Hen harrier land compo anger rises

THE unresolved issue of protecting a bird prey will land on the desk of the new Arts and Heritage Minister, Heather Humphreys.

Frustration is growing among landowners in designated areas who say they are losing thousands of euro because of EU regulations to conserve the hen harrier.

In the six Special Protection Areas (SPAs) in Ireland for the bird, there are bans on activities such as forestry, land reclamation and wind farming which farmers argue, make their land worthless. Land for forestry can fetch between €4,000 and €6,000 per acre, but SPA land cannot be planted.