Heat Wave Save Nature

Nature Restoration Plan, your opportunity to contribute.

Most of you will be out on the shore and sea over the next few days. The water is crystal clear. It’s a massive opportunity to find and recheck your seagrass beds. 

Two requests - from everyone could should to some

1. Look out for nature:  Intertidal life on the east coast is now out of water when the sun is at its highest and the day at its hottest.  If you see anyone shore 'safariing’ by picking up live animals in those conditions they are likely to be hyper stressed. So are those who are hiding under stones or seaweed when that is turned in hot weather! You know the harm it does, but they might not realise it. Please try to explain in a convincing way so they join forces with you and tell the next shore visitor. If they all switched to watching and photographing ….. 

   
   

2. This is a bit of writing  for indoors  but really important: The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has published Ireland’s initial draft National Restoration Plan (NRP), which is due to be laid before the E. Commission by 1st sept 2026, with a final plan to follow in 2027. Public consultation opened on 3 June, with responses due by 1 July.  

   
   

   We would love you to follow that link and respond. Environmental groups have met to agree on 9 key points to include in responses. The plan is a requirement of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/1991), adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in 2024. The Regulation is the first comprehensive, legally binding framework at EU level dedicated specifically to restoration of degraded ecosystems on land and at sea. It sets binding restoration targets across terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, marine, agricultural, forest and urban ecosystems, with the overarching objective of restoring at least 20 percent of the EU’s land and sea area by 2030 and even more for seagrass and brown seaweeds.  Coastwatch is part of The Environmental Pillar  and together we have agreed on nine key priorities for Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan. If they or at least some of them are important to please add them into your submission. They are:

 1.  An Ambitious Nature Restoration Plan: Deliver an ambitious Nature Restoration Plan for Ireland that fully meets the legal obligations of the Nature Restoration Regulation, underpinned by a transparent implementation framework clearly setting out why, where, how, and by when restoration measures will be delivered.

 2. Political Leadership and Whole-of-Government Approach: Ireland will not meet its nature restoration obligations without stronger, coordinated governance. The Taoiseach should lead a whole-of-government approach, supported by Cabinet oversight, to ensure accountability across all levels of government and a halt to public spending that undermines nature.

 3. Sustainable and Long-Term Financing: Establish dedicated, long-term national funding to deliver the Nature Restoration Plan to 2050 and beyond, while ensuring that EU funding streams post-2027 are fully aligned with restoration objectives and do not undermine nature protection or restoration.

4.  Unlocking the Potential of Public Lands and Responsibilities: Realise the full potential of public lands for nature restoration and reform the mandates of OPW, Coillte and Bord na Móna to include a statutory duty to prioritise large-scale nature restoration. Embed legally aligned restoration targets, strengthen governance, and introduce cross-departmental oversight to ensure delivery of nature and climate obligations. 

5. Empowering Civil Society: Recognise civil society as a key partner in a shared national effort by establishing dedicated funding for grassroots action, increasing support for environmental NGOs, expanding citizen science, and enabling citizen led management and co-management approaches with state bodies. 

6.  Empowering Our Custodians: Empower farmers, fishers, and foresters to lead from the front on nature restoration by incentivising voluntary action through existing and new funding streams. Ensure funding is stable, long-term, and designed to deliver both environmental outcomes and resilient rural and coastal livelihoods as public goods. 

7. No Backsliding on Environmental Protections: Fully implement existing national and EU environmental legislation, recognising the Nature Restoration Regulation as part of a broader legal framework safeguarding ecosystems, climate, air, and water. Reject any weakening of these protections under the guise of regulatory simplification.

8. An Ecologically Coherent Network of Marine Protected Areas: Establish a well-managed, ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas to restore Ireland’s coastal and offshore ecosystems. This network should be based on the best available science, cover the full range of habitats and species protected under the law, and be supported by clear conservation objectives, site-specific management measures, monitoring, and enforcement. Coastal communities should be empowered to lead on the establishment and custodianship of MPAs.

9. Prioritise the habitats or threatened species: Prioritise the restoration of habitats that support species requiring urgent intervention due to their threatened, declining, or rare conservation status, using IUCN and Irish Red List assessments alongside species distribution, ecological requirements, and connectivity considerations to maximise biodiversity recovery. 

If you feel you need a zoom call on this, we will arrange one.

Please email Karin Dubsky, kdubsky@coastwatch.org