Burren project focuses on conservation in farming

THE practical conservation measures farmers in the Burren are taking were shown yesterday to delegates attending a major conference in Ennistymon, Co Clare.

A total of 150 local, national and international delegates were taken on field trips to eight of the 20 farms that are participating in the BurrenLife Project (BLP).

They were shown how the cutting of hazel, the opening of access tracks and the re-establishment of old field systems help to fully utilise all available grazing, which are beneficial to priority habitats.

Ruairí Ó Conchúir, of BLP, said the project has in excess of 3,000 hectares of Special Areas of Conservation land under active conservation management.

The partnership model developed in BLP brought together researchers, government departments, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Irish Farmers Association, Teagasc and local farmers.

It is anticipated that the project will provide a conservation-friendly roadmap for farming not just in the Burren, one of the most important landscapes in Europe, but also in other parts of Ireland.

The conference on conservation farming, which ends today with a re-cap on the main themes that emerged over four days of discussions, was told that the detailed research carried out in the BurrenLife Project is not an end in itself but actually the beginning.

Dr Andy Bleasdale, agri-environment coordinator with the NPWS, the main BLP partner, said the project is an outstanding example of co-operation and communication. The spirit fostered in the research phase will need to continue into the delivery phase.

The challenge for the near future in the Burren will be how best to implement the findings of research through practical initiatives that respect both farming and economic realities and conservation goals. These perspectives need not be mutually exclusive.

“It is important, therefore, in the coming 12 months that the main players discuss how the research findings can best be rolled out in a practical way. Issues of funding are important but as important is a vision of how the Burren should be managed in the future,” he added.

Dr Bleasdale said the Rural Environment Protection Scheme and NPWS farm-plan models currently exist but these may have to be tailored to meet the unique requirements of the Burren and its farmers.

“The farming community may be suspicious of farming for conservation until they see the benefits for themselves. Equally, government departments will need to be flexible in approach and accept that ‘one size fits all’ models may not be appropriate,” he said.

Teagasc director Professor Gerry Boyle said BLP as a blueprint for conservation farming has the potential to increase farm incomes through the development of premium products such as conservation grade Burren beef and lamb and also through rural employment on conservation schemes.

He said Teagasc is engaged in a wide range of studies with BLP on economic, social and environmental sustainability on farms in special conservation areas of the Burren.