Environmental groups claim 'weak' bill to protect Ireland's marine life 'falls very short'

A short-beaked common dolphin off the south coast of Ireland. Fair Seas marine policy officer, Dr Donal Griffin, said: "We have before us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect and restore the waters that surround our country." File picture: Dan Linehan

The proposed bill to protect marine life around Irish waters in its current form "falls very short" and is hampered by "weak and ambiguous language overall", environmental groups have warned.

Addressing TDs and senators at an Oireachtas Committee to discuss the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023, members of the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) called for the proposed legislation to be tightened up to address the "serious gaps" within.