Was at @irishrainforest.bsky.social's beautiful documentary tonight, highly recommend! Check out the trailer here vimeo.com/1211649058/7...

We were so pleased and proud that Mark McClean and Blue Hare Films were nominated for a 2026 Working with Nature Award for their film-making for the Save Our Sprat campaign. Thank you to the Powerscourt Estate for recognising all the valuable work. It would give you hope! 👏

It is good news - even if the process is taking way too long - that we now have draft legislation for Marine Protected Areas 🐬 On first reading there are good things in it but my biggest concern (among others) is the need for any measure affecting fishing to first... www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

Ministers O’Brien and Dooley drive forward Marine Protected Areas legislation that will safeguard Irish Seas

gov.ie

"What I really hope, is change" - Seán Ronayne speaking to us after his keynote address at the Fair Seas World Ocean Week Conference 2026 #FairSeas #WorldOceanDay

"Some 46% of those surveyed said their local marine environment is in decline while only 36% trust their government is doing enough to address it" At a global level, Europe is a laggard when it comes to ocean protection oceanographicmagazine.com/news/europes...

Europe's coastal communities are losing faith in their governments - Oceanographic

Half of Europe's coastal residents believe marine environment is in decline, as UK marks one year since bottom trawling ban promises in MPAs.

oceanographicmagazine.com

Fish farms • Consume vast amounts of industrially-trawled wild fish, wasting 75% • Turn rich seabeds below into deadzones • Give parasites & diseases to wild fish • Are horrific for farmed fish • Produce toxic, chemical-laden food • Are eyesores in beauty spots • Harm tourism & fishing jobs ENOUGH

Discarded and abandoned fishing gear— kills hundreds of thousands of marine mammals and millions of seabirds annually An estimated 640,000 to 800,000 tonnes of fishing gear are lost or discarded into the world's oceans every year www.wwf.org.ec?365018/Ghost...

Save Our Sprat Bantry Bay were delighted to be at the @fairseas.ie Ocean Conference in Cork yesterday. For us, it's not only about sprat: we want proper protection of ALL aspects of our marine ecosystems, and demand effective Marine Protected Areas in Irish Waters!

Sean Ronayne (Irish Wildlife Sounds) at @fairseas.ie #OceanWeek conference For a nation that prides itself on being a maritime one... It should enrage us to see what we've lost. We need Marine Protected Areas now. @seanronayne.bsky.social

"300% increase in local income of small-scale fishers over 5 years." Could this be the same for Irish fishing communities with well-designed MPAs? Now we can learn from their process and ensure the same benefits can be gained for Irish communities. #FairSeas #WorldOceanWeek

I don't understand how the Irish government can claim it has protected the sea when it so plainly hasn't. www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

Ireland rejects EU allegations of failure to protect marine habitats

EU commission has given Ireland two months to respond to notice of infringement proceedings on sea life and on plastics pollution

irishtimes.com

📣 Rally 4 Ireland’s Seas 🌊 🗓️ Thurs 21 May 📍Leinster House 🔗 tinyurl.com/Rally4Irelan... We’re rallying to demand urgent publication of long-promised Marine Protected Areas legislation. #FairSeas #Rally4IrelandsSeas @fairseas.ie @irishenvnet.bsky.social

Sunset Bantry Bay 🌅

Yet another no-trawl zone announced for England... what is Ireland doing? www.bbc.com/news/article...

Sussex trawling ban: new protections for marine habitats

The ban around Beachy Head East MCZ brings new protections to marine life.

bbc.com

From seahorses to sharks, more than 3,000 fish species have been caught in bottom trawls, including many at risk of extinction -new research They are depleting the ocean of life and if they are not stopped we will soon have a dead lifeless ocean science.ubc.ca/news/2026-04...

Bottom trawling catches thousands of fish species, including those most at-risk

From seahorses to sharks, over 3,000 fish species have been caught in bottom trawls, including many at risk of extinction, according to a new global inventory.

science.ubc.ca

Unimaginable destruction going on – day in, day out – in places that are supposed to be 'protected' for nature. When words become totally meaningless.

Pádraic Fogarty@whittledaway.bsky.social · 4mo ago

"around 95% of species being hauled up were not the intended target of the fishery" The destructive power of bottom trawling has been known for a long time yet authorities still allow it in so-called 'protected areas' oceanographicmagazine.com/news/world-f...

Come join us Saturday, 21st March for some Sauna and Sea at Zetland Pier. Thanks to West Cork Sauna for allowing us to host this fundraiser. We are very grateful 🙏. If you cannot join us, you can still donate to our cause at donate.saveoursprat.ie Hope to see you there!!

Very good piece from Olive Heffernon on the fishing crisis in the south west. There's a real urgency now to taking action before yet more damage is done. oceanographicmagazine.com/features/cre...

