A Positive Step for Basking Sharks and Marine Wildlife

By Dónal Griffin

Earlier this week, the Irish Basking Shark Group received some fantastic and very welcome news. On 3 March 2026, the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan TD, announced a new voluntary Marine Wildlife Code of Conduct for tour operators engaged in wildlife watching off the southwest coast. The Code has been developed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in collaboration with tour operators, and the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group, which is led by Dr Simon Berrow, the IBSG’s very own co-founder.

As stated in the NPWS announcement, the Code aims to help avoid harmful disturbance to sensitive wildlife and to encourage sustainable and responsible tourism operations off the Cork and Kerry coast. It is also a conservation project of Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, Ireland’s first Marine National Park.

As the Minister highlighted at the launch:

“The whale watching off the southwest coast can be world class. Encounters with ocean giants like fin whales and humpback whales aren’t unusual, and there’s also a chance to see other species like basking sharks and grey seals. But with the growth in eco-tourism and wildlife tourism, it’s important that we emphasise how this can be done responsibly. The Code of Conduct I’m launching today strikes a balance between delivering world-class wildlife experiences on the water while also ensuring that the species themselves are protected.”

The Code sets out best practice for interactions with species found off the Cork and Kerry coastlines, including whales, dolphins, seals, seabirds, basking sharks and turtles. It includes guidance to minimise and eliminate disturbance during wildlife watching activities, such as recommended speeds, distance limits and time restrictions when observing wildlife from boats.

Importantly, it also describes behaviours that animals may display when they are experiencing disturbance and highlights times when species may be particularly vulnerable, such as during breeding seasons. The Minister also noted that the Code is the result of an extensive consultation process with tour operators in the southwest region and is based on the latest scientific research.

As the IBSG is all too aware, basking sharks can be vulnerable to disturbance from a variety of human activities. These include noise from vessels, the presence of boats and personal watercraft, the irresponsible use of drones, and increased visitor pressure. This is why the IBSG developed our very own IBSG Basking Shark Code of Conduct, which can be downloaded in English and in Irish, to help raise awareness about how human behaviour and activities in the marine environment can negatively impact basking shark health, natural behaviour, and even their chances of successfully mating and reproducing.

For many years, the IBSG has believed that a Government led, nationwide statutory Code of Conduct would be one of the best ways to properly protect this species. We have been advocating for this since the group was founded over 15 years ago.

In 2023, following the successful campaign led by the IBSG to afford legal protection to basking sharks under Ireland’s Wildlife Act (1976), the then responsible Ministers, Malcolm Noonan and Charlie McConalogue, announced national legal protection for basking sharks. At the same time, they also committed to developing a statutory code of conduct to support that protection. The IBSG is therefore delighted to see this work now progressing, with the new Code of Conduct being trialled in the southwest of Ireland within Ireland’s newest national park, Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. 

We would like to thank the Minister, NPWS, participating tour operators, IWDG and all those involved in developing this initiative to date. We look forward to seeing the Code of Conduct continue to develop and, ultimately, to being rolled out nationwide to help protect basking sharks and other marine wildlife around Ireland.

Read more about the new NPWS Marine Wildlife Code of Conduct here.

Download the IBSG Basking Shark Code of Conduct here.