Category Archives: Bits and bobs

Biodiversity and the General Election 2020

I have looked at the manifestos of the different political parties for General Election 2020 to assess their ambition to address the biodiversity crisis in Ireland. I have taken a fairly straightforward approach to this. My starting rationale is that because Dáil Éireann has already declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency I would expect each party to have specific biodiversity policies and actions to address this emergency. I haven’t looked at their other policies to see their potential impact on biodiversity.

Here is my summary of the different party’s positions.

 

 

Biodiversity is mentioned as one of the issues under the Environment section headed Environment – statement of biodiversity.

The text reads:

Irish Native Bio-diversity

Ireland’s Bio diversity is being hammered. This is dangerous at a number of different levels. Even if you set aside our responsibility as a society to protect the diversity and richness of the flora and fauna in our natural environment, there is still a significant economic cost to the destruction of our environment. It is estimated that Ireland’s biodiversity contributes €2.6 billion each year to the Irish economy through ecosystem services.

Ireland has traded for generations on its image of being a green and natural island. We have made billions of euro from food and tourism on the basis of this image.”

My comment: I couldn’t find a single suggestion as to how this issue would be addressed if Aontú formed part of a new Government.

Score: 0 out of 10

Fianna Fail’s election manifestion is called Ireland for all.

A high level commitment under A sustainable future proposes to “Create a new Biodiversity Fund to protect species”.

Under its agricultural policies in relation to Areas of Natural Constraint it proposes three actions; “1. Allocate an additional €50m above 2020 levels to bring the ANC scheme funding to €300m per annum. 2. Enhance biodiversity management of lands by fully restoring the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Farm Plan Scheme with an additional €4m in funding. 3. Ensure the NPWS completes a Threat Response Plan for the conservation of Hen Harriers on designated land.”

Under the Create a sustainable Forestry sector it promises to “Update the legislative mandate of Coillte Teoranta so it will also have a specific remit for supporting the delivery of climate change commitments and biodiversity protection”.

Under the Secure a strong Fisheries sector it proposes to “Protect Marine Biodiversity and Enhancing Marine Tourism. This includes introducing an ‘Oceans Act’ to protect Ireland’s seas, while working at an EU level to achieve the establishment of ambitious 2030 targets”.

Under the Safeguard our biodiversity, it proposed five actions.

  1. “Deliver the 119 targeted actions in the National Biodiversity Plan”
  2. “Initiate a new €10m Biodiversity Fund to protect our natural heritage and support environmental NGOs”
  3. “Increase the budget for the National Parks and Wildlife Service by €25m by 2025, so that it has sufficient resources to advice and support the National Biodiversity Action Plan and tackle areas of non-compliance”
  4. “Launch a national re-wilding plan across OPW and Local Authority parks.”
  5. “Ensure the public sector leads by example in biodiversity by protecting and rewilding green spaces in all public sector premises. The Oireachtas will lead the way re-wilding Leinster Lawn and re-introducing a green space in Kildare street.”

My comment: Fianna Fail pledges quite a significant increased budget to assist biodiversity conservation, which is to be welcomed. However, other than pledging more funding I get no sense from the manifesto that Fianna Fail understands the drivers of biodiversity loss, and the transformative changes that are needed to begin to address this crisis.

My score: 4 out of 10

Fine Gael sets out its policies in its 109 page manifesto A future to look forward to 

Under the heading Sustainable Irish Farming it includes a section on Supporting biodiversity. Specifically it promises to  “continue to invest strategically in programmes under the CAP that support biodiversity. We will complete a national hedgerow survey, …and will continue to fund initiatives under agri-environment schemes that support biodiversity initiatives in this area, building on our significant investment in the hen harrier, freshwater pearl mussel, apiculture and European Partnerships initiative (EIP) projects.”

Under Funding Climate Action it promises  “An €80 million Enhanced Peatland Restoration and Rehabilitation scheme to run over four years, which will restore thousands of hectares of Bord na Móna bogs to a high standard, so that they can store carbon, foster biodiversity and provide 200 jobs.

A section under The importance of our biodiversity the main committment is that  “Under Project Ireland 2040, we are investing €60  million in the greater protection of our nature and biodiversity. Central to this will be the continued implementation of the third National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021 and building on the commitments made at the first National Biodiversity Conference, which took place in 2019.”

Under the Restoring our bogs section, it states “A major restoration effort has been underway on our raised bogs since 2011. We will continue to invest in peatlands restoration, rewetting and restoring native peatlands. This will include funding to community groups to develop projects that promote our peatlands.”

Under Local Biodiversity Project four comittments are made:

  • To increase funding for local nature groups and local authorities to work in partnership on [existing local biodiversity] projects”
  • “continue to raise awareness of biodiversity through initiatives,
    including an Annual Biodiversity Awards Scheme”
  • “achieve further UNESCO designations for Irish sites, including the Lough Allen region.”

Under the Implementation of the ‘biodiversity duty’ section Fine Gael promise to “ensure full implementation of the ‘biodiversity duty’ on public bodies to have regard to policies, guidelines, and objectives to promote the conservation of biodiversity and the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

Under the Appointing an Education Liaisons Officers in our National Parks heading it promises to  “appoint Education Liaison Officers in each of our National Parks to work with schools across the country, in order to promote the importance of biodiversity and the natural world, and to involve pupils in the work that goes on in our National Parks.” In addition, it seeks “to promote biodiversity initiatives across primary, postprimary and third-level sectors and seek to ensure that schools, colleges and universities across the country play an active role in providing areas to promote biodiversity.”

My comment: The manifestion largely draws on the continued implementation of actions in the National Biodiversity Plan. This is to be welcomed, but mind you, when in Government Fine Gael didn’t allocate any additional funding to help its implementation. Overall the policy manifesto does not recognise the dire biodiversity crisis that we have in Ireland, and proposing what is effectively a ‘business as usual’ policy when clearly it is not working is just not good enough.

