Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 11 September 2023
926. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the scientific rationale for the removal of four duck species from the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) Orders; the engagement he has had with stakeholders in advance of this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38630/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra927. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the removal of four duck species from the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) Orders required a statutory instrument; the legal mechanism used to remove these species, if not through statutory instrument, if there has been a public consultation mechanism before the orders were amended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38631/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 926 and 927 together.
Under Directive 2009/147/EC (otherwise known as the Birds Directive) Ireland and other Member States are instructed to take the requisite measures to maintain the populations of wild bird at levels within their respective territories, which corresponds in particular to ecological, scientific and cultural requirements, while taking account of economic and recreational requirements, or to adapt the population of these species to those levels.
Ireland’s latest report to the EU Commission to fulfil obligations under Article 12 of Directive 2009/147/EC covers the period 2013 – 2018 and provides inter alia data on a range of Ireland’s bird species’ population sizes and trends through time. This report outlines a number of species whose estimated populations, at the national level, have undergone acute declines and/or whose populations are now relatively small. Several of these species are listed on Annex II to the Directive and 14 of the 21 species listed on the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) (Amendment) Order 2012 were the subject of national-level concern, on foot of the 2019 EU Article 12 report. The change to the Open Seasons Order recently implemented has removed four of these species.
A public consultation of the Open Seasons Order was carried out in early 2023, providing all interested stakeholders, and the general public with an opportunity to input their views on policy issues. NPWS subsequently engaged external expertise to review the c. 2,500 responses to the survey on the OSO, along with the outcome of the very productive stakeholder engagement meeting held in April 2023, and to develop recommendations arising from same.
In order to ensure that the hunting of the species on the open seasons order is sustainable, and in line with Ireland’s obligations to safeguard threatened bird species and the “principles of wise use” under the EU Birds Directive, I made a decision to amend the Open Seasons Order for the 2023/2024 season to remove scaup, pochard and goldeneye due to the great decline in their numbers in Ireland; over the period 1994/95 – 2019/20, estimated declines of 89%, 79% and 67% respectively have been recorded. Pintail, the fourth of the duck species was not retained because of the uncertainty around the effect of hunting this