Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
563. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is analysing the impact on biodiversity and small fishers of the marine heatwave in Irish coastal waters; what measures are planned to address and prevent future heatwaves; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34733/23]
View answerMy Department is supporting the Marine Institute in carrying out important monitoring and research to improve understanding of impacts of climate change on marine activities and on the environment. It is doing this through the €258 million European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Seafood Development Programme which was approved by Government and adopted by the European Commission in 2022.
Changes in the ocean affect biodiversity and seafood with scientific research showing that the impact of climate change is already evident in Irish marine waters with patterns of altering harmful algal blooms. I recently launched the Marine Institute’s Irish Ocean Climate and Ecosystem Status Report 2023 oar.marine.ie/handle/10793/1844 which provides important and timely updates on national observations, reflects key changes in marine conditions and examines the current trends in atmospheric patterns, ocean warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, plankton and fish distributions and abundance, and seabird population trends. The Deputy may wish to refer to the model predictions set out in this report for additional information and analysis on Ireland’s changing marine climate.
I can inform the Deputy that the Marine Institute continues to routinely measure the temperature in Irish waters from a network of marine data buoys offshore, coastal tide gauges and the national research vessels. The Marine Institute has closely tracked the evolution of the recent marine heatwave where surface sea temperatures were over 4 degrees above the long term mean. Marine heatwaves are not uncommon in Irish waters and are often linked to persistent calm weather conditions such as those experienced in June. Persistent heatwaves have the potential to impact on biodiversity and can place stress on various marine organisms, including fish, shellfish, and other aquatic species. Possible disruptions may occur for the fishing industry with fish stocks and their distribution being potentially affected and for aquaculture producers who may need to alter their husbandry of shellfish and finfish during such events.
The Marine Institute issues a bulletin to the aquaculture industry each week in summer that tracks the evolution of ocean temperatures and currents, biological productivity, harmful algal blooms and marine biotoxins. The Institute is examining the feasibility of adding marine heatwave forecasts to their weekly bulletin to assist aquaculture operators prepare for such events in the future.