My score: 3 out of 10.

Green party has a separate Position Paper on Biodiversity and the first section in the consolidated 62 manifesto Towards 2030: a decade of change deals with Addressing the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency

The four page Position Paper on Biodiversity begins by setting out the evidence for Biodiversity Crisis and identifies the drivers of biodiversity loss- habitat destruction, pollution, growth of invasive species, land use change and climate change

The position paper identifies 12 highlights of their policy and these are elaborated upon under five headings, namely; Institutions, Organisations and Policymaking, Farms and forests, Water, Wetlands, and Measures for Specific Species.

The twelve actions are:

  1. Work to ensure Brexit does not have negative impact on Ireland’s biodiversity
  2. Publish a National Land Use Plan to maximise biodiversity
  3. Split NPWS into two bodies and substantially increase funding
  4. Legislate for protection of natural heritage, including stricter planning on major land use changes
  5. Government Task Force on Farming and Biodiversity
  6. Task force will inform the development of a National Action Plan on Biodiversity in Agriculture
  7. New afforestation scheme to pay 120,000 farmers to plant one hectare of woodland on their farms.
  8. Switch in forest policy toward mixed, biodiverse, Close to Nature-Continuous Cover forestry
  9. Designate 50% of Irish territorial waters as Marine Protected Areas
  10. End ‘denuding’ of upland blanket bogs and undertake a major programme of peatland restoration and rewetting
  11. fund and support the National Pollinator Plan across all land types.
  12. At least a doubling of the core funding provided to Environmental NGOs

There are some other elements of their proposals outlined in the text of the document, such as acknowleding the transboundary context for biodiversity actions and the introduction of annual audits of local authority environmental performance. There is also a clear statement that if in power the Green Party would “encourage an extensification of the animal agricultural model which places emphasis on biodiversity, habitat creation and other environmental outcomes.” It also mentions the legendary ecologists E.O. Wilson!

My comment: This is a clear policy statement that articulates the problems and prospective solutions to tackle many of the issues around biodiversity loss. Many actions, such as a National Land Use Plan and a Task Force on Farming and Biodivesity, are strategic and could lead to new direction for biodiversity. The efforts to reduce the conflict between farming and biodiversity are particularly welcomed.

My score: 9 out of 10

 

The Labour Party sets out its policies in a 44 page manifesto Building an Equal Society. It addresses biodiversity under three sections.

  1. AgricultureLabour will support the growth of diverse and organic farming methods to enhance biodiversity outcomes in the agricultural sector.”
  2. ForestryLabour will instruct the Department, along with Coillte and the National Council for Forest Research and Development, to develop and implement an ambitious national strategy for forestry and the “bioeconomy” of new products made from wood pulp, including biodegradable industrial foams and plastic substitutes, with an aim of further increasing the amount of land under forest cover, and striking the right balance between continuous cover, native species and commercial Sitka Spruce growing with the aim of maximising carbon capture, biodiversity and sustainable jobs.
  3. Cleaner air, water and habitatsLabour will require detailed annual reports to be published on Ireland’s biodiversity and the status of habitats, as part of a strengthened biodiversity strategy. We will invest more in protecting habitats to preserve biodiversity.

My comment: These actions attempt to address only some isssues of biodiversity loss, and what is proposes is little more than generic comittments. The manifesto fails entirely to recognise the biodiversity crisis we face, and lacks any ambition in this area.

My score: 1 out of 10

People before Profit sets out its policies in a 40 page Election Manifesto which does not mention the word ‘biodiversity’. But it does propose two actions that could benefit biodiversity.

One of the actions listed under the Green Jobs heading reads  “Introduce payments for farmers to reforest the land: Ireland has one of the lowest levels of forest coverage in Europe and farmers struggle to make an income off the land. We would pay farmers €3,000 per hectare to reforest and tend to new native forestry – drawing down carbon and improving lives in rural Ireland.

A second action listed under the A new deal for farming communities, reads “Incentivise the development of organic farming for local consumption and direct farmer markets”.

My comment: People Before Profit shows little, if any interest in the biodiversity crisis.

My score: 1 out of 10

Sinn Fein outlines its policies in its 110 page manifesto Giving workers and families a break – A manifesto for change. The only mention of biodiversity is under the section dealing with Agriculture, Food and Marine. It reads “All farmers should be supported through CAP payments in protecting hedgerows and other natural features of their land, which enhance the environment and biodiversity. Under current rules, livestock farmers are often encouraged to remove hedgerows to increase farm sizes. That needs to change in the next Common Agricultural Policy”. 

My comment: The protection of hedgerows is an important issue, but it is hardly the only one that contributes to our biodiversity crisis.

My score: I out of 10

 

Social Democrats have a specific policy on biodiversity, one of 10 key policy areas.  It is titled Biodiversity: protecting our fauna and natural habitats, a beautifully produced six page document.

The opening paragraph under the heading Our Urgent Biodiversity Challenege holds no punches “Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest challenges that Ireland faces. This is not a crisis that has just come upon us, but has been years in the making. For far too long, we have relied on the false narrative that Ireland as a green country, is also an environmentally friendly one

It then highlights the recent IPBES global assessment, some evidence of biodiversity loss from Ireland, and the fact that Dáil Éireann declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in 2019. It goes on to stress the importance of working with farmers to restore biodiversity.

Under the heading of Our Natural Habitat, it highlights the need to promote more broadleaf deciduous forestry, to buy ‘unprofitable’ farmland to plant native forest, and to expand the area of National Park. Under the heading Our Fauna it highlights the dramatic insect declines and makes a committment to fund conservation.  The document provides a very succinct overview of its policy objective – “If we wish Ireland to be a country where nature thrives once again, we must also continue to fund conservation for our vulnerable and endangered larger animal species, on land and in water, and, where suitable habitat exists, endeavour to reintroduce species which have become extinct on the island due to human activity.” This is a statement that I might use in future presentations.