Creel fishing is a bycatch-22 for Ireland's angel sharks

Critically endangered angel sharks are among thousands of animals caught in crayfish tangle nets off southwest Ireland.

oceanographicmagazine.com

Seas around Ireland are virtually emptied of marine life And what remains is drowning in plain sight Thousands of sharks, skates, seals and dolphins are dying in tangle nets And Ireland does nothing to stop total annihilation of marine life off its coast www.thejournal.ie/readme/fishe...

Drowning in plain sight: Thousands of sharks, skates, seals and dolphins are dying in tangle nets

Critically endangered species are being killed in a rapidly expanding crayfish fishery, and the State has known the risks for decades, writes Pádraic Fogarty.

thejournal.ie

Critically endangered species are being killed in a rapidly expanding crayfish fishery, and the State has known the risks for decades, writes Pádraic Fogarty. jrnl.ie/6968217

Drowning in plain sight: Thousands of sharks, skates, seals and dolphins are dying in tangle nets

Critically endangered species are being killed in a rapidly expanding crayfish fishery, and the State has known the risks for decades, writes Pádraic Fogarty.

jrnl.ie

The issue remains though. There should be no corporations given seaweed harvesting rights in Ireland my.uplift.ie/petitions/st...

Stop a Canadian corporation harvesting huge forests of seaweed from the west coast

There should be a public consultation on this plan opening soon but lets gather signatures to demonstrate the fact that up and down the west coast, thousands of people don't want our seaweed rights gi...

my.uplift.ie

Saoirse McHugh@saoirsemc.bsky.social · 6mo ago

The Dept website has just yesterday evening changed the status of the massive arramara application from 'applied' to 'withdrawn' this is good news but both Arramara and Bioatlantis still have applications in for seaweed rights in mayo, galway, and kerry

Thank you to Jennifer Whitmore TD, who invited our Chairman Dolf D'hondt, @whittledaway.bsky.social and others to join a panel on Rewilding Our Seas at the recent Social Democrats Annual Conference. For a rep. from Save Our Sprat Bantry to speak at an event, please email us at info@saveoursprat.ie.

Acadian Seaplants, a massive Canadian corporation and owner of Arramara Teoranta, has put in an application to harvest tens of thousands of tons of wrack from huge swathes of the west coast. Is your area affected? Get in touch to start a local campaign ✊️ my.uplift.ie/petitions/st...

It literally takes one minute to sign this petition to stop mass harvesting of seaweed from the west coast of Ireland without proper public consultation. I signed and it’s at 12,222 out of 15,000 rn — please sign:

Pádraic Fogarty@whittledaway.bsky.social · 6mo ago

This cause is close to my heart - please sign: my.uplift.ie/petitions/st... @uplift.ie

Thousands of sea animals needlessly killed as bycatch of crayfishing industry in practice Dr Nick Payne of @tcddublin.bsky.social says is shameful www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

Sharks on brink of extinction caught in tangle nets in protected Irish waters

Seals also among the animals killed as by-catch of growing crayfishing industry

irishtimes.com

Great panel discussion at the @social-democrats.bsky.social national conference on rewilding the sea. Thank you to TD Jennifer Whitmore and Cllr Joan Hopkins for the invitation 🐟

"Protected" When words become worse than meaningless: a cover for just continuing to kill off whatever little nature is left.

Pádraic Fogarty@whittledaway.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Sharks on brink of extinction caught in tangle nets in protected Irish waters "That the Irish Government still allows this form of destructive fishing throughout Irish coastal waters is an absolute disgrace" www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

''Acadian Seaplants, a massive Canadian corporation and owner of Arramara Teoranta, has put in an application to harvest tens of thousands of tons of wrack from huge swathes of the west coast.'' Sign the petition and lets stop this from happening ✊️ #SpeirGorm my.uplift.ie/petitions/st...

Stop a Canadian corporation harvesting huge forests of seaweed from the west coast

There should be a public consultation on this plan opening soon but lets gather signatures to demonstrate the fact that up and down the west coast, thousands of people don't want our seaweed rights gi...

my.uplift.ie

A big day for the sea as the treaty to allow for the creation of Marine Protected areas on the high seas comes into force today! www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/...

UN treaty to protect ‘extraordinary’ marine life due to come into force

World-first pact aims to protect 10 million species from threats like climate change, overfishing and deep-sea mining.

aljazeera.com

How whale song helped save humpbacks from extinction. 🐋 www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

These unearthly whale songs helped save humpbacks from extinction

Once at risk of being wiped out, humpback whales charted a remarkable comeback thanks to their songs. In 1979, National Geographic issued a record-breaking album of those tunes alongside a story about...

nationalgeographic.com