Giant sand art unveiled at Waterford beach
Fair Seas has unveiled a giant 200ft hourglass in the sand at Kilmurrin beach in Co Waterford after it was announced that it will be the middle of next year before any Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation is passed into law. The work was created by visual artist Sean Corcoran and his artist friends. Photo: Sean Corcoran, The Art Hand
Fair Seas, the coalition of leading environmental organisations and networks, has drawn a line in the sand to highlight how time is running out to protect Ireland’s marine environment.
Waterford visual artist Sean Corcoran has etched a giant 200-foot hourglass in the sand at Kilmurrin beach to raise awareness for the protection of Ireland's marine environment.
The giant artwork was completed after it was announced that it will be the middle of next year before any Marine Protected Area (MPA) legislation is passed into law.
The long-awaited legislation, which has been promised since July 2023, is necessary for Ireland to meet its commitments to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, representatives from Fair Seas have said.
The Fair Seas campaign is led by a coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental non-governmental organisations and networks
Dr Donal Griffin, Fair Seas Campaign Manager said, “The confirmation this week that the government needs the remainder of 2025 to make a decision as to what the best legislative route is to introduce Marine Protected Areas is entirely at odds with the urgency with which we need to be approaching this issue.
"Every month that goes by means it’s more difficult to reach our internationally agreed target of designating 30% of our seas as MPAs by 2030. Meanwhile, fish stocks are declining dramatically with many marine ecosystems on the verge of collapse. If we are to address this slide, and help restore our seas to good health again, we need the legal basis that new national MPA legislation provides."