The policy proposes 18 specific actions to address the biodiversity crisis. These are:

  1. A voluntary purchase scheme for unprofitable farmland, to be
    converted into protected native woodland
  2. Incentives for the practice of agroforestry
  3. Incentives for the planting of native trees on private land
  4. Double the area of protected nature reserves by 2040
  5. Promote and expand wildlife corridors across the county
  6. To require state bodies to first examine upstream natural based
    solutions when considering works required to deal with flood relief and protection
  7. Reintroduction of extirpated species where research has established feasibility
  8. Significant state funding for the conservation of endangered and vulnerable native species.
  9. Fund Councils and Inland Fisheries to map and remediate barriers to fish migration within their riverine systems
  10. National legislation to significantly reduce or eliminate the nonagricultural use of pesticides and herbicides outdoors
  11. State funding for the monitoring and eradication of invasive species
  12. Require Councils map areas of local environmental importance ….and include them in County Development Plans as areas to
    be protected.
  13. In urban areas, …to prioritise the planting of trees and flowers in existing and new developments, and on streets
  14. To fund Councils to undertake Trap, Neuter and Return programmes for feral cats
  15. Encouraging local councils to create native Woodland Walks and
    Wildflower Meadows in existing and new parks.
  16. Making the creation of wild picnic bench spots in office developments and … the creation of rooftop gardens in offices and apartments a vital part … urban planning regulation
  17. Ensuring all local authorities and planning authorities have all
    hedgerows assessed while making planning decisions and that priority is given to maintaining and protecting existing hedgerows and trees….
  18. To establish a Wildlife Crime Unit in an Garda Siochana

My comment: This is an excellent policy document, very well laid out and clearly written. The proposed actions are strategic and address most of the key drivers of biodiversity loss. The policy shows a deep understanding of the issues, and the kind of response that is needed if we are to achieve transformative change. Recognising that an expanded protected area network has a key role to play in conservation policy is particularly welcomed.

My score: 9 out of 10

 

What’s this Patchwork Challenge?

For many, birdwatching is about making lists. Lists of the birds seen on a walk, lists of the birds that visit your garden, or lists of all the birds seen over one’s lifetime. This characteristic of birdwatching is taken to its logical extent with the advent of Patchwork Challenge –500 or so birdwatchers across Britain and Ireland making lists, and competing, to see who can see the most birds in their site (or patch) in a year.  The rules are quite simple; your patch can’t be more than 3 km2. You make a list of all the birds seen over the year and for each common bird seen you score a single point, less common species 2 points and 3 or more points for rarities, mega rarities, etc. The patch with the most points at the end of the year wins. Simple!

But of course it is only the very special wildlife sites that can compete at this level, so the Patchwork Challenge has another dimension. It allows participants to list all the species they find in any given year, and use this as the benchmark to reach, or exceed, in subsequent years. This ‘comparative’ score allows everyone to compete on an equal basis, irrespective of the quality of their patch. It is this that makes it so appealing (or compelling) for bird watching in a local patch.

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Bramblestown – a challenging birding area!

Well I thought I would join this merry band of men (for the majority are men) and give this Patchwork Challenge a go, to see what it is all about. First task was to decide on my site. As I don’t have much time for birdwatching these days, the choice was simple. My patch would have to be either around where I live, or around where I work. As the latter was already someone else’s patch, it had to be around where I live in Bramblestown, Co. Kilkenny. This is prime agricultural land – not great raw material to work with, in birdwatching terms, that is.  But looking at the map, if I was clever, I could draw the boundary to include Bramblestown Bog and Gowran Park Race Course within my patch to maximise the variety of habitats. The patch I settled on has an area of 254 ha, comprised of 121 ha of grassland, 55 ha arable, 33 ha golf course, 31 ha broadleaved woodland, 8 ha commercial forestry and 6 ha of wetland.  That I could find such diversity of habitat in my local patch was my first ‘patchwork’ surprise, and this augured well for my challenge.

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It was a wet start to the year.

I have now completed my first month of the Patchwork Challenge, so how have I got on? Well, first the statistics. In January I recorded 44 species and amassed 47 points; I picked up double points for long-eared owl (seen in the headlights of my car going to work), peregrine and hooded crow. The latter is a geographic anomaly of this being a British-led initiative!

And more importantly, what do I make of it all? Certainly it has given birdwatching around my home some purpose, and adds more enjoyment to walking the dogs. And although it is just a list, it has meant that I am far more observant and questioning about bird behaviour in my patch. I was intrigued that I had difficulty, for example, in seeing snipe despite there being plenty of apparently suitable habitat. I did manage to see them, but not in the area I expected. I wondered why that was the case?  I know there are tree sparrow in the area so I make a point of regularly locating and scanning the resident flock of finches and buntings looking for the ‘tick’. Still no sign of the tree sparrow, so I am curious, where might they be? Or perhaps the population in Ireland is on the decline once more? [note to self- I must check the Common Birds Survey data]. And late last year I thought yellowhammer numbers were way down on previous years, but that is not the case; it is only that they have moved to a part of the patch I rarely walk through. This has made me question, what determines small scale distributional shifts like this?  And showing off stock doves was a regular party piece of mine for any visiting birder, but no sign of them so far this year. Where have the blighters gone when I need them?

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Where have all the stock doves gone?

And, perhaps most importantly of all, I know that if I make a full list of all the species I see on my regular walks and submit this to the British Trust for Ornithology’s Bird Track system, then I know that I am helping to build up quantitative information that can be used to track bird population change across Ireland and Britain. That is a good use of my precious birdwatching time.

