Vol. 458 No. 8
43 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht if his attention has been drawn to the opposition from game councils to the open seasons order banning the hunting of grey partridge; and the plans, if any, he has to review the order. [15949/95]
All wild birds, including the grey partridge, receive statutory protection under the terms of the Wildlife Act, 1976. As Minister with responsibility for the Wildlife Act, I am empowered under Section 24 of the Act to make an order (the open seasons order) whereby certain wild birds can be hunted for specified periods. The species and periods included on the open seasons order, while traditional in origin, are primarily determined by the conservation status and needs of the species concerned and with due regard to the principle of wise use specified in the European Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (79/409/EEC) known as the "Birds Directive".
The grey partridge (Perdix perdix) has been included on the open seasons order for the first 15 days of November each year since the first such order was made in 1977.
The native grey partridge is now an extremely scarce species in Ireland and its population decline is part of a worldwide trend. The specific reasons for the decline in Ireland are not known but are likely to be related to the reduction in cereal growing, the removal of hedgerows and the use of pesticides and herbicides which has reduced the abundance of weed species and their associated insect fauna which, in turn, has led to lower chick survival. The grey partridge is also at the edge of its range in Ireland so it is possible that climatic factors could also be implicated, directly or indirectly, in this demise. The Irish Red Data Book, written by A. Whilde, and jointly produced in 1993 by the Environment Service Northern Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), indicated that there were less than 200 breeding pairs in Ireland. The Red Data Book also recommended that shooting of the species should be restricted to released populations (pen reared birds) only. I am satisfied based on the empirical evidence available to me that the conservation status of this species in Ireland necessitated the removal of the wild species from the open seasons order.
I am aware through the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) of the opposition by the game councils to my removal of the partridge from the open seasons order, despite the fact that NARGC had very commendably operated a voluntary ban on shooting this species in the interests of conservation. Prior to making the Order the NARGC were invited by the NPWS to discuss the proposals for the open seasons order for the current year.
