Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2021
230. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number and description if available of all animals and or birds deemed extinct or in danger thereof as identified by trends over the past thirty years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27390/21]
View answer231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the action taken to protect animals or birds deemed in danger of extinction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27391/21]
View answer232. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which the numbers of landrail continue to be monitored throughout the country; if any revival is indicated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27392/21]
View answer233. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent of areas throughout the country currently regarded as habitats for native and migratory game birds; the extent to which their habitats are protected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27395/21]
View answer234. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the degree to which Irish game birds and songbirds deemed to be at risk of extinction continue to be monitored with a view to protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27396/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 230 to 234, inclusive, together.
My Department is responsible for the implementation of the Wildlife Acts and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011, both of which underpin the legislative and policy framework for the protection and conservation of our natural heritage. In particular, the 2011 Regulations transpose two key pieces of EU nature legislation: the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive. The 2011 Regulations specifically give effect to the protection of a range of species listed in Annex IV and Annex V of the Habitats Directive and species referred to in the Birds Directive.
Under Article 12 of the Birds Directive, Member States are required to report to the EU Commission on the implementation of national provisions taken under this Directive. In 2019, as part of this reporting obligation, Ireland submitted 209 season specific assessments, including assessments for all of Ireland’s regularly occurring breeding species and a large proportion of those species’ populations that occur here during the non-breeding period.
The 209 ‘species-seasons’ are comprised of:
- 142 assessments of breeding birds (including a short report on one species, Corn Bunting, that went extinct after the Birds Directive came into force);
- 63 wintering accounts with the vast majority related to wintering waterbird populations; and
- 4 accounts of birds using Ireland’s coastlines or offshore waters on passage (i.e. three tern species and one shearwater).
Approximately 30% of Ireland’s breeding bird species assessed are estimated to have remained stable or increased in abundance over the long-term. This cohort includes those relatively recent colonists with strong population growth including Little Egret, Great Skua, Mediterranean Gull, Little Ringed Plover, Bearded Tit and Great Spotted Woodpecker. However these recent additions to Ireland’s breeding bird community need to be viewed in the context that almost 20% of Ireland’s breeding bird species, for which we have data, are considered to be in long term decline.
Some of our breeding farmland songbirds have been flagged in recent decades as being particularly vulnerable to the modernisation and intensification of agricultural practices. This ongoing change in agricultural practices has led to the extinction of Corn Bunting as a breeding bird in Ireland and has been a primary driver of long term declines in species such as Corncrake, Yellowhammer, Whinchat and Twite for example. The latter two species’ estimated populations are now considered to be both less than 100 pairs.
Countryside Bird Survey data for two ground nesting songbird species which are still relatively abundant and widespread, namely Meadow Pipit and Skylark, were used for this reporting round. Their preferred breeding habitats include peatlands and unimproved grasslands, and both populations are in decline with the estimated short term abundance of Meadow Pipit declining by over 12% and for Skylark by almost 11%. Over the last 40 years or so the estimated breeding range of the latter has decreased by almost one quarter. Such estimated declines are of particular concern as both Meadow Pipit and Skylark make up significant proportions of the prey base of some of Ireland’s raptors of conservation concern including Merlin, Kestrel and Hen Harrier. The short term declines for the latter two raptors are estimated to be circa 28% and 10% respectively.
Breeding waders as a group continue to suffer significant declines in both population and breeding range, in both the short- and long-term. Species such as Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and Dunlin, all of which nest on the ground, have declined by 93% or more in the long term. Certain breeding duck populations are also of concern with numbers of breeding Common Scoter continuing to decline to critically low levels. While this species’ range is stable, the population has declined 21-54% in the short-term and 61% in the long-term. The latest assessment of breeding Red-breasted Merganser (which was reproduced from the 2008-2012 reporting period due to a lack of contemporary data) estimates that this breeding population has declined 62% in the short-term.
The majority of Ireland’s breeding seabird species’ long term population trends are now reckoned to be either stable or increasing. It is possible that the increased level of breeding seabird survey effort undertaken by my Department over recent years may be partially responsible for some of these recorded gains. Kittiwake stands out among the seabird cohort where there is now a strong evidence base to conclude that the population is under a sustained and significant decline. Further work on understanding the drivers of this decline is required but indications that a lack of available forage fish may play a role.
Of particular note are the very strong population increases with several of our breeding tern species (e.g. Roseate Tern, Sandwich Tern, Little Tern and Common Tern). At the site level it is evident that targeted conservation measures in the form of wardened tern colonies is resulting in direct and effective conservation positives.
However several of these particular species’ estimated long-term breeding range trends are in decline or stagnant which not only reinforces the need for such conservation management interventions but also clearly sets out the on-going obligation that such conservation initiatives are to be maintained or where necessary improved.
Robust and contemporary population estimates have been produced for approximately 85% of our breeding seabird species. Work is on-going in my Department with further surveys targeting seabirds such as Puffin, Manx Shearwater and Storm Petrel. These species whose colonies are located on offshore islands are particularly vulnerable to invasive mammals. Such survey work is needed to provide context and further targeting of the on-going bio-security conservation measures currently being carried out by my Department.
The vast majority of those wintering populations assessed as part of the Article 12 Reporting process relate to wintering waterbirds. This group includes ducks, geese, swans and waders among others. Due to its geographical location, climate and wetland habitats, Ireland is an important host for hundreds of thousands of visiting waterbirds during the non-breeding/wintering seasons. Due to the relative sizes of their respective biogeographic populations, Ireland is of international importance for several waterbird species including Whooper Swan, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Brent Goose, and Black-tailed Godwit among others. The population trends for wintering birds varies by group and species. Wintering wader populations, for example, are largely showing continued population declines. While the trends for geese vary, with Greenland White-fronted Geese showing a continued recent decline, and others such as the Barnacle goose showing a positive long term trend.
