Currently, Ireland has designated less than 10% of its seas as MPAs, but the lack of adequate monitoring and management means these areas are “paper parks” — protected only on paper · Nick Masset

Protected areas are vital to the health of our ocean and the species that depend on it. Ireland's seabirds are more endangered than ever, with the puffin population in severe and rapid decline.

A 2023 Irish survey found that 98% of people agreed on the importance of protecting the marine environment and establishing more marine protected areas (MPAs). Two-thirds of those surveyed believed that “a lack of political will” was what’s standing in the way.