Site-selection is internationally accepted as the most important factor in mitigating the biodiversity impacts of wind and solar developments. To-date, in Ireland, site-selection for offshore wind development has been exclusively developer-led, with no government oversight or Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) to assess cumulative impacts, as is required under the SEA Directive.

People may imagine that the seabed around our coast consists of sand; in fact, it consists of so much more, with rocky terrains and glacial deeps, biogenic reefs (made by living organisms) and geogenic reefs (resulting from geological processes) all hosting a huge diversity of life forms.

Information shown on NASA maps indicates the dense concentrations of phytoplankton that skirt Ireland’s coast. Phytoplankton, essential to our survival, is arguably the most important life on earth. It produces more than 50% of the earth’s oxygen through photosynthesis and is highly effective at absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Phytoplankton are the foundation of the aquatic food web, the primary producers, feeding everything from microscopic, animal-like zooplankton to multi-ton whales. Small fish and invertebrates also graze on the plant-like organisms, and, in turn, smaller animals are eaten by bigger ones.

The presence of these microscopic creatures explains the rich biodiversity that we in Ireland enjoy in our coastal waters. In fact, our seas and sea beds contain Ireland’s most pristine functioning ecosystems. Though overfishing has had impacts, vast areas of undamaged seabed remain intact, in stark contrast to our lands, where almost every inch has been impacted by human disturbance.

Mudflats and sandflats, for example, not only host biodiverse habitats, they are also a really effective carbon sink. Seagrass meadows, found dotted around the Irish coast, stabilise the sea floor and can absorb carbon 35 times faster than the Amazon rainforest.

Because of developer-led planning, many proposed wind developments are sited where their construction, and even initial site investigations, have the potential to have significant negative impacts on some of these important marine ecosystems.

Current development proposals traverse or adjoin many important ecologically valuable areas, Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), designated to protect marine habitats such as reefs, seagrass and sandbanks, and Special Protection Areas (SPA), to protect rare seabird species such as terns, puffin and kittiwakes. Siting of developments in close proximity to these protected areas poses an unnecessary risk to Ireland’s biodiversity, threatened species and habitats.

Until a few months ago, just 2.1% of Ireland’s maritime area was even nominally protected in SACs and SPAs although our target was to have 10% fully protected by 2020 and by 2030, 30% of the marine area should be designated and managed to ensure it is truly safeguarded. Some progress is being made but, in the meantime, Blue Ireland believes that it is vital that we value all rich marine habitats and species because the future of the planet, and our future, depends on it.

With regard to the areas which Ireland has designated as SACs and SPAs, the Irish government has consistently failed to fulfil their obligations and adequately protect those areas, resulting, on a number of occasions, in Ireland being found to be in breach of EU law, with the most recent judgement against Ireland being handed down on 30 June 2023.

Poorly sited wind farms can have a detrimental effect on healthy marine ecosystems. The failure of the government to adequately manage site-selection, as well as substantial delays in designation of Marine Protected Areas means that currently proposed offshore wind developments pose a serious threat to Ireland’s marine biodiversity, with knock-on effects for natural carbon capture.