and Protected Marine Sites 32 5.1.1 Biodiversity 32 5.1.2 Protected Marine Sites 42 5.2 Non-indigenous Species 46 5.3 Water Quality 48 5.4 Sea-floor and Water Column Integrity 52 5.5 Marine Litter 60 5.6 Underwater Noise 64 5.7 Air Quality 66 5.8 Climate Change 68 6 Economic – Thriving Maritime Economy 76 6.1 Co-existence 80 6.2 Infrastructure 82 7 Social – Engagement with the Sea 84 7.1 Access 85 7.2 Employment 86 7.3 Heritage Assets 87 7.4 Rural Coastal and Island Communities 94 7.5 Seascape and Landscape 96 7.6 Social Benefits 99 7.7 Transboundary 101 8 Key Sectoral/Activity Policies 104 9 Aquaculture 105 10 Defence and Security 111 11 Energy – Emerging Technologies (Carbon Capture and Storage, and Hydrogen) 115 12 Energy – Natural Gas Storage 118 13 Energy – Offshore Renewable 120 14 Energy – Petroleum 127 15 Energy – Transmission 132 16 Fisheries 137 17 Mineral Exploration and Mining 147 18 Ports, Harbours and Shipping 150 19 Safety at Sea 161 20 Seaweed Harvesting 165 21 Sport and Recreation 168 22 Telecommunications 174 23 Tourism 178 24 Wastewater Treatment and Disposal 184 25 Implementation and Monitoring 189 Appendix A: Public Bodies with Marine Responsibilities 193 Appendix B: Stakeholder Advisory Group Membership 195 Appendix C: Summary of Stakeholder Engagement to Date 196 Appendix D: Spatial Designation Process 197 Appendix E: Maps of Fish Spawning and Nursery Grounds 198 Appendix F: Supporting Actions 201 Glossary – Terms and Acronyms 202 1 National Marine Planning Framework | Project Ireland 2040 List of Maps Chapter Name Page Map Name Introduction 12 Ireland's Maritime Boundaries Biodiversity 38 Distribution of Harbour Seals and Grey Seals in Irish Waters Biodiversity 39 Distribution and Range of Bottlenose and Common Dolphin Biodiversity 40 Distribution and Range of Leatherback Turtles Biodiversity 41 Seabird Breeding Distribution Protected Marine Sites 45 Designated Sites Sea-floor and Water Column Integrity 57 Benthic Broad Habitat Type Sea-floor and Water Column Integrity 58 Seabed Substrate Classification Sea-floor and Water Column Integrity 59 Distribution of Coastal Habitats Climate Change 74 National - Marine Sediments that Store Carbon Climate Change 75 Insets - Marine Sediments that Store Carbon Economic – Thriving Maritime Economy 78 National - Marine Related Businesses per Electoral District Economic – Thriving Maritime Economy 79 Insets - Marine Related Businesses per Electoral District Heritage Assets 90 Coastal Built Heritage Sites and Historical Coastal Towns Heritage Assets 91 The Wild Atlantic Way and Coastal UNESCO Sites Heritage Assets 92 National - Ship Wrecks in Irish Waters Heritage Assets 93 Insets - Ship Wrecks in Irish Waters Seascape and Landscape 98 Seascape Character Areas and Coastal Types Aquaculture 109 National - Licensed Aquaculture and Fishery Order Sites Aquaculture 110 Insets - Licensed Aquaculture Sites Defence and Security 114 Marine Danger and Restricted Areas Energy - ORE 126 Marine Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Energy - Petroleum 131 Oil and Gas Activity and Authorisations Fisheries 144 Commercial Fishing Vessel Distribution (Vessels under 12m) Fisheries 145 Density of Commercial Offshore Fishing Effort, All Nationalities (Vessels over 12m) Ports, Harbours and Shipping 157 Passenger Vessel and Cargo Vessel Ports, Routes and Activity Ports, Harbours and Shipping 158 National - Limits of Harbours and Pilotage Districts Ports, Harbours and Shipping 159 Insets - Limits of Harbours and Pilotage Districts Sport and Recreation 173 Sport and Recreation Trends and Features Tourism 183 Tourism Trends and Features Waste Water Treatment and Disposal 188 Coastal Bathing Water Quality and Locations of Raw Sewage Discharge around the Irish Coast Appendix E 198 Fisheries Species Spawning and Nursery Grounds 2 National Marine Planning Framework | Project Ireland 2040 List of Tables Table Page Title 1 20 Sustainable Development Goals and the NMPF 2 24 Grouping of Overarching Marine Planning Policies 3 26 Qualitative Descriptors for determining GES (from MSFD Annex 1) and Irish Marine Strategy environmental targets (2020) 4 31 MSFD Timeline for Ireland – The Directive is implemented in six-year cycles with periodic reporting every two years 5 76 The Irish Ocean Economy – Key Figures and Trends, 2014, 2016 and 2018: Ireland’s Ocean Economy (SEMRU, NUIG) 6 76 The Irish Ocean Economy – Progress Towards HOOW Targets (Based on Data from Ireland’s Ocean Economy, SEMRU, NUIG) 7 140 All Landings in Irish Ports by Irish and non-Irish vessels 2019 (Source: BIM Business of Seafood, 2019) 8 140 Composition of the Inshore Fleet – April 2018 / Geographic Spread of <12m Inshore Vessels (Source: BIM) 9 154 Tonnage of Goods handled by main Irish Ports, Year 2018 – 2019 (Source: CSO Ireland) 10 154 Number of Cruise Ships and Passengers by Port, 2019 (Source: CSO Ireland) 11 179 Overseas Tourists Engaging in Angling and Water-based Activities 2015 – 2019 (A Survey Of Marine And Coastal Overseas Tourism Activity In Ireland, SEMRU, NUIG ) 12 186 Bathing waters where wastewater discharges from public wastewater works were one of the contributing factors to poor quality bathing waters in 2019 (Urban Waste Water Treatment in 2019, EPA) List of Figures Figure Page Title 1 16 Integration of SEA/AA in NMPF Process (Source: RPS Consultants, 2019) 2 185 Level of Treatment of National Waste Water Load (Source: EPA Waste Water Treatment, 2019) 3 National Marine Planning Framework | Project Ireland 2040 A Message from 01 An Taoiseach Ireland’s relationship with the sea has helped define our nation’s culture and history. The waters surrounding us have historically sustained our citizens, during difficult times past when voyages across those seas were undertaken to brighter futures, and during difficult times present where our rich natural maritime resources such as our oceans, beaches and coastal walks provided respite from Covid-19 related restrictions. The seas have also sustained us throughout our history, through the gathering of seafood, through commercial trade with neighbours near and far, through the traditional cultural heritage passed down the generations, and through the very Micheál Martin, T.D. latest advances in communications technology, made possible by trans-ocean and trans-sea submarine cables. An Taoiseach Throughout this document, there are many stunning images of our Marine, including our diverse marine wildlife, our unparalleled coastal scenery, and our busy ports, all of which are vital to our island nation. It is perhaps fitting that the cover image consists of three physical maritime pillars, given that Ireland’s first Integrated Marine Plan, ‘Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth’, published in 2012, first introduced the concept of sustainable marine development, based on the three pillars of Environmental, Social and Economic goals of equal importance. The National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF) represents the Government’s ongoing commitment to the further development and enhancement of the goals first identified in 2012. The NMPF seeks to define our future relationship with our maritime area. The ambitious Climate Action Plan targets set out in the Programme for Government 2020 will ensure that the Marine will continue to play a pivotal role in sustaining our citizens in the coming decades, not only through the range of activities set out in this Framework, but in additional and innovative ways, such as utilising the latest technological developments to power our future energy requirements through offshore wind. This Government recognises the economic opportunities that our maritime area offers but when we speak of the Marine sustaining our citizens, the opposite also holds true. The Marine is our greatest natural resource, and as a nation, we are in turn duty bound to sustain the Marine itself. Only healthy, clean oceans can sustain development and enable the realisation of economic objectives such as the job-creation, investment and diverse opportunities to support rural and coastal communities. Working together in a joined-up way – both nationally at regional and local level, and internationally with our EU and non-EU colleagues - with a clear spatial plan in the form of the NMPF to support and guide those efforts, is critical.