Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 December 2022
194. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if data on the number of cormorants on the River Barrow and other waterway systems is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59945/22]
View answer207. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the National Parks and Wildlife Service monitors the number of cormorants on the River Barrow and other waterway systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59944/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 207 together.
The Cormorant is monitored at a number of sites during its breeding and non-breeding seasons, in accordance with Article 12 of the EU Birds Directive. It is largely a coastal breeding bird but a portion of the Irish population nests inland in freshwater environments. A breeding survey, including Ireland’s inland waterways system, was conducted in recent years.
The data is summarised in a National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) Irish Wildlife Manual, publicly available on the NPWS website www.npws.ie at the following link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM114.pdf.
Outside the breeding season, this species frequents inland waterways, as well as coastal and estuarine sites across the country. The Irish Wetland Bird Survey (I-WeBS) is Ireland's programme for monitoring population trends of wintering waterbirds, including Cormorant, and the habitats they use.
I-WeBS covers approximately 250 sites and 750 subsites per annum across the country. An Irish Wildlife Manual describing the status and distribution of wintering cormorant and other waterbirds for the period 2009/10 – 2015/16 is also available at the following link: www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM_106_Irelands_Wintering_Waterbirds.pdf.
Contemporary data from I-WeBS can be accessed via the survey’s dedicated web portal at irishwetlandbirdsurvey.ie/.
