THE odd snippet of good news about nature, such as the hatching of five white-tailed eaglets, should not lull us into a believing that things are looking up for the natural world.

ILLEGAL waste lagoons which the European Court ordered closed 27 months ago are still in operation.

IRELAND runs the risk of incurring substantial fines if it fails to fully meet an 11-year-old deadline to protect nature sites, the European Commission has warned.

Ireland faces legal action unless it fully protects wild salmon from over-fishing, the European Commission warned today.