Biodiversity group reiterates call for new law after senator welcomes plan to clear river vegetation

Senator Mark Daly's tweet prompted a backlash from nature lovers, who said the vegetation is providing a natural defence for dispersing water

The tweet from Senator Mark Daly read: 'Encouraging news this morning as the OPW has informed me of additional funding for the Finnihy & Keelnagower rivers in Kenmare. The money will be used to clear vegetation along the river banks'. Picture via @SenatorMarkDaly on Twitter

Biodiversity campaigners have repeated calls for a complete overhaul of the maintenance of rivers and their surroundings, saying current legislation is completed outdated and unfit for purpose.

The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) and a range of other groups hit out at Seanad chair Mark Daly after he posted a picture of Cromwell's Bridge on the Finnihy river in Kenmare on his Twitter account, saying the Office of Public Works (OPW) has provided funding for vegetation to be cleared from the Finnihy river and the Keelnagower river.

What has happened that we can talk about destroying nature like it were a good news story?

This is one reason why we must reform the Arterial Drainage Act. Please signhttps://t.co/CQZewskG0p https://t.co/dDLYBqwN6j

— Irish Wildlife Trust (@Irishwildlife) February 16, 2021

This is part of flood defence measures to help protect homes and businesses prone to flooding, Mr Daly said.

His tweet prompted a ferocious backlash from nature lovers, who said the vegetation is providing a natural defence for dispersing water, and that clearing it will destroy natural habitats, as well as exacerbating the biodiversity crisis that is threatening flora and fauna.

IWT campaign officer Pádraic Fogarty told the Irish Examiner that a "fundamental lack of understanding" about how rivers work is enshrined in anachronistic legislation from 1945 that now needs urgent reform.

A petition by Mr Fogarty has been presented to OPW minister Patrick O'Donovan on reforming the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 in recent weeks. 

The minister has promised a formal response, Mr Fogarty said.

He said the OPW is mandated under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945 to maintain more than 11,000km of river channel in Ireland, but that the act has resulted in the destruction of whole river systems. 

"We need a new law that is fit to address the biodiversity and climate crisis and that works with - and for - people and nature," Mr Fogarty said.

The Arterial Drainage Act has remained unchanged since 1945, which Mr Fogarty said is far too long.

"This is an urgent situation," he said. 

A totally different approach is needed or we will exacerbate the existing biodiversity crisis.

The IWT recently outlined its reasons why the reform of the act is needed in a blog post on its website.

It said that under the Act, the OPW is statutorily obliged to maintain all rivers, embankments and urban flood defences.

"This means that, for no other reason than statutory obligation, the OPW sends in the heavy machinery, tearing out bankside trees and vegetation, destroying fish spawning beds and generally keeping rivers in a canal-like state."

Irish rivers are in a "sorry state", the IWT said. 

"Over half are polluted while large dams and other obstructions means migratory fish like eels, salmon and sea lamprey face extinction. The arterial drainage programme has torn the heart out of rivers by undermining their basic ecological function."

New legislation aimed at protecting wildlife, homes, and businesses together should be the aim, not protecting farmland, the IWT said.