All in all, this has been enjoyable, and I have been surprised at how much there is to learn on one’s doorstep, on one’s patch. Oh, and the dogs are fitter!

Here is my month’s diary:

1st JANUARY: was a wet, windy day. Took dogs for walk across Tomas Brennan’s arable fields – didn’t even make it into to double figures!

List: 1. Blackbird, 2. Robin, 3. Blue Tit, 4. Great Tit, 5. Rook, 6. Woodpigeon, 7. Dunnock, 8. Skylark.

3rd JANUARY: was drier. Visited Bramblestown Bog for a while. Delighted visit brought me to 28 species, including beautiful views of a peregrine and heard jay calling -15 teal, 2 mallard. First proper day birding in my patch and was able to add 20 species.

List: 9. Kestrel, 10. Yellowhammer, 11. Pied Wagtail, 12. Chaffinch, 13. Magpie, 14. Jackdaw, 15. Mistle Thrush, 16. Starling, 17. Long-tailed Tit, 18. Hooded Crow, 19. Wren, 20. Reed Bunting, 21. Buzzard, 22. Peregrine, 23. Moorhen, 24. Jay, 25. Teal, 26. Mallard, 27. Goldcrest, 28. Grey Heron.

9th JANUARY :Cool (6 °C) and overcast. Ground still saturated. Tomas Brennan and Greg’s fields. Added only two new species, song thrush and raven. Surprised not to have seen redwing, fieldfare or snipe yet

List: 29. Song Thrush, 30. Raven.

10th JANUARY:  walked the large cereal field to north of Drey’s Gate (got strange looks from neighbours when taking photograph in middle of field!) Here I located my flock of finches, buntings and thrushes. Field very wet but good numbers of birds about.

List: 31. Bullfinch, 32. Lesser Redpoll, 33. Redwing, 34. Fieldfare, 35. Meadow Pipit.

14th JANUARY to work spotted Long-eared owl in headlights of car (too easy!).

List: 36. Long-eared Owl

17th JANUARY: Dull overcast damp day. Had a few nights of frost during week, but gone now, 8 °C  today. Walked south of Drey’s gate to forestry at south western side of patch. Nice patch of woodland; alder and birch around perimeter of conifers. Flock of about a dozen siskin was my highlight, and a sparrowhawk. Tracked down the linnet flock near John O’Donnells.

List: 37. House Sparrow, 38. Sparrowhawk, 39. Siskin, 40. Linnet, 41. Coal Tit

20th JANUARY: Didn’t need to leave for work until about 10:00hrs so took the dogs for a walk. Frost overnight so ground was white, but not too frozen. On John Farrell’s scrubby patch flushed three or four snipe. First for the year. Relieved to have them ticked off!

List: 42. Common Snipe.

22nd JANUARY: beautiful bright mild spring day. Walked across Tom Brennan’s fields in afternoon. Flock of 35 yellowhammers, and 30 or so Skylark. Saw a large flock of Golden Plover, 500 birds at least, high in the sky off to the east.  Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls in the distance too.

List: 43. Golden Plover, 44. Lesser Black-backed Gull.

My year in review – nature in the news in 2015

Here are some of my reflections on the year just gone, based on media coverage of nature conservation issues.

Nature conservation needs champions, and in May, with the publication of the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si, Pope Francis became that champion.   Calling for a ‘…new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet’, the encyclical’s hope is to ‘… help us to acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face’… to protect the future of our planet. The language is clear, unambiguous and hard hitting, and contains a whole host of messages that should become compulsory reading for politicians, business leaders and decision-makers.  For me, the message that ‘Caring for ecosystems demands far-sightedness, since no one looking for quick and easy profit is truly interested in their preservation…’ is a core principle that undermines my personal conservation efforts.

Map of Irish State
Map of the Irish State

In my view, public policy is driven by short-termism and way too narrowly focussed economic metrics for measuring progress.  The publication in November of A Map of the Irish State, produced a graphical representation of where the funding and power lies within public administration in Ireland. The landscape is dominated by the powerful and big spending Departments of Health, Social Protection and Education and Skills.   Far from the centre of power, away off to the right, on a peninsula surrounded by pale blue seas, lies the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.  Clearly poorly resourced, even when the Department is successful in securing funding, such as for the €250 k tender issued for monitoring of Irish bats, the predictable media stories appear about waste of money.  The response from the Department to this criticism is almost apologetic. Just in the way that investment in transport is not seen as spending money on concrete or screws, or investment in pharmaceutical is not seen as spending money on tablets, investment in biodiversity should not be seen as spending money on wildlife. Instead it is spending money on a valuable national asset, the proper management of which will enrich all our lives and Ireland’s socio-economic well being. This message needs to be articulated more frequently and with more vigour.

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President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, with myself and Conor Newman, Chair of the Heritage Council

Off-shore from the peninsula that is Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltach lies the Heritage Council. An independent advisory council on Ireland’s heritage, it celebrated its 20th anniversary in May and was joined by the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins to mark the occasion. In an inspirational talk the President set the scene, and identified many of the challenges facing the heritage sector in Ireland. It was one of the best delivered and most inspirational speeches on heritage I have ever heard  [view speech]. Off the back of its 20th anniversary, the Heritage Council used the milestone to mobilise the sector around its call for enhanced funding to strengthen the heritage infrastructure and community-based heritage initiatives of the nation. Just recently, the Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht announced a paltry increase of €500k to the Heritage Council, rather than the modest €2.5 million sought.

The Map of the Irish State is a stark, but true representation of the very significant challenges to be overcome if the conservation of biological diversity is to ‘mainstreamed’ in Ireland; one of the key objectives of the National Biodiversity Plan.

