Ireland – Environmental protection – The provision of ecological services to carry out boat-based visual surveys for Harbour Porpoise in the Roaringwater Bay and Islands SAC, Co Cork

As part of Ireland’s conservation obligations concerning cetaceans there is a significant requirement for the monitoring of cetacean occurrence in all Irish waters. The State also has a legal obligation through the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) to monitor key marine habitats and species and to report on their conservation status to the EU. Since Roaringwater Bay and Islands, Co. Cork comprise a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for inter alia Harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) a number of population assessment studies have been undertaken within this site, the most recent being boat-based surveys carried out during 2020, 2015, 2013 and 2008. In order to fulfil the requirements for monitoring set out within the Habitats Directive a population assessment compatible in methodology with aforementioned surveys will be undertaken during 2025. The National Parks and Wildlife Service of DHLGH now invites tenders for the provision of ecological services to carry out boat-based visual surveys for Harbour Porpoise in the Roaringwater Bay and Islands SAC, Co. Cork.