The Irish Government has published the General Scheme of the Maritime Area Planning (Marine Protected Areas) (Amendment) Bill 2026. This important milestone sets out the proposed framework for designating and managing marine protected areas in Irish waters.

Ireland has committed to protecting 30% of its seas by 2030, including 10% under strict protection, but less than 10% is currently designated as protected. Robust legislation will be essential to support the creation of a coherent and effectively managed network of marine protected areas and turn these commitments into meaningful protection for marine biodiversity.

The Fair Seas coalition has campaigned consistently for strong national marine protected areas legislation, helping to maintain public and political attention on the issue. It has welcomed the publication of the General Scheme and will now examine the proposals in detail and contribute recommendations during the pre-legislative scrutiny process.

Becht Foundation has supported Fair Seas since 2021, and we are pleased to see this long-awaited progress. Publication of the General Scheme is an important step, but it is only one stage in the process: the proposals must now be scrutinised and developed into strong legislation, and ultimately translated into an ambitious and effectively managed network of marine protected areas.