Christopher O'Sullivan TD, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, has launched a new National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) campaign urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead across the coastal areas of Dublin Bay. The Minister also unveiled new educational signage on the beachfront at Sandymount in Dublin to mark the launch.

The initiative, designed by Dublin-based NPWS Conservation Rangers, focuses on public engagement and education. It aims to raise awareness that Dublin's coastal regions are vital wildlife habitats while remaining shared spaces for sustainable recreation.

Dublin Bay and its surrounding coastline are protected under EU Habitats and Birds Directives. The area supports critical habitats such as Atlantic salt meadows, vegetated sea cliffs, mudflats, sand flats, and coastal dune systems. Recognized as one of only two UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Ireland, the bay is internationally important for breeding birds and wintering wildfowl, such as Brent Geese, which migrate thousands of miles to overwinter and build up energy reserves. Seals and porpoises also depend heavily on the bay.

Dog-related disturbances are a recognized threat to local ecology. When dogs are off-lead, persistent disturbances disrupt the feeding patterns of birds, leading to stress and malnourishment. Furthermore, seals utilize these beaches to rest, give birth, and nurse. Disturbance from loose dogs can lead to abandonment and increased mortality among seal pups. Launching the campaign, Minister O'Sullivan said: "We all love to get out and enjoy our coastlines, but our coastal areas, such as the one here at Dublin Bay are also important habitats for wildlife, including ground nesting birds, seals and porpoises. These species are particularly vulnerable during nesting season and as they rear their young, so we need to be mindful of where we walk, and keep our dogs under control when we are out and about. I welcome this initiative from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, working in cooperation with local authorities in Dublin and Fingal.

"We can all enjoy nature, and that includes our dogs. I'm appealing to dog owners – please keep your dog on a lead in high nature value areas."

The campaign is being delivered in cooperation with Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council, who will continue installing the new signage along the coastline. The initiative also includes an educational animation and extensive community engagement at local beaches over the coming months.

A central element of the project involved local schools. Throughout March and April, school children participated in beach surveys alongside NPWS Conservation Rangers to study the impacts of dog disturbance. The students compiled their findings into presentations while learning about the daily conservation duties of the rangers.

This survey process will be repeated after the campaign concludes to analyse changes in dog-owner behaviour and measure the effectiveness of the initiative.