Belinda Bramley

That's a fair question.

And we've allowed our seas to become very depleted because we've systematically allowed overfishing and we haven't implemented marine protected areas that are strongly protected.

I think we can look to examples around the world, like in Portugal.

We've heard from the Azores programme where government is giving support for fisheries to restructure.

We can't expect people...

to give up their livelihoods in the short term while we wait for the fish to come back.

There has to be a structured support and an honest conversation around that.

I think it's a really exciting moment for Ireland because you're just about to take on the EU presidency.

So Europe is behind generally on marine protection compared to the rest of the world.

There are more difficulties with doing it in Europe, but they're not insurmountable.

Portugal is blazing a trail, and I think Ireland, as a big ocean state within Europe, can take a lead politically, but it will need political willing behind this and the support of all the communities that will be affected by these moon-protected areas, which goes back to the co-design from the very outset, so that the MPAs are not an imposition

They are presented as underpinning coastal prosperity for future generations, if we want to put it that way.

Finding the coalition of the willing, I would say.

Start with where there is willingness, particularly at the community level, people that get it, especially fishermen or ex-fishermen, and work with what there is, work with whatever you can, bringing those examples from overseas of participatory mapping, but being prepared to listen.

The government needs to listen.