Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 September 2017
70. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the capacity in which National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, officers are using Larsen traps; the time of year in which they are being used; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40526/17]
View answerI replied to a similar question from the Deputy last week, which provided a substantive answer to the issues raised in relation to the regulated use of Larsen traps as part of my Department's work to protect rare and threatened ground nesting birds from predator species such as the Grey Crow.
A number of native Irish breeding birds, particularly ground-nesting birds, are of priority conservation concern due to steep declines in their breeding population. This includes the Curlew, which has declined by 97% in Ireland since the late 1980s and needs substantial effort if it is to be saved from extinction as a breeding species here. One of the main reasons for the declines of Curlew and other ground-nesting birds is excessive predation rates, including by members of the crow family, in particular Grey Crows and Magpies. It is estimated that there are more than half a million of both species in Ireland, and that their population is artificially high.
As part of the conservation work carried out by my Department’s National Parks and Wildlife Service, Magpies and Grey Crows are legally and humanely controlled, in a managed and localised way, to help protect rare and threatened species and to help them to rear their young. Larsen traps are used as part of this effort for Curlew, Red-throated Diver, Red Grouse, Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe, Corncrake and other species where predation is judged to be a significant factor in their decline. Traps can be used throughout the year, as appropriate, in response to threats to vulnerable ground-nesting species.
The use of Larsen Traps complies with the provisions of the Wildlife Act 1976 (Approved Traps, Snares and Nets) Regulations 2003 (SI No. 620/2003).
