Ireland has been invited to sign the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea.

Environment minister Cole Simons made the move on a private visit to the Irish Parliament, Dublin, when he met with his Irish counterpart Denis Naughten.

The Declaration is a political commitment to work with the Government of Bermuda and the Sargasso Sea Commission to conserve the Sargasso Sea — the huge, iconic high seas ecosystem in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre.

Mr Simons said in a statement: “Mr Naughten was keenly interested in the Hamilton Declaration and the conservation of the Sargasso Sea.

“He said he would bring the letter of invitation and our comments to the attention of Michael Creed, Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Mr Creed would need to present the invitation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs as it is a foreign treaty.”

This invitation to Ireland comes after a meeting with British MP Zac Goldsmith, who made the keynote speech about marine issues at the recent Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. Mr Goldsmith praised the manifesto commitment to create “Blue Belts” around the British Overseas Territories, which he described as the “biggest conservation commitment by any government ever”.

Mr Goldsmith acknowledged Bermuda’s satellite study aimed at identifying any illegal fishing in Bermuda’s EEZ.

Mr Simons added: “Mr Goldsmith recognised Bermuda as being ahead of the curve. It is gratifying to have Bermuda singled out for its leadership role in the realm of marine conservation.”