STATUS REPORT ON IRELAND’S EU PROTECTED HABITATS AND SPECIES:

A recent report by Ireland’s National Parks and Wildlife Service has found that EU-protected Habitats in Ireland have an unfavourable status but that the majority of species are either stable or improving. The Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan, has welcomed the publication and says the report highlights the challenges to conserve biodiversity in Ireland and the need for all sectors of society to work together to address it. 85% of habitats are reported as being in Unfavourable status, with 46% demonstrating ongoing declines. The status of EU listed species is somewhat better with 57% assessed as Favourable and 30% of assessed as being in Unfavourable status (i.e. Inadequate and Bad), with 72% demonstrating stable or improving trends while 15% demonstrating on-going declining trends. Minister Josepha Madigan said “we have programmes ongoing which implement measures to maintain or restore natural habitats and wild species considered vulnerable at European level and  listed on the EU Habitats Directive”.

Ireland has 59 habitats and 68 species listed on the Directive and many positive actions are being undertaken across the country such as the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) Management Plan 2017-2022 and the Native Woodland Scheme that supports the restoration of existing native woodland and the targeted conversion of conifer stands into native woodland. Dr. Deirdre Lynn of the NPWS says “the unfavourable status of many of our habitats is, regrettably, unsurprising as this is the reason they have been listed on the Directive; it is, however, the ongoing declines that are of concern, particularly in our peatland, grassland, woodland and marine habitats.” She added that “the main drivers of the habitat decline are agricultural practices which are negatively impacting over 70% of habitats, particularly ecologically unsuitable grazing, abandonment and pollution.” The reports are now available to view or download by visiting  https://www.npws.ie/article-17-reports-0.