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The NWWAC and the PelAC have issued a letter to the Department of the Environment requesting inclusion in the OREDP II Advisory Group
The North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) and the Pelagic Advisory Council (PelAC) have issued a joint letter to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in Ireland requesting to be included in the relevant stake holder working groups in the Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan II (OREDP II) Group.
The letter was issued following the joint NWWAC/PelAC briefing on the Marine Planning Act 2021 held in Dun Laoghaire on 19 January this year.
In the joint letter the NWWAC and PelAC advise the Department’s Principal Advisor, Gerry Clabby why they should be involved in the Group. They write:
“As mentioned previously, the ACs are representative and legitimate EU fisheries stakeholder bodies which are legally recognised as organisations pursuing an aim of general European interest. The NWWAC is established in Ireland and produces regular advice on its own initiative or at the request of the European Commission and the concerned Member States on all relevant matters related to fisheries management in the ICES areas 6 and 7. The PelAC, established in the Netherlands, advises the European Commission and relevant Member States on the management of pelagic stocks in all EU areas, except for the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas.
“As a large part of the remit area covered by the NWWAC is in the EEZ of Ireland, our members naturally are interested in and concerned with the offshore wind energy developments in this area and their potential impacts on fisheries. Members of both ACs consist not only of both domestic and international users of the Irish marine space, but also of stakeholders with other interests. Previous work includes policy advice to the European Commission on the impact of offshore wind energy developments, as well as the virtual workshop on the effects of seismic and offshore wind energy developments on commercial fisheries jointly organised by both ACs in 2022.
“Given the importance and urgency of this topic for both the NWWAC and PelAC stakeholders, we kindly request inclusion of both ACs in the relevant stakeholder discussion forums, and in particular the Seafood/ORE Group. The connection to the Advisory Councils will support the stakeholder involvement on a much wider basis without any additional pressure on the Department itself as well as assist our members in keeping abreast of any developments in this area.”
