24/03/2026
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Codes of Conduct to limit disturbance to marine wildlife by marine tourism have been rolled out throughout the world. From whale watching to approaching seal haul out sites or breeding seabird colonies, whale sharks to sunfish, many species of marine megafauna, some endangered, are targeted by marine tourism and a balance needs to be found between supporting tourism and reducing negative impacts.
In the Summer of 2024, the IWDG was contacted by the Southwest Division of NPWS Regional Management seeking tenders for establishment of a Code of Conduct guidelines for marine tour operators running trips out to see marine mammals and other protected species including seals, basking sharks, seabirds and turtles. These guidelines were to target tour boats and other enterprises operating within the newly designated Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, which supports internationally important populations of seals, seabirds and other species such as basking sharks and humpback whales.
The primary objective is to foster best practice in marine wildlife tourism by establishing these voluntary guidelines which will help ensure tour operators are compliant with their legal obligations under Irish and EU law and with ethical considerations as regards protected marine wildlife, especially when occurring in Natura 2000 sites, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) or Special Protection Areas (SPA).
Read the full article on our website: https://iwdg.ie/iwdg-welcome-code-of-conduct-for-marine-wildlife-tour-boat-operators-in-southwest/
📸: Gary Burrows, 2023
