inshore-ireland.com - Vol 1 / Issue 1

Issue1

Lead Story: Government lacks motivation to develop policy on ICZM

A full national survey of the coast of Ireland exists. These coloured infrared images highlight in red or orange areas where vegetation or seaweed grows strongly. They can be used to identify seaweed resources or areas where dunes are eroding from trampling by people. © Marine Institute/Compass Informatics Ltd. The government stands accused of lacking the motivation to develop an Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) policy for Ireland. This observation was made in a report which claims that no new national initiatives in this area have been introduced for almost a decade.

' Review of Integrated Coastal Zone Management & Principles of Best Practice’ was prepared in 2004 for the Heritage Council by the Coastal and Marine Resources Centre (CMRC), University College Cork.

A key finding of the report is that despite stated government support for ICZM, there has been ‘no advances in policy or legislative developments for ICZM since the publication of the draft policy for Ireland in 1997’.