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Male hen harrier (Photo: Isle of Man Government)

Nature conservation controversies continued to make the news in 2015, and illustrates the rather convoluted relationship that we, as a nation have with wildlife. The majestic hen harrier was the focus of much attention with a concerted effort by some groups to undermine its conservation measures. The killing of one of the radio-tagged hen harriers in Kerry was greeted with dismay by conservationists, and highlighted the potential consequences of irresponsible populist grandstanding by local public representatives.  There was similar stories on pine marten and seagulls (sic) from other local areas during the year, but these were generally met with ridicule.

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All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020

On the other hand, the golden eagle and white-tailed eagle re-introduction programmes show there is significant support for nature conservation in some quaters. In Mountshannon, for example, a local group did great work in actively protecting and promoting a breeding pair of white-tailed eagles. Sadly, the golden eagle is struggling to gain a sustainable population foothold in Ireland but the news for the white-tailed eagle is more positive, as thirteen pairs held territories and four young fledged this year. The news that red squirrel is making a strong comeback in many parts of the country is greeted with delight. The extensive and hugely positive media coverage of the publication of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan 2015-2020 showed there is an audience for well-presented, positive action for the conservation of nature in Ireland.

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Killarney National Park was the location for a few conservation battles in 2015

There were stories about ‘conservation’ battles, but unfortunately most issues seemed to involve a diminution of the protection measures afforded wildlife. A consultation exercise to review dates of hedgerow cutting under the Wildlife Act, pitted farmers against conservationists, with farmers seeking a reduction in the period of time when cutting is prohibited.  A campaign was also mounted to amend the conditions attached to Special Protection Areas for hen harrier and pushes for changes to the management of Killarney National Park for ‘controlling’ fires and red deer numbers, while management of the Rhododendron problem continues to remain inadequate. The upshot is that the Minister has just announced that the periods for controlling hedgerow cutting and burning of vegetation under the Wildlife Act is to be curtailed on a ‘pilot basis’. Clearly, there is an issue of uncontrolled burning of hillside vegetation as half the county was burning this spring, but how reducing controls on burning of vegetation in March will help this, is beyond me. The decision to change the dates when hedgerow cutting and burning of vegetation is permitted is a bad decision, made for the wrong reasons.  On the positive side, the decision to introduce a ban on the sale woodcock was a welcomed move.

This year also saw a test case for the operation of the Imperative Reasons for Overriding Public Interest clause of the Habitats Directive in relation to extension of Galway Docks by the Galway Harbour Company.  And at the European Union level, a ‘fitness check’ of the EU Nature Directives was initiated, which potentially could have profound negative consequences for statutory protection of nature in Ireland, should it lead to changes to the legislation.

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Sceilig Mhichíl and a war of a different kind (Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki)

And the enchanting Sceilig Mhichíl was in the news too; a virtual galactic warfare manifested as a real life spat. I don’t know what to think about this issue. Based on the media coverage it has the appearance of a decision by our authorities to allow filming of Star Wars at all costs, paying scant regard for due environmental process. I can understand the desire to benefit from the spin-off that the association with Star Wars will bring, but is this too high a price to pay? Certainly, there is risk of losing the spirituality of the Sceilig; I hope the tangible heritage does not suffer the same fate.

Biodiversity score card
Good progress shown on only 32% of Ireland Biodiversity Indicators.

The release of Ireland’s National Biodiversity Indicators, only the 5th European Country to have developed such indicators, shows that satisfactory progress has been made on only 32%. Again, not great news but at least now, we have a means of measuring progress on meeting Ireland’s international obligations on the conservation of biological diversity.

On the positive side, GLAS the new agri-environment scheme has been established, which has the target of providing payments to 50,000 farmers for environmental, including biodiversity, measures. High Nature Value farmland initiatives seem to have finally gained traction in Ireland. The well-publicised Burren LIFE project has now been joined by the equally successful Aran LIFE project, and other regionally-based schemes like the Blackstairs Farming Group are being planned. And there are many examples of excellent local initiatives where communities are delivering positive, on the ground actions for biodiversity.

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Padraig Whooley: Distinguished Recorder 2015

Three champions of biodiversity were rightly recognised for their work this year. Kevin Flannery was awarded an honorary degree by U.C.C. in recognition of his work on documenting Ireland’s marine life.  Padraig Whooley was this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Recorder Award for his work on recording of cetaceans. Matt Murphy celebrated his 80th birthday and 40 years of the Sherkin Island Marine Station that he and his wife Eileen established in 1975.  Matt also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cork Environmental Forum in November. Neither events made it into the media, but they should have done, for Matt and the Sherkin Island Marine Station is a national treasure.

And it needs to be said that, throughout the year, I have been in contact with a very large number of people who are passionately interested in wildlife and nature conservation, yet this interest is rarely captured by the national media. Therefore, if my year’s reflection is a bit negative this year, I blame the media!

My Nature Conservation Bucket List

The long dark days of winter are a dangerous time; it gives one far too much time for thinking and pondering on the meaning of life, etc. Well this winterI got to thinking. Even if all nature conservation policy was fully implemented in Ireland in the short-term, there are still additional things that I would like to see happen. So here is a list of 10 ‘big ticket’ additional initiatives I would like to see happen in nature conservation in Ireland before I die. It could be considered my ‘Nature Conservation Bucket List’!

  1. A State Agency for nature conservation in Ireland

It is somewhat of an anomaly that Ireland doesn’t have a state agency with responsibility for nature conservation. Ireland has the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental protection, Inland Fisheries Ireland for fisheries management, Coillte for forest management, Waterways Ireland for waterways management, and so forth, so why not an agency for nature conservation?  (NPWS is part of a Government Department).

