The Chairman of the Irish Marine Federation (IMF) has said barriers to investment and sustainability around the Irish coastline have for ‘too long stymied growth in the marine sphere’. Paal Janson, who became chairman of the trade body last month, made the remarks as the IMF presented its submission on Marine Spatial Planning framework.
The proposed new legislation is one of the most significant pieces of national maritime law for several decades. The new regulations will deal with when and where human activities can take place at sea and ensure these activities are as efficient and sustainable as possible.
The IMF is the national organisation representing both commercial and leisure sectors of the marine industry in Ireland.
The IMF is part of the Government’s Advisory Group on Marine Spatial planning and Paal Janson has a seat at the table to ensure that the voice of its members is heard.
As well as many opportunities, the proposed legislation brings a number of possible threats to recreational craft users and it is important that such threats are fully considered.
“Only through a process of continued engagement with all the relevant stakeholders, across all sectors, can we bring about an integrated policy that will be for the mutual benefit of all parties involved,” Paal Janson, who is the General Manager of Dun Laoghaire Marina on Dublin Bay, told Afloat.ie
“The significance and importance of Ireland’s coastal infrastructure to promote jobs, investment and economic sustainability should not be underestimated”, he added
The steps towards delivering a planning system for the seas around Ireland were set–out by Government in 2017.
Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government Eoghan Murphy and Minister Damien English published ‘Towards a Marine Spatial Plan for Ireland’ for the development of Ireland’s first marine spatial plan which ultimately aims to balance the different demands for using the sea including the need to protect the marine environment.
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