Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 14 Life Below Water 2021

SDG 14.a.1 Proportion of Total Research Budget Allocated to Research in the Field of Marine Technology

SDG 14.a.1 Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology is published by the Marine Institute.

The unit for Policy Innovation and Research Support (PIRS) in the Marine Institute report annually to the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), for inclusion in the Government Budget Allocations for R&D (GBARD). UN guidance for collecting and reporting on this indicator links the indicator to national reporting on ocean science spend that is collected by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC) National Contracts submitted biennially to the IOC for their Global Ocean Science Report.

The Marine Institute currently has a RFQ out to collect the information for Ireland. Data is expected to be collected by mid-November. Further information on the Marine Institute is on their Research and Funding webpage.

SDG 14.b.1 Degree of Application of a Legal/Regulatory/Policy/Institutional Framework Which Recognizes and Protects Access Rights for Small-Scale Fisheries

SDG 14.b.1 Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small-scale fisheries is published by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

€91.6m

Irish Government co-funding for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-2020 programme is €91.6 million

Small scale artisanal fishers in Ireland operate under the Common Fisheries Policy requirements, like all other fishers in the EU, and can equally avail of the opportunities provided by the markets.

A national Inshore Fisheries Forum, based on a network of six regional forums, provides a platform for discussing regulatory and policy issues affecting the inshore fisheries sector. Fishers are encouraged to develop local, regional and national proposals through the forums, with feedback provided by state bodies on scientific objectives, regulation and funding.

Ireland’s European and Maritime Fisheries Fund Operational Programme also includes an action plan for small scale coastal fisheries which afford a preferential rate of funding for eligible activities, including collective actions.

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) supports activities investing in coastal and fishing communities and is implemented in Ireland under the Operational Programme for Ireland.

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund invests €5.7 billion across the European Union to:

• Help fishermen transition to sustainable fishing
• Support coastal communities and help diversify their economies
• Create jobs and improve the quality of life along European coastlines
• Make it easier for applicants to access finance

EMFF Operational Programme for Ireland

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Irish Government co-fund the EMFF Operational Programme for Ireland.

• European Union funding €147.6 million
• Irish government funding €91.6 million
• Total funding €239.2 million

Programme Focus

• Supporting the development of sustainable fishing
• Supporting the aquaculture sector
• Investing in data collection and fisheries control to support the common fisheries policy
• Investing in local development initiatives

The achievement of these objectives is measured using the key performance targets outlined below.

Find more details of projects funded by the Operational Programme for Ireland and news and upcoming events on the website of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-2020.

• 1,800 jobs created and 2,540 existing jobs maintained
• 33,000 tonnes or €23 million increase in fisheries production
• 45,000 tonnes or €112 million increase in aquaculture production
• 85% reduction in unwanted catches

SDG 14.c.1 Number of Countries Making Progress in Ratifying, Accepting and implementing Ocean-Related Instruments that Implement International Law, as Reflected in the United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the Conservation and Sustainable use of the oceans and their resources

SDG 14.c.1 Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the law of the sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources - information is available on the UN SDG database.

UN SDG Information

The following information is taken from the UNSD metadata repository document for SDG 14.c.1:

Definition

SDG 14.c.1 measures the number of countries making progress in the ratification of, accession to and implementation of ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources.

There are two aspects to this indicator:

• The number of countries making progress in ratifying and acceding to ocean-related instruments that implement international law as reflected in UNCLOS for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources, and
• The number of countries making progress in implementing such instruments through legal, policy and institutional frameworks.

Unit of Measure

A score for the ratification of and accession to UNCLOS and its two implementing agreements and a score for the implementation of these instruments, expressed as percentages. 

According to the division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations Secretariat, Ireland scored 100% in the implementation and ratification of UNCLOS and its two implementing agreements in 2021.  

Ireland also scored 100% for the ratification of and accession to UNCLOS and its two implementing agreements in 2021, as indicated on the UN SDG Database.