  1. Designate sites of national, regional and local importance.

In contrast with most other European countries, Ireland lacks a network of legally protected sites of national, regional and local importance (the current network of SACs and SPAs are protecting sites of European importance). Such a network was in place until 1990 with the designation of the Areas of Scientific Interest, but has become redundant as a legal challenge found the designation process to be unconstitutional. The removal of this pillar of nature conservation policy should be rectified.

  1. Provide additional financial incentives to promote positive land management for conservation

Nature Reserves and positive land management for conservation are a vital element in any nature conservation policy. Special financial and taxation incentives should be available for landowners and farmers who are willing to designate their land as Important Nature Areas under a medium to long term agreement, and carry out specific, target-driven management actions to achieve nature conservation objectives.

  1. Articulate a vision for Ireland’s biodiversity in 2050

A vision for what the Irish countryside and biodiversity should look like in 2050 needs to be articulated, and a high-level blueprint presented for the structures and actions that are needed to achieve this vision. This would help conservation to have something positive to strive for, and introduce some unity of purpose within the conservation movement.

  1. Appoint a Conservation Champion

All causes need champions, and there are few if any conservation champions operating at a sufficiently high level in Ireland to contribute to political, economic and social dialogue. As a public service, an Office for Nature Conservation should be established, and a Commissioner for Nature Conservation appointed, whose job it is to influence high level decision-making for the benefit of nature conservation.

  1. Invest in survey, monitoring and research 

Biodiversity is a science-based policy. Scientific survey and monitoring is needed to document Ireland’s biodiversity resource, to understand how it functions and to track how it is changing. Investment in survey and research should be seen as an investment in human capital through employment of high-calibre professionals who can make a valuable contribution to Irish economy and society by improving the quality of decision-making.

  1. Properly resource the Wildlife Grant Scheme operated by the Heritage Council

The Wildlife Grant Scheme operated by the Heritage Council has delivered many local and community based initiatives, filling a very important niche in conservation management. It is targeted, well administered and promotes grass-roots, community-led initiatives in an extremely cost effective manner.  The future of the scheme needs to be secured and properly resourced so that it can expand and facilitate funding of additional projects on a multi-annual basis.

  1. Introduce a high level promotional campaign to promote Ireland’s biodiversity

The Wild Atlantic Way has been a phenomenal success in promoting tourism along the west coast of Ireland. A similar large-scale promotional drive is needed to promote Ireland’s biodiversity, its value and the benefits it brings to society. This would be a high-level, properly funded campaign with the objective of garnering public and political support for nature conservation.

  1. Support conservation NGOs

A dynamic conservation NGO sector is good for civic society and can contribute in a meaningful and positive manner to development of public policy. Greater engagement by the environmental NGOs in public policy needs to be facilitated and encouraged, and both human and financial resources provided to assist capacity building within the sector.

  1. Oh, and sort out the mess with the conservation of protected Raised Bogs in Ireland.

Raised Bogs are of inordinate conservation value in Ireland, and less than 1% of this once extant resource remains active. The legal protection for these last remaining active raised bogs is in place; what is needed is the political will to resolve outstanding issues and deliver proper protection for the benefit of future generations.

Species in the news in 2014

Here are some of the species that made the news from the year just gone.

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Bermuda petrel (Photo: Evoke.ie)

Bermuda Petrel: In wildlife terms, this was certainly the find of the year. A Bermuda Petrel (also know as a Cahow), one of the world’s rarest birds was recorded in Irish waters for the first time in spring of this year. Niall Keogh (BirdWatch Ireland) was on board the research vessel the Celtic Voyager over the Porcupine Bank about 170 nautical miles north west of Slea Head when he made the amazing discovery of a Bermuda Petrel. This was the first sighting of this species in Irish waters, indeed for the entire North-east Atlantic. The species was thought extinct for over 300 years but was dramatically rediscovered in 1951, breeding on just four small islets off the Bermuda coast, with a tiny population of just 18 pairs.  Since its rediscovery it has been the subject of a painstaking conservation programme with slow but steady success, and the world population is now estimated to be 108 breeding pairs. Seeing the Bermuda Petrel on a expedition in Irish waters was considered a million to one chance as this was the furthest sighting of the species from its breeding ground. The discovery by Niall Keogh, and confirmed by Ryan Wilson-Parr, made the birding news across the world, and made every birdwatcher in Ireland extremely envious of Niall’s discovery.

Read the Irish examiner article about the discovery.

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Asian clam (Photo: Inland Fisheries Ireland)

Asian Clam: The invasive Asian Clam made the headlines in September when its discovery led to the closure of a stretch of the River Shannon to angling. Large populations of this highly invasive species were found along the hot water discharge from the ESB electricity generating station on the River Shannon at Lanesborough, Co. Longford. Inland Fisheries Ireland took the unprecedented step to close the river to angling as a rapid response measure in an attempt to stop its accidental spread on fishing equipment such as nets, rods, boats and clothing. The Asian Clam was first discovered in Ireland from the River Barrow at St. Mullin’s in 2010, and has since been found on the River Nore and at five sites on the River Shannon.

Read the Inland Fisheries Ireland’s press release.

Read the Irish Times article.

Read article in Westmeath Independent.

Read Irish Examiner article.

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Southern cuckoo bumblebee (Photo: Nick Owens)

Southern Cuckoo Bumblebee: there was great excitement when in June when a species of bumblebee not seen in Ireland for 88 years was rediscovered.  The discovery of the Southern cuckoo bumblebee, thought extinct in Ireland, was made by Eddie Hill, a Gardener at St. Enda’s Park in Rathfarnham, Dublin. Eddie had begun monitoring of bee populations as part of the Data Centre’s Irish Bumblebee Monitoring Scheme and was astonished to make such a discovery in his first year.

Read the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s press release.

Read Irish Independent article.

