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Nature Advocacy and Policy: 2025 in review
First published: 23/12/2025
2025 has been a difficult year for environmental issues. Pressures are appearing from all sides and there have been many disappointing blows to contend with. Those in power nationally and internationally don’t seem to have safeguarding the environment on their agendas and deregulation in favor of economic growth and business as usual are popular topics. That being said, there have been some wins this year and it’s important to remember that now, more than ever, we must continue to push and use our collective power as a community to fight for what is right for people and planet. Read on for an overview of some key moments this year for the environment.
The new Programme for Government (PfG) was released in January and we were disappointed to see the majority of our key asks not included within it. There was no mention of a mandate reform for Coilte and Bord na Mona to manage forestry and protected bogs for nature. There was also no mention of a review of the outdated ‘Arterial Drainage Act 1945’, a key law which, as it stands, would prevent Ireland from meeting its targets within the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). Increasing marine protected area coverage was mentioned but there was no mention of the legislation which was included in the last PfG.
In June the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) took place in Nice and the EU Ocean Pact was officially launched. The European Ocean Pact’s aims were to bring together the European Union’s policies and actions related to the ocean and create a unified and coordinated plan for managing the ocean. However many experts and NGOs were disappointed by its vague wording.The pact acknowledges the importance of ocean conservation but for it to be successful it must lead to the immediate implementation of the existing marine protection laws we have in place.There are no legally binding requirements in the pact but it does state that an EU Ocean Act, which will be legally binding, will be released in 2027. During UNOC there were announcements from some EU member states on planned conservation actions. Portugal took another step forward in the conservation of its marine natural heritage by declaring that the Gorringe seamount will see its conservation status reinforced, with an expansion of the total protected area and the designation of a portion as a fully protected area. In February the Danish government stated it would ban bottom trawling in over 17% of its waters and it reaffirmed this at UNOC as well as its commitment to having 8% of its waters designated as strictly protected by 2028. Not every country showed ambition in protecting and restoring its waters. The French president announced that trawling would be banned in 4% of French waters…in areas where zero trawling already occurs. This was a blatant attempt at green washing while all eyes were on France during the conference.
There was some good news in July with the announcement of the 6nm trawling ban around Irish coasts. From the 1st of October 2026, trawling by vessels over 18m in the 6 nautical mile zone around Ireland’s coasts will be prohibited. From the 1st of October 2025, vessels over 18m fishing for sprat in the 6nm zone will require authorisation to do so and there will be a limited total allowable catch (TAC) of 2,000 tonnes of sprat for these vessels. This is a much needed measure to help protect the inshore fishing sector and have positive benefits for the marine environment. The Irish Wildlife Trust have advocated on this topic for many years, running campaigns to raise awareness and mobilize the public to take action and submit to consultations, so it was a relief to see action being taken. Just 12 days after the new quota came into force, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) informed Fisheries Minister Timmy Dooley that licensed vessels had landed the allocated 2,000 tonne quota, and he closed the fishery to vessels over 18m. It’s important to continue monitoring the situation to ensure no sprat are being landed by the larger vessels as they continue to fish within the 6nm.
In August Global talks to develop a landmark treaty to end plastic pollution failed. The UN Plastics Treaty was envisioned as a historic, legally binding agreement, akin to the Paris Climate Agreement, but for plastic pollution. Its purpose was to address the entire lifecycle of plastic—from production by fossil fuels to disposal and pollution. The failure of these high level negotiations highlights how difficult it is to reach a consensus on the global stage. It’s therefore more important than ever for countries to show ambition and lead the charge in environmental protection nationally.
The same month, an ecological disaster occurred at the river Blackwater in county Cork when around 50,000 fish were reported dead on its shores. Fish species included protected species such as salmon, eels and lampreys. It’s believed this devastating fish kill occurred due to poisoning. Inland FIsheries Ireland continue to state that they cannot find out who the polluter is and so there has been no repercussions. This event not only caused the death of 10s of thousands of fish, it also had impacts on the entire river ecosystem and the species that rely on it. While this is the largest incident of this nature to happen in Ireland, it is by no means an isolated case. Read SWAN’s report to learn more about the broken system that allows this to continue happening.
