Landowners who depend on the land in designated hen harrier areas for their livelihood must be supported and incentivised to implement measures for hen harrier conservation, a new action plan has said.

The Hen Harrier Threat Response Plan sets out a roadmap which aims to reverse the decline of the hen harrier and to improve its long-term prospects.

Monitor

The plan will see the Department of Agriculture monitor the effectiveness of the new land eligibility rules under the CAP to ensure that they are beneficial to the hen harrier.

The Department and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) are to continue to engage and communicate with farmers on the year-round ecological needs of the bird.

Habitats in various locations around the country are to be maintained, improved and expanded within and outside the breeding Special Protection Areas (SPAs) by expanding on the experience gained by various schemes.

Landowners in these areas should be paid, made aware of and educated to deliver results-based and long-lasting improvements to these habitats for the bird, the plan states.

Minsiter of State with responsibility for nature, Malcolm Noonan, said the roadmap marks a significant milestone in the collective effort to prevent the extinction of the bird.

“The plight of this iconic bird highlights the broader issues we face both nationally and globally in tackling the biodiversity crisis and its future is very much in our hands.

“It’s vital that we now focus urgently and strategically on implementation.

Opportunities

“We must seize the opportunities presented in this plan to deliver meaningful change to the management of our landscapes and protect our most vulnerable species,” he said.

The hen harrier is a ground-nesting bird of prey that breeds in open upland bog, heather moorland and associated habitats. The bird has seen significant declines in recent years and could face extinction within the next 25 years if immediate action is not taken to protect it, the Department of Housing has said.