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Lion’s mane jellyfish (Photo: Damien Haberlin)

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish: Lion’s mane Jelly made the news in August, with reports that 17 were removed from Sandycove Beach. These large bell-shaped jellyfish have long tentacles which can cause severe stings to bathers. As a result, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council erected warning signs at three beaches in South Dublin, Killiney, Sandycove and Seapoint, alerting bathers to the presence of jellyfish.  This story followed hard on the heels of an earlier story of reports of Portuguese man o’ war, which strictly speaking isn’t a jellyfish, and barrel jellyfish being washed up on our shores. But according to jellyfish expert, Tom Doyle, there were no verified sightings of Portuguese man o’ war in Ireland in 2014, so the reports were in error.  Being the silly season with regard to news, the jellyfish caused a bit of a media flurry at the time.

Read the first Irish Times story.

Read the second Irish Times story.

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White-tailed Sea Eagle (Photo: theJournal.ie)

White-tailed Sea Eagle: Raptors were in the news quite a bit in 2014, mostly for all the wrong reasons. But there was a real feel good factor around the success of the White-tailed Sea Eagles breeding for the second year running at Mountshannon, Co. Tipperary. The local community has taken to the new residents, and a special viewing and information point was opened to cater for visitors to view these magnificent birds. The Mountshannon pairs was one of 14 breeding pairs established in Ireland in 2014, an increase of four on last year. Seven pairs laid eggs in 2014, with one chick at Mountshannon being the only fledged chick. The White-tailed Sea Eagle re-introduction programme began in 2007 in Killarney National Park and 100 birds released. The programme has suffered some setbacks, in particular with the mindless poisoning of at least 12 the birds. Thanks to the dedication of the Golden Eagle Trust, National Parks and Wildlife and the many volunteers, the White-tailed Sea Eagle project might just be on the cusp to great success.

Read more in the Irish Examiner article about the success to date.

Read more about the Mountshannon White-tailed Sea Eagles here.

Read the details form  Golden Eagle Trust’s website 

Pygmy Shrew
Pygmy shrew (Photo: Ruth Carden)

Pygmy Shrew: The Pygmy Shrew, one of the world’s smallest mammals, hit the news in June with claims that it is disappearing from parts of Ireland because of the impact of the newly arrived invasive Greater White-toothed Shrew. A team of researchers led by Allan McDevitt in UCD showed the Greater White-toothed Shrew was rapidly colonising the midlands of Ireland at an alarming rate of over 5km per year. Where they occur, they are likely to outcompete their smaller relation, and possibly leading to the local extinction of our native Pygmy Shrew. For a mammal that has lived in Ireland for thousands of years, this is a real shame.

Read the UCD press release.

Read the Irish Independent article.

Read article from the Anglo-Celt.

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Japanese kelp

Japanese Kelp: September came the news that the invasive species Japanese Kelp, was discovered for the first time in the Republic of Ireland. Already known to occur at Carrickfergus Marina in Belfast Lough since 2012, it was confirmed to have spread to Carlingford Lough in the Republic of Ireland in September. Japanese Kelp is native to Japan, Korea and China, but has since spread to New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Europe. Within Europe it occurs in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy. It is considered one of the worst 100 invasive species in the world. Japanese kelp is the latest in a large number of non-native and invasive species that have colonised our shores.

Read the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s species alert.

Read the Sunday Times article.

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Waved-fork Moss (Photo; Michael Lüth)

Waved fork-moss: In June, the Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deenihan, T.D. issued a press release announcing the discovery of a species of moss previously presumed extinct in Ireland. The rare moss Waved fork-moss was discovered in Clara Bog Nature Reserve by Dr. George Smith who stumbled upon it while preparing for a workshop at the site. The moss which is a specialist of raised bog habitat was thought extinct because of the large amount of raised bog destroyed in Ireland in the last century. Clara Bog Nature Reserve protects a 450ha raised bog, one of the best examples of this habitat in the world. Instead of cutting peat from these extra-ordinarily rare habitats, we should be cherishing them.

Read the Minister’s press release.

Read the Irish Times article.

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Herring Gull (Photo: Liam Lysaght)

Seagulls: well what can I say? The impact of ‘seagulls’ was raised in the Seanad by Ned O’Sullivan, who wanted Dublin ‘…to introduce policies to limit seagull numbers and abate their noise levels and more aggressive behaviours’. Why? Because apparently inhabitants of Dublin were being kept awake ‘by seagulls screeching throughout the night. They are fighting, bickering and are raucous. They have caused sleep deprivation’. He also claims that ‘..youngsters have been attacked in parks and had their lunches snatched.’ Thus ensued a great deal of media coverage on the topic of seagulls, much of which it must be said ridiculed the concerns of the Senator. 

Read Una Mullally’s pieces from the Irish Times.

Read the Irish Independent article.

Read the Irish Mirror article.

Read thejournal.ie’s take on it all.

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Hen Harrier (Photo: RSPB)

Hen harrier:   The hen harrier has been in the news on and off during the year, mostly for all the wrong reasons. Early in the year it was the threat to hen harriers from large scale wind farm development, then it moved to the issue of afforestation. Hen harriers and afforestation restrictions has become a hot political issue as farmers are ‘…not being properly compensated’ for the ‘restriction’ on their farming activities within Special Protection Areas (SPAs), according to the Irish Farmers Association. A new farming group, Irish Farmers with Designated Land, has been lobbying hard to have the restrictions on new afforestation within SPA weakened, as they claim the €7,500 per year payment proposed under the new GLAS+ scheme is inadequate ‘compensation’ for their ‘losses’. Their efforts seem to be paying off as Ireland South MEP Sean Kelly is now championing their cause, and Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture, Tom Hayes is in favour of allowing further afforestation within SPAs designated for hen harrier conservation. The controversy over hen harriers and afforestation has caused an impasse over designation of 90,000ha for SPAs, an impasse which the EU Commission claims needs to be resolved before Ireland’s Rural Development Plan can be finalised. Earlier this month, BirdWatch Ireland and the Irish Raptor Study Group issued a statement calling for the end of vilification of the Hen Harrier. It also claimed that the allowing further afforestation in SPAs would be ‘…an environmental disaster and have a devastating effect on the national hen harrier population’. No doubt, this issue will remain in the news for 2015.

Read conservation group’s call for end of vilification of hen harrier

Hen harrier row could delay government RDP package

Farmers seek end to ‘restrictive’ hen harrier legistation

Ireland’s wonderful roads

 

I never thought that I would pay much attention to roads. They are, after all, what I try to get away from in my efforts to experience nature up close. Yet as I travel around Ireland experiencing the diverse landscapes of the country, I realise that roads themselves are very much part of the landscape. So here are some roads which show well the changing character of the Irish landscape.

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Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork
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Iveragh Peninsula, Co. Kerry
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The Burren, Co. Clare
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Killary, Co. Galway
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Bangor Erris, Co. Mayo
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Ballycroy, Co. Mayo
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Portacloy, Co. Mayo
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Glengesh, Co. Donegal
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Malin, Co. Donegal
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Inishowen, Co. Donegal
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The Glens, Co. Antrim
Murlough Bay
Murlough Bay, Co. Antrim
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Strangford Lough, Co. Down
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Mount Leinster, Co. Carlow

Spare a thought for the jellyfish

Did you ever spare a thought for the jellyfish? I certainly haven’t, but there is far more to a jellyfish than meets the eye. Jellyfish have been quietly living their lives, roaming the great oceans of the world for at least 500 million years. They evolved during the Cambrian Explosion, a short period in the Earth’s history that saw a great flurry of evolutionary activity. While other organisms joined this evolutionary rat-race to go on to become dinosaurs and a myriad of other creatures, the jellyfish, happy with its lot, shunned evolution and retired to the peace and quiet of the high seas. This may, in part, be due to the fact that they are without brains, or at least brains as we typically think of them. Their bodies, of which more than 95% is water, comprise two basic layers of cells. One forms a loose network of nerves called the ‘nerve net’ which is considered the most basic of all nervous systems identified in multi-cellular organisms. This primitive system allows jellyfish to sense their environment, such as changes in water chemistry indicating food, light sensors to detect the presence of light, and balance sensors to let them know if they are facing up or down. Basic, but effective weaponry, which has allowed jellyfish to prosper down through the millennia.

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Lion’s Mane (Photo: Damien Haberlin)

It is a misconception that jellyfish just aimlessly sail the high seas at the whim of ocean currents and tides, for the manner in which certain species are geographical spread suggest they have some habitat preferences. Around the Irish coasts, for example, the barrel jellyfish each year forms enormous smacks (a ‘smack’ is the collective noun given to a group of jellyfish) off Rosslaire and Wexford Harbour, but is rarely seen elsewhere in such numbers. And the Lion’s Mane jellyfish seems to prefer the cooler waters off the coast of Dublin.

The knowledge of jellyfish around Irish coasts has increased in recent years thanks to research done by Tom Doyle, Damien Haberlin and colleagues at the Coastal Marine Research Centre at University College Cork, research that was spurred on by the apparent worldwide population explosion of jellyfish.  It is thought that the removal of top level predators through over-fishing may have created conditions to allow jellyfish to flourish. Similarly, changes ascribed to climate change have also been implicated for this increase. There is no hard evidence to show that jellyfish have increased in any great numbers in Irish waters, however, the closure of beaches in Dublin in 2005 due to a Lion’s Mane jellyfish infestation, has raised the issue in the collective consciousness.

If your only encounter with a jellyfish is an unexpected eye-to-eye one when swimming, you could be forgiven for not being their greatest fan. Not all jellyfish are small unspectacular blobs of jelly, but they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The Lion’s Mane is a majestic reddish-brown gelatinous bulk over 1 metre in diameter with masses of long tentacles. Also spectacular are the wonderfully coloured and shaped Compass and Blue Jellyfishes, both roughly the size of a dinner plate. The Barrel Jellyfish is a huge mass of solid ghost-white jelly. Tom Doyle and his colleagues found one specimen that was 80cm in diameters and weighted in at 35kg. Now that’s a lot of jelly(fish).

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Jellyfish (Photo: Damien Haberlin)

Then there are the other jelly-like creatures found around the Irish coast. The wonderfully named ‘Portuguese Man-O-War’ which has a Cornish pastie shaped balloon as a float. Riding the waves with the balloon above water, it somehow resembles an old warship at full sail. But the Portuguese Man-O-War is not a jellyfish, nor is it even a species. Rather it is a colony of creatures that work together to eke out a living, much in the same way that marine corals do; scientifically they are referred to as Siphonophorae and are related to jellyfish, corals and others. But as its name suggests, give the Portuguese Man-O-War a wide berth for its body and tentacles, which can extend for 50m, contain a serious sting. Portuguese Man-O-War made the news headlines in 2012 when some were found washed ashore in Waterford and Cork, but fortunately they normally live further south and only venture north when unusual weather conditions persist.

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Jellyfish (Photo: Damien Haberlin)

But there are many other, less spectacular Siphonophorae living in Irish waters, beautifully shaped jellyfish of varying sizes, each with its own delicate shape and function. And jellyfish do serve important functions; because of their sheer abundance they eat vast quantities of plankton, crustaceans and fish, and in return vast quantities of jellyfish are themselves preyed upon, thus fuelling the marine food web. And jellyfish can be quite the delicacy; the leatherback turtle apparently likes nothing better than to feast on jellyfish, and has been known to swim all the way from the Caribbean to Irish waters searching them out.

So next time you meet a jellyfish spare a thought for how they have done so well for themselves in this rat race of life on earth.