This is a subscriber-only article
Research should be carried out on Ireland’s habitats and birds in designated lands to enable the “effective management” of these areas, according to a report by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
It recommends to policy makers that a range of research in relation to farmland birds, grasslands, peatlands and certain habitats be carried out in order to conserve protected habitats.
Farmland birds
For farmland birds, it recommends that research be carried out on the value of Ireland’s hedgerows as both nesting and feeding resources.
It also said research should be carried out “to investigate how arable farming systems can be adapted to provide increased benefits for Ireland’s bird species”.
Livestock carrying capacity
On coastal lands it says research should be carried out to “investigate nutrient profiles of forage on coastal systems nationally in order to gauge livestock carrying capacities and mineral requirements”.
It would also like to see each grassland habitat mapped and its condition assessed along with the driver of change and loss of grassland habitats.
The report recommends investigations to quantify livestock grazing on blanket bog and work to develop mitigation measures for peatland areas identified as being vulnerable to landslides.
It recommends that a baseline survey of less-well know Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) populations of the freshwater pearl mussel be carried out.
As revealed this week by the Irish Farmers Journal, the NPWS has proposed a suite of new agri environment schemes targeted at improving the country’s protected habitats and species.
If the recommendations are acted upon by policy makers, farmers on designated land could be paid up to €400/ha for rush control and be paid to extensively graze livestock.
Farmers could also receive €1,000 for putting in a farm pond, €200/ha for scrub removal and €350/ha to stop spreading fertiliser on certain land.
There is also a proposal in the report which says farmers could be paid €15m per year for the administrative cost of managing designated lands.
SHARING OPTIONS: