Month: November 2024

On 1^st November 2024, the Irish Government published its response to the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. This was done just before the General Election was called. The statement concerning the report can be found here:

https://www.npws.ie/news/government-publishes-response-recommendations-citizens%E2%80%99-assembly-biodiversity-loss

It claims:

Over 90% of recommendations are ‘In progress’ or ‘Implemented’

Work will continue across Government to address gaps, including through the forthcoming national Nature Restoration Plan

Report also includes responses to the ‘Calls to Action’ from the Children and Young People’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

The report can be read here:

https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/310662/9af8b802-a500-464a-8501-577eed84797b.pdf#page=null

The government states that the National Biodiversity Action Plan was assessed by the Worldwide Fund for Nature and “was found to be the best in Europe and one of the best in the world.”

These are the Government’s claims. Do these withstand scrutiny?

What does the Worldwide Fund for Nature say about Ireland’s National Biodiversity Action Plan?

First, a definition: the Worldwide Fund for Nature references the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) when assessing National Biodiversity Action Plans.

In 2022, 196 countries agreed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This is a historic deal for nature and a breakthrough for conserving and restoring biodiversity and ensuring its sustainable use. The GBF contains four goals and 23 targets. One goal is to

Substantially increase the area of natural ecosystems by maintaining, enhancing or restoring the integrity, connectivity and resilience of all ecosystems. Reduce by tenfold the extinction rate and risk of all species and increase the abundance of native wild species. Maintain the genetic diversity of wild and domesticated species and safeguard their adaptive potential.

(Source: https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/cop15-global-biodiversity-framework/#:~:text=The%20GEF%20is%20an%20international,change%20responses%20in%20developing%20countries.)

The Worldwide Fund for Nature is highly complimentary about Ireland’s 4^th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBSAP). It notes that the Plan addresses all the targets of the GBF.  These can be read in Appendix I of the Plan. Targets, clear actions and success indicators are stated.

However,  the Fund notes problems too. Areas lacking include no specific plans within the NBSAP to reduce the footprint of consumption within Ireland other than what is already in place (GBF Target 16); plans to address harmful incentives (GBF Target 18) do not go further than committing to implement a financial tracking system.  Overall, financing commitments and actions are weak. GBF Target 18 calls for the Governments to

eliminate, phase out or reform incentives: incentives, including subsidies, harmful for biodiversity, in a proportionate, just, fair, effective and equitable way by 2030, starting with the most harmful incentives, and scale up positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

(Source: https://www.cbd.int/gbf/targets/18)

In the matter of financing the 4^th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBSAP), the Worldwide Fund for Nature states:

In terms of financing, 3 billion euros have been allocated in Ireland’s 2024 Budget to an Infrastructure, Climate and Nature Fund which may include support for the delivery of the NBSAP but it is unclear how much will be dedicated to the NBSAP or to which action plans. The process to develop a National Biodiversity Finance Plan dedicated to NBSAP execution is underway which may yield more resources. 

The 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan is in place, but will it be implemented? And how well will it work?

Since this Government took office in 2020, some positive initiatives have been implemented. The state has ceased destroying peat bogs in its ownership and has re-wet a minority of the peatlands held by Bord na Móna. Coillte (state forestry service) is also restoring some peatland.  However, a negative lies in the failure to implement Recommendation 117 of the Citizen’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss which provides:

All enterprise involved in the harnessing of renewable energy from or on all peatland must have a strict biodiversity net gain clause attached to their development permission and must be responsible for the ongoing and future management and enhancement of the biodiversity of their sites.

The result is likely to be the destruction of habitats and ongoing biodiversity loss from these peatland sites. The document provides no reason for this decision. Recommendation 50 of the Citizen’s Assembly on Biodiversity Loss is to

stop the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides. This would include: – Preventing people from spraying plants with pesticides and chemicals, and making sure farmers do not spread chemicals on the roads

This recommendation is not being implemented.

Of the 159 Recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, 134 (84.3%) are considered by the Government to be in progress, 15 (9.4%) are being implemented and 10 (6.3%) are not being implemented.

A huge amount of work has not been completed. Some of the targets in the National Biodiversity Action Plan, such as the notification of Annex habitats and species listed on the EU Habitats and Birds Directives and the development of management plans for Special Areas of Conservation should have been completed decades ago. The National Peatland Strategy 2015-2025 has missed important deadlines for the completion of actions. It is doubtful that some of these will be completed. Ireland remains without a national park holding a single raised bog, a priority habitat.

A complete review of the Government’s claims and progress is impossible here, but let’s look at some problems.

The Eurasian Curlew might cease breeding in Ireland. Its farmland and bogland breeding areas have mostly been destroyed. The Lapwing is in deep trouble for similar reasons.

The 2024 Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme report (which covers the 2023 flight season) contains stark news.

No resident butterfly species showed an increase in population size compared to 2008. During 2008-2023, four of our butterflies experienced a ‘strong decline’ and eight experienced a ‘moderate decline’. Two are regarded as stable while seven are rated ‘uncertain.’ Just one butterfly, the migrant Red Admiral, showed an increase. (Source: Judge, M and Lysaght, L. (2024). The Irish Butterfly Monitoring Scheme Newsletter, Issue 16. National Biodiversity Data Centre).

Next year’s report will show even bigger declines, owing to the poor summer weather in 2023 and 2024, ongoing challenges of shrinking habitat, pollution and climate change. If we were to judge the Government’s success in dealing with biodiversity based on the population levels of our butterflies, we would deliver a failure verdict.

Between 2008 and 2023, a population decline of 60% was recorded for the Common Blue, Wood White agg. and Speckled Wood. The Green-veined White, probably our most widespread species, fell by 82%.

You might ask the politicians and canvassers why so many of our landscapes cannot support abundant populations of once-common butterflies, birds, flowers and bees. Ask why Ireland insists on destroying biodiversity by clinging to its derogation from the Nitrates Directive and continues to use poisons and pollutants to grow food.

How many Small Tortoiseshell butterflies did you see in 2024? If common butterflies with no special requirements no longer thrive, the Government cannot claim success in protecting nature.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a track in Lullymore in northwest Kildare that runs in an east-west direction, about half of its length is open to the south while native woodland exists on its northern edge. The track was created by excavating marl and rises above the adjoining peat soils. The track holds a range of grasses, including Red Fescue, Cock’s-foot Grass, Sweet Vernal Grass, and Quaking Grass. Herbs include Common Knapweed, Rough Hawkbit, Common Dandelion, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil, eye-bright, Common Dog-violet, Meadow Vetchling, and Devil’s-bit Scabious. Common Nettle occurs in different areas on both sides of the track. There are some areas of bare soil on the track created by vehicles.

The adjoining wood contains Bilberry, Bramble, Downy Birch, Grey Willow and Common Holly, with small amounts of Common Hawthorn. Broom and Bracken are present with the latter abundant in the shaded area on the southern edge of the track. Alder Buckthorn occurs near the southern edge of the track, on peat soil. The track leads to the Irish Peatland Conservation Council’s butterfly reserve.

The track is very popular with nature lovers. In spring and summer, many happy hours are spent in this space by nature lovers who can observe the large populations of insects that congregate here. From Hairy Dragonflies in May to Black Darters and Migrant Hawkers in late October, the track is a dragonfly haven throughout these months. And little wonder, given the large prey populations, warmth and perch points available.

Several butterflies visit the track and several breed on it. Dingy Skipper, Cryptic Wood White, Common Blue, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Ringlet breed on the site, while Wall Brown, a suspected breeder, is sadly now rare.

Brimstone, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip, Silver-washed Fritillary and Marsh Fritillary visit for food and mates. The sheltered site encourages butterflies from adjoining areas to congregate here during windy conditions. This makes the track a place of abundance and a pleasant place for people to watch nature.

However, over recent years the experience has become less than it used to be. Shade cast by overhanging branches from the wood and the scrub on the track’s southern edge and the denser, more shade-tolerant grasses are lessening the floral resources and darkening and cooling the track.

Butterfly Conservation Ireland’s work party have begun to reverse these changes on our workday on Saturday 9^th November. Shading scrub and the shadow-casting overhanging branches were tackled and bramble, which favours semi-shade and has been swallowing up the herbs, was dealt with by our brush-cutter. Tough and inglorious the work might be, but the results are glorious. As usual, our tea and lunch breaks are not just welcome sustenance but great catch-up times, and happy times for sharing news and experiences. Sharing experiences with nature are great enhancement to appreciation.

We offer our heartfelt thanks to all our conservation workers for all the effort devoted to nature. We will have our next work party early in 2025.

 

We are baked into a biodiversity catastrophe. Observers who have lived over 40 years and those with access to long-term data might grasp how bad the natural world’s crisis has become. In Ireland, we moved from holding massive areas of intact wetlands containing large populations of breeding wading birds, to ugly, brown peat deserts many now with towering wind turbines, from vast flower-rich grasslands with their Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Curlews and Corncrakes to empty factory floor astro-turf-coloured rye-grass monocultures maintained by climate-warming chemical inputs.

The baselines plummet ever downwards. And how do we react? Mostly not at all or with minimal tokenism. A little scheme here and there. Or worse. Kildare farmer Dermot Doran puts a pond in his farm that draws Kingfishers, Herons, Moorhens and Egrets. He did it because he loves nature. He spends €6000 in the process. Then his farm payment is cut. He is punished for doing the right thing—dumb and Dumber.

Bad practice abounds. Hedgerows are one of our crucial habitats. In a country with few native woods, our hedgerows assume great significance for nature. Most of our butterflies and large numbers of our moths breed in hedges or on the extended field margins and hedge banks. Bats and birds use hedges as their feeding zones and travel routes. Hedgehogs, frogs, Foxes and Badgers feed, rest, breed and hide in them. A species-rich hedge and adjoining grassland is a treasure. These habitats are biodiversity hotspots, give shelter and warmth, mark boundaries, retain livestock and add character to our countryside. Yet look at the miserable example below. Many are badly managed; cut severely like the one in the photograph or left unmanaged so they develop gaps.

Even nastier is the practice of removing sections of rural hedging to erect post and rail fencing usually followed by ‘garden shrubs’ like Escallonia (South America), Griselinia (New Zealand), Leylandii (derived from two species of cypress from North America ), Cherry Laurel (native to south-east Europe towards Iran) or some other bland blight on the landscape. These plants are not native support only a few native insects and don’t provide nectar, pollen and fruit like Common Hawthorn, Dog Rose, Field Rose, Honeysuckle, Blackthorn, Guelder Rose, and Bramble do.

A little less nasty is Common Beech. Beech isn’t native either and beech-only hedges look wrong in our countryside. The non-native hedging plants are typically the rubrics of suburbia now appearing in rural areas courtesy of one-off houses. They remove native species hedgerows and replace them with ‘plastic.’ These plants could be plastic as far as their value for biodiversity extends. No native butterfly breeds on any of these non-native plants.

Not happy with shiny laurel and Griselinia, many add sycamores, Himalayan Birch and ornamental conifers. A tree is a tree, right? We need more trees, don’t we? We need more of the right trees. Grow, according to the trees naturally present in your area, Mountain Ash, Irish Whitebeam, Common Whitebeam, Bird Cherry, Wild Cherry, Alder Buckthorn, Purging Buckthorn, Common Hawthorn, Grey Willow, Downy Birch, Common Hazel, Sessile Oak, Pedunculate Oak.

According to UK research,  1,178 invertebrate species use our native oaks (Sessile Oak, Pedunculate Oak) and 257 of them rely solely on these trees.[1] This does not include birds, bats, lichens, fungi and mosses using our native oaks. Taking every dependent and associated species, oaks support 2,300 species excluding bacteria and other microorganisms. [2]

To offer a little Lepidoptera context, only two of our large moth species use non-native Sycamore (the Small Yellow Wave and the Buff-tip, which also uses native trees). However, 71 of Ireland’s larger moths use oak.

It is simply a magical tree, long-lived, steeped in our culture, and needed by nature more than ever.

Another crime against nature is our addiction to chemical weapons. We poison wildlife. At the Orchard Garden Centre in Celbridge, I found shelves full of chemicals to kill wildlife. One of the products, Weedfree Plus promises to kill Dandelion, clover, speedwell, buttercups, and Creeping Thistle, among others. Dandelion, Red Clover and White Clover, Creeping and Field Buttercup and Creeping Thistle are among the best native flora for pollinators. The public is encouraged to let these flowers flourish by pollinator schemes while garden centres encourage us to poison them. Charming.

The safety instructions on Weedfree Plus advise users to ‘Avoid all unnecessary contact with this product’. Excellent advice.

There is an obsession with slug and snail killers. What are Song Thrushes, frogs and Hedgehogs supposed to eat?

Elsewhere in the garden centre, there is a range of bird food products ranging from dried mealworm to seed and nuts, fat balls, and bird feeders supported by a video on repeat showing Goldfinches frenzying over a feeder.

If we grow native flora in our gardens, we would not need supplemental feeding for birds. Dandelion and Creeping Thistle provide lots of natural food for Goldfinches.

One plant in the garden centre caught my eye; Cephalanthus occidentalis marketed as Cephalanthus Magical Moonlight and described as a ‘Butterfly Magnet’. The species is native to North America. It attracts butterflies there and is likely to attract Irish butterflies. Native herbs are targeted for eradication while non-natives sell for €19.95.

We need native plants to feed species native to our ecosystems. The best native shrub for feeding adult pollinators is probably Bramble. Nineteen of our larger moths’ larvae feed on the leaves. The fruit is eaten by birds and by several butterflies and moths, including the Small Copper and Speckled Wood butterflies.

We have destroyed most of our wetlands and farmland. We need to repair the damage, late as it is, but the right approach must be implemented across all habitats.

The home and garden are good places to begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] https://catalogue.ceh.ac.uk/documents/22b3d41e-7c35-4c51-9e55-0f47bb845202

[2] https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/oak-tree-wildlife/