Some good news, but action needed: “What matters now is turning paper into protection... If world leaders are serious about protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030, that requires ambitious action on the high seas." @oceana.bsky.social oceana.org/press-releas... @fairseas.ie @oceanaeurope.bsky.social

There's plenty of blame to go around, incl. the failing EPA licensing system which failed to prevent the repeated pollution events which would undoubtedly have weakened the resilience of any wildlife in the river,making them more vulnerable to whatever pollutant ultimately caused the huge fish kill.

Extremely disappointing news on the Blackwater fish kill. "It just goes to show the state bodies that are supposed to protect our fish don’t appear to be able to do so because if they can’t find the cause, how can they guarantee there won’t be a repeat?" www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

❗ We need to do more to protect our rivers. Profit-making companies cannot be allowed to continually pollute our rivers putting private income over public good. 📌 Must-read article by @ellamcsweeney.bsky.social www.irishtimes.com/environment/... @swanireland.ie #BlackwaterRiver

France predominantly allocates fishing opportunities to its fleet based on past catch history, largely disregarding social & environmental criteria. This is something also seen in Ireland with small scale vessels not recieving a fair share @iimro.bsky.social europe.oceana.org/press-releas...

"Rewilding brings us back to the primacy of nature being able to look after itself." It takes a lot of work to get this started @whittledaway.bsky.social #Rewilding event @tcddublin.bsky.social

"This is a garden industry supporting narrative" @wearetheark.bsky.social #RewildingInIreland "Take whatever patch you have and build back habitats... All of the greatest changes in the world come from the bottom up... All of the solutions are local."

A great audience at our Rewilding in Ireland discussion this evening @tcddublin.bsky.social with TCD Environmental Humanities. First up we have @irishrainforest.bsky.social The event is being recorded & we'll share the video soon 💚 #Rewilding

🔥 Few tickets available! We have just released a very limited number of tickets for tomorrow's Rewilding Panel discussion at Trinity College Dublin! 💚#Rewilding Get them fast: www.eventbrite.ie/e/rewilding-... @irishrainforest.bsky.social @whittledaway.bsky.social @wearetheark.bsky.social

👏 Hands together! 👏 🌍✍️ Nearly 200,000 messages were sent to the EU in just 10 days: hands off our environmental laws. Citizens won’t let profit come before people + planet. #HandsOffNature See what we are fighting for: handsoffnature.eu/the-campaign/

Unfortunately national Marine Protected Area legislation has been repeatedly delayed. 'The longer critical Irish marine ecosystems are left exposed to degradation, the more costly - and uncertain - their recovery becomes, @fairseas.ie has warned the Government.' www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

‪ A brilliant response from EU citizens in a very short space of time. Thank you all for speaking up for nature. You can read our submission here - iwt.ie/wp-content/u... #HandsOffNature

⏰ Last day to tell decision-makers: Stop rolling back vital EU nature laws! Join us to protect the laws that protect us all. Nearly 200,000 citizens have already urged decision-makers to keep their #HandsOffNature ✋ Send your message before it's too late: iwt.ie/what-we-do/c...

EU nature laws are some of the best protections we have for Ireland’s rivers, lakes, seas and wildlife. But the European Commission is trying to dismantle these laws right now.  Have your say before 10 Sept and tell them #HandsOffNature! https://swanireland.ie/take-action/hands-off-nature/

⏳ Just 2 days left to speak up for nature! The European Commission wants to roll back vital environmental protections – and they’re asking for your opinion. Tell them loud and clear to keep their #HandsOffNature 🙅 Send your message here: www.environmentalpillar.ie/hands-off-na...

The EU are trying to weaken environmental laws under the guise of 'simplification' These laws are there to protect biodiversity, improve water & air quality and fight against climate change Follow this link to stand up for nature before the 10th of September #HandsOffNature iwt.ie/what-we-do/c...

Just 5 days left to speak up for nature! The European Commission wants to roll back vital environmental protections – and they’re asking for your opinion. Tell them to keep their #HandsOffNature Send your message here - iwt.ie/what-we-do/c...

The submission deadline is 10 September!

We attended the first marine leader's forum yesterday on the national restoration plan. Good to have so many different stakeholders in the room as a first step in the process of creating a plan to effectively restore our marine ecosystems #RestoreNature

Across Europe, our forests are thinning, our rivers are drying & our wildlife is vanishing. Now the European Commission wants to weaken the very laws that protect them. It’s our nature, our home, our future, our right. #HandsOffNatureSpeak up now: www.environmentalpillar.ie/hands-off-na...

The 1st international basking shark conference took place over the weekend & well done to all involved! Ireland is a global hotspot for these sharks and it is vital that while we wait for new MPA legislation in Ireland, we have interim measures put in place to protect these endangered animals.

Call to Action! EU laws are there to protect nature & by doing so, they protect us, our health and the economy The European Commission wants to weaken these very laws & they're asking you what you think: Tell them to keep their #HandsOffNature by filling in this quick form iwt.ie/what-we-do/c...

The NPWS has confirmed a sighting and capture of an Asian hornet in the Cork area. Listen to an update here > www.rte.ie/radio/radio1... Please report any suspected sightings of this species to the National Biodiversity Data Centre here > records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/invas...