Some good news from October was the successful release of four Norwegian White Tailed eagles in Killarney National Park. This year marks the end of an 18 year reintroduction programme to bring this beautiful bird species back to the island. White tailed eagles were once native to Ireland but unfortunately had not been seen for more than a century when the reintroduction programme started. The project was done in collaboration with Norway and the Irish population is now considered strong enough to reproduce and continue to grow without further help from Norwegian partners.
Some good news in November as the state announced that it purchased 100 acres of forestry land at Glen of the Downs. The Glen of the Downs is a national nature reserve which is hemmed in by monocultures. If the land which has been purchased is restored it could result in the expansion of this important woodland ecosystem. This was one of the only national good news for nature stories in Ireland this year and we hope to see the state build on this ambition going forward.
COP30 took place in Brazil during November. This global climate conference had a disappointing conclusion. The final text which was agreed had no reference to fossil fuels. No mention of oil, gas or coal, the biggest causes of climate change. Within the final text there were voluntary initiatives to speed up national climate action. Brazil intends to move forward with roadmaps for phasing out fossil fuels and ending deforestation. These roadmaps and future discussions will take place outside of the official UN COP talks. Again, these results have shown the importance of countries driving forward change nationally if we are to reach our goals at a global level.
In November, the Government announced movement towards the MPA Bill. It was officially announced that the legislation will go ahead as an amendment to the MMarine Area Planning Act instead of standalone legislation. The General Scheme (which highlights the main points to be contained within the Bill) will now be drafted and once that’s approved then the legislation can be written. No definitive timeline was given which is worrying as this legislation has been delayed time and time again, despite it being listed as a government priority. Fair Seas and partners will continue to advocate for the timely delivery of ambitious legislation which will effectively protect our marine environment.
Earlier this month the latest Habitats Directive Article 17 report was published for Ireland. This report is due every 6 years and looks at protected habitats and species designated under EU law. 90% of protected habitats were found to be in unfavorable condition with 51% of these showing ongoing deteriorating trends. This has increased since 2019 when 85% of protected habitats were in unfavorable condition. It highlights the systemic issues in Ireland’s governance and protection of nature. The draft national restoration plan will be completed early in 2026 which is supposed to document the measures which will be put in place to restore 30% of degraded habitats by 2030. This plan will have to contain incredibly ambitious actions if we are to reach this legally binding target. There has not been any announcement on how the NRP will be funded, despite repeated calls for ringfenced funding by NGOs, nature conservation experts, farmers and the wider community. It is clear what needs to be done, but the government continues to drag its heels.
Another blow this month was the approval for another three years of the nitrates derogation just two weeks after the European Court of Justice ruling that Ireland is failing to implement essential water protection legislation. From 2026, Ireland will be the only EU country still benefiting from a derogation. The derogation is only supposed to be applied if it doesn’t affect water quality, but it appears the evidence showing the downhill trend for Ireland’s water quality has been ignored. Prolonging this derogation will ultimately result in negative consequences for farmers here in Ireland as well as devastating consequences for the environment as we fail to move towards sustainable nature friendly farming. At the same time the EU has announced its plan to revise the Water Framework Directive. A law that’s main goal is to protect EU water. It has been included in the environmental omnibus which is a group of laws which will be opened for ‘simplification’ next year. The EU claims that this will reduce administrative burden and streamline legislation but so far it seems that it will also result in the dismantling of laws which have been built over many years to help protect and restore the environment.
It’s a worrying time for the world we live in. Pressures are appearing from all angles and those in power don’t seem to have much ambition when it comes to safeguarding our future by protecting the environment which protects us. It’s important now more than ever to continue standing up for nature and to continue using our voice and the power we have as a collective to push for greater environmental protections. Each new report which contains bad news for the natural world is another tool we can use to push back against lacklustre measures for the protection and restoration of habitats and species. Nearly 200,000 people signed a petition stating that they do not want to see EU environmental legislation weakened. Going into 2026, we must remember promising news like this and continue putting pressure on those in power to restore the natural world. Now is not the time to give up.
By Grace Carr