National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Management Issues in Atlantic N2K sites - a personal view from the Far West! 2 nd Atlantic Biogeographical Seminar Ennistymon, Ireland October 2016
SACs in Ireland 59 (16*) habitats and 26 species protected under the Habitats Directive in 430 SACs; terrestrial, inshore and offshore sites Amongst these (*) are active raised bog, active blanket bog, limestone pavements, orchid-rich calcareous grasslands, alkaline fens, turloughs, machair, fixed dunes, coastal lagoons and three woodland types. Other Annex I habitats include six marine habitats, saltmarshes, several lake types, heaths and scree/rock habitats. Annex II plant species include Najas flexilis and Saxifraga hirculus; invertebrates include Vertigo spp. and Margaritifera margaritifera; fish species include lampreys, salmon. Annex II mammals include otter and lesser horseshoe bat.
SPAs in Ireland 154 SPAs protected under Birds Directive Ireland is of particular importance for migratory waterbirds and breeding seabirds. 25 species listed in Annex I of the Directive regularly occur; including wintering whooper swan and Greenland white-fronted goose, breeding species such as corncrake and terns, as well as birds of prey including hen harrier and peregrine falcon
National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs The top ten policy drivers.. Commission Policy/Guidance/Compliance (& not just DG Environment) EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 Transposition of the Natura Directives into national legislation Designation of sites PAF (a national prioritisation) National Policy (delivery of EAFRD, EMFF, Biodiversity Action Plan etc) Conservation Objectives Conservation Measures National Capacity (budget, expertise, human capital) Attitudes to nature
Some Irish PAF priorities (2014-2020) Protection and restoration of bogs, freshwater systems and wetlands Conservation of the freshwater pearl mussel Management of uplands (and Burren) Conservation of birds in serious decline, eg breeding waders, corncrake, grey partridge, hen harrier etc Management of species-rich grasslands (and Aran) Development of infrastructure to encourage sustainable tourism and appreciation of Natura 2000 such as trails, signage and visitor centres (all)
National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs The top ten management issues.. Regulation (turf, afforestation, windfarms, fisheries and aquaculture, IPCC licencing, planning) Farming (AE, grazing regulation, land eligibility, pollution, siltation) Climate driven issues (flooding, storm damage, coastal defence) Invasive species Critical species declines (waders, corncrake, FPM) Deciding on conservation priorities Tourism management Leaving space for development (a challenge) Issues arising from stakeholder antipathy N deposition (Ammonia) Searching for the positive! (LIFE, INTERREG, LIFE IPs, AE, trust building, EIPs, targeting of supports, natural capital, MAES)
Designation (and Indignation)
Alignment of Natura 2000 with other strategies/policies
Hand-cut bank and peat sleán
Turf cutting
Rural Scene-setting 13.56% of terrestrial land is designated as Natura 2000 59% is farmed (564,000 ha) 35,000 farmers (30% of the total) manage/own Natura land
Overgrazing addressed!
Undergrazing, scrub encroachment (good or bad?) - BPS
What about species?
Freshwater Pearl Mussel 21
CURLEW Estimated 97% decline since 1980s (From c. 3,750 pairs to 122 pairs)
Figure: Mean atmospheric ammonia NH 3 concentrations, interpolated from measurements at 25 sites in the Republic of Ireland and 3 sites in Northern Ireland between June 2013 and July 2014. Northern Ireland data courtesy of Dr. Yuk Sim Tang, 2015. (Source: Doyle et al. pending publication)
NPWS Trial NH3 sites (Samplers to be installed in late 2016) (Source: UCD)
National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Issues that came up on the fieldtrips Locally led conservation (not top-down) Community engagement (from the bottom-up) Local Producers Education/learning landscapes Significance / necessary for the management of the site Agri-Environment opportunities (including locally led, results based) Land eligibility European IPs and other supports Sustainable Tourism Coastal Protection and Flooding Importance of LIFE to kick-start action Language and other cultural issues Archaeology add history root us to place; biodiversity is part of this
National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Taking management issues to the working groups Is there learning/experience that can be shared? How can we share this learning/knowledge between seminars? Are particular MS prepared to take facilitate a conversation on particular issues? Or do we come up gasping for air every 4 years? Can we help the C ion to help us to help ourselves, in response to the Fitness Check? How do we improve sharing on the Platform? Are there Low Hanging Fruit (or quick win ) opportunities? How do we ensure conservation of habitats/species that evolved naturally in a now frozen environment? Conservation Objectives and Conservation Measures should be seen as an opportunity, not an imposition