Join IWT's webinar tomorrow night discussing the new 6nm trawling ban and what other measures are needed to help achieve sustainable fisheries in Ireland's inshore areas us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

With the government announcement of a proposed ban on vessels over 18m from trawling in the coastal area, our August webinar will ask is this enough to protect marine life? We’ll be joined by IWT's Grace Carr and Dolf D’hondt, a marine advocate from Bantry Bay. 👉 us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Ireland's National Restoration Plan needs funding, yet nothing from the 3.15b Infrastructure, Climate & Nature fund has been allocated to nature The Government has said that restoration measures on private land will be voluntary & funded but have shown no indication of how this will be achieved

Join our Dublin Branch for the August Green Drinks talk when Oisin O'Neill of the Gaelic Woodland Project will discuss how Cherry Laurel should be officially classed and controlled as an invasive species. Tuesday 5th August at 7pm in the Ha'penny Bridge Inn, 42 Wellington Quay, Dublin.

We welcome the announcement made today on the long overdue 6nm trawling ban. However, there needs to be further clarity on how these measures will be implemented, specifically the 2,000 tonne total allowable catch limit proposed for larger boats from October this year iwt.ie/press-releas...

Great to hear of the return of the sturgeon to Irish waters. It shows the potential to restore marine ecosystems if we play our part by establishing real marine protected areas and stopping destructive fishing. www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ou...

We were delighted to be part of a @fairseas.ie delegation attending a Dáil briefing yesterday calling for meaningful action to protect Ireland’s incredible ocean.

Colleagues at #UNOC2025 come to Ocean Base Camp at 1.30! We will be speaking about an unregulated and unrestricted fishery for sprat in Irish coastal waters that is having devastating impacts on the marine ecosystem and livliehoods of inshore fishers. @saveoursprat.bsky.social @fairseas.ie

Unfortunately Micheál Martin didn't make any new commitments to protect Irish waters at #UNOC2025 More countries are announcing ambitious new plans throughout the week and we hope that this will encourage those falling behind to do the same However, good news on the #BBNJ to protect the high seas!

From Mountains to Oceans: Preserving Biodiversity Across Environmental Boundaries for a sustainable future. Event highlighting the interconnectedness of ecosystems & the need for a holistic approach to conservation Ecosystems don’t thrive in isolation and they also do not collapse alone #UNOC2025

Great event on coastal communities at the forefront of marine conservation. Case studies from Portugal spoke about the bottom up approach which was taken in the designation of their new MPA in the Algarve. Over 70 organisations were involved in a process that took many years. #UNOC2025

Good news 🌟 Spain has announced new Marine Protected Areas at #UNOC. But read why paper commitments alone aren't enough 👇 And learn more about why we're asking countries to #TurnTheTide on ocean protection www.clientearth.org/campaigns/cl...

@iimro.bsky.social speaking at #UNOC. Fish stocks need to be valued more, catches need to be prioritised for human consumption & for the wildlife which depend on them. Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy needs to be implemented & low impact fishing should be the rule rather than the exception

Marine Conservation Pakistan- Indigenous people voices must be amplified in policy making. We have to enforce existing MPA rules first before we continue announcing more in the race for 30x30. This message is being repeated around the world. It's time leader's took notice. @seasatrisk.bsky.social

@fairseas.ie '72% of people agree the Irish government needs to do more to show leadership on ocean environmental issues, while 82% said a healthy marine environment is essential for Ireland’s long-term food security' www.thejournal.ie/un-ocean-con...

President Macron opens #UNOC3 today with hope for the future of our shared ocean, the High Seas, announcing that 15 more countries have formally committed to join the #RaceForRatification! 🎉We’re looking forward to hearing who those are as we get closer and closer to the 60!

This morning @seasatrisk.bsky.social spoke with the @ec.europa.eu on the European Ocean Pact. As we continue to hear new announcements at #UNOC2025 on pacts and plans, we need to remember that they will not implement themselves and there must be legally binding actions to back them.

We're here at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice. The Taoiseach will be speaking today and we hope to hear announcements, not only on the blue economy and offshore renewables, but on plans for effective marine protection. #UNOC3 #30x30 #ProtectedmeansProtected

At the United Nations Ocean Conference, We hope the Irish Government will announce the long awaited national MPA Bill with ambitious measures to effectively protect and restore Irish waters instead of making more empty promises. iwt.ie/press-releas...

'We should hang our heads in shame at our failure to protect the sea'

The overfishing for sprat is an 'ecological disaster'. In February 2024, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine held another public consultation on trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone. Nothing has happened since. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...

The unregulated commercial fishing of sprat, a vital food source for many marine animals, is causing devastating impacts to the marine food web as well as to coastal livliehoods. www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

Great to be at #EuropeanMaritimeDay in Cork with colleagues from #FairSeas and wonderful to catch up with EU Commissioner Costas Kadis to discuss issues such as Marine Protected Areas, conservation of the marine environment and supporting coastal communities.

At #EMD2025 we met with Minister Timmy Dooley & European Commissioner for the Oceans Costas Kadis to discuss the need for management plans to protect our marine areas as well as greater enforcement of existing laws and our hopes for a strong, ambitious EU Ocean Pact

Who will speak up for our rivers? Well, you can if you make a submission by tomorrow.

The state is still killing our protected badgers on a vast scale, using controversial snares to catch these wonderful creatures. We need to stop culling badgers like our neighbours in Scotland and Wales. www.thejournal.ie/badger-culli...

All nature needs is for us to step back and give it space. Here @whittledaway.bsky.social writes about a rewilding sucess story that happened once humans ceased extractive activities on peatlands. www.irishtimes.com/science/2025...