SPU CO13-2023 - An Update to Guidance to manage risk to marine mammals from man-made sound sources in Irish waters

Descriptions

Under Article 12 of the Habitats Directive, Member States shall take the requisite measures to establish a system of strict protection for the animal species listed in Annex IV (a) in their natural range, prohibiting:(a) all forms of deliberate capture or killing of specimens of these species in the wild;(b) deliberate disturbance of these species, particularly during the period of breeding, rearing, hibernation and migration; …(d) deterioration or destruction of breeding sites or resting places.This provision is transposed into Irish law by Regulation 51 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations (SI 477 of 2011). Marine mammals are also protected under the Wildlife Act 1976 and amendments. NPWS developed a guidance document to help various sectors manage their potential interaction with marine mammals. The most recent version of the guidance was published by this Department in January 2014 (available to download here).NPWS is now seeking support to update this document in light of more up-to-date information on the potential interaction of various sound sources on marine mammals and best practise internationally on managing those risks. Specifically, NPWS requests support:1.To update “Guidance to Manage the Risk to Marine Mammals from Man-made Sound Sources in Irish Waters” published in January 2014.2.To create an application form that would allow the collection of necessary information to support an application for Regulation 54 derogations for Annex IV(a) marine mammals.3.To develop framework documentation to allow consistent risk assessments to be completed to evaluate the potential risk to marine mammals. Appendix 1BTechnical RequirementsUpdate Guidance to Manage the Risk to Marine Mammals from Man-made Sound Sources in Irish Waters. The following requirements:1.Update the narrative context of the document to reflect more recent publications.2.Update the ecological information about marine mammals and their occurrence in Irish w