Marine expert Dr Kevin Flannery has criticised the Government over its lack of adequate consultation with local fishers in advance of announcing the State’s first marine national park.

The new park, Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, involves some 70,000 acres of Kerry’s land and sea and is centred around Corca Dhuibhne in Co Kerry.

It includes the Conor Pass, the Owenmore River catchment, lands at Mount Brandon and the sand dune system at Inch Peninsula.

Sites already under Irish state ownership, such as the limestone reefs of Kerry Head shoals and the waters around the Blasket islands, are also included.

Marine expert Dr Kevin Flannery

Two ministers – housing minister Darragh O’Brien and education minister Norma Foley -along with two junior ministers made the announcement in Kerry late last month.

However Dr Kevin Flannery, rare fish expert and former fisheries officer, said that there was a lot of concern in advance of the announcement, given the lack of consultation in advance.

“A pre-launch meeting was held with fishermen’s representatives, and they were informed that there would be no change to the current status quo with regard to all current fishing operations and regulations,” Flannery said.

“There was a “mea culpa” from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) for not informing fishermen, but as usual fishermen do not fit in with this government’s green agenda,” Flannery said.

“The only worrying aspect is that it would be quite easy for the Government to say now that this park will be a marine protected area (MPA) as part of the 30 per cent EU MPA requirements,” he said.

“There just has to be prior consultation when people’s livelihoods are at stake,”Flannery said.

Lands on the Great Blasket island, the globally significant UNESCO World Heritage property of Skellig Michael, the Little Skellig rock and Puffin island and An Tiaracht nature reserve, managed by the Irish lighthouse service, are part of the park.

The NPWS says the sea locations are internationally important sites for rare and endangered seabirds, and described as of enormous significance for biodiversity. The shallow bays are important breeding sites for sharks and rays, and include an extensive and biologically rich marine limestone reef system.

The indicative map of the first Marine National Park announced on the Kerry coastline " title=" The indicative map of the first Marine National Park announced on the Kerry coastline

In a response from the Department of Housing, which includes the NPWS, a spokesman said that “all of the sites in Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí are designated Natura sites under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives in their own right under European law, or as statutory nature reserves”.

“This means that the pre-existing regulatory requirements, designations and restrictions on activities in these sites remain in place. And these are well understood by the fishing and farming communities,” the spokesman said.

Activities requiring consent before the announcement “are the same as those resulting from the creation of the Páirc”, he said.

“Clearly, as stressed, there will be further engagement with all communities of stakeholders as we move forward,” he said.

The announcement has been welcomed by the Fair Seas coalition which has been campaigning for the 30 per cent MPA commitment in Irish waters.

The rejection is a major setback for Údaras na Gaeltachta, the Gaeltacht development authority, which based its jobs growth strategy on employment the new marine park would create.

Páirc na Mara, which was to be located in Carna in the Iorras Aithneach area of the Gaeltacht, had attracted significant marine interest when proposals were initially rolled out.

The plan was welcomed by members of the Carna and Cill Chiaráin communities.

However, the initial planning application was turned down by Galway County Council in 2021.

Bord Pleanála has given several reasons for rejecting the appeal. It highlighted lack of information on potential impact of climate change, and impact on water levels and the water supply in sources nearby.

Udaras na Gaeltachta, has said it is awaiting a copy of the full inspector’s report before commenting further.