Wildlife still under pressure

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.

Recently, a State of Nature in the EU report said countries must step up efforts to protect vulnerable wildlife and habitats from the effects of human activity, as there has been little improvement in conservation since 2007.

Nearly a third of wild bird species are under threat while two-thirds of other protected species are in an unfavourable state, according to the report. And, Arts and Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys has conceded that many of our important wild habitats are under pressure.

As most of our environment laws come from the EU, you wonder would we have any environment left only for the EU, given the high level of disregard for the landscape, rivers and lakes in Ireland. It’s thanks to Brussels for many positive actions taken nowadays. Ms Humphreys has already published Ireland’s “prioritised action framework” under the EU Habitats Directive. This framework identifies a range of actions needed to help habitats and wildlife.

Under the EU Habitats Directive, Ireland is obliged to provide an assessment every six years on the status of our habitats and species. The most recent report shows that many of our important habitats, such as peatlands, native woodlands and coastal habitats, are under continuing pressure. However, some native species, such as the Irish hare and the otter, are said to be doing well.

Birds like curlew and dunlin have seen major declines, while others have seen a revival, including the buzzard and the great spotted woodpecker, which has taken up residence for the first time in Ireland.

Ms Humphreys has stressed however, that success will not come overnight. There’s a long journey ahead to restore our important habitats, which may take decades for habitats such as raised bogs. She said the framework does not create any new demand for funding and does not place new restrictions on farmers or landowners. But it does underline our most pressing obligations under the EU nature directives.

The EU report lists agricultural practices, including overgrazing and the use of fertiliser and pesticides, and human-related environmental damage, among the main threats. EU Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella said despite some conservation successes, the report, which is carried out every six years, “underlines the scale of the challenges that remain.”

“We have to rise to those challenges, as the health of our nature is linked to the health of Europe’s people, and our economy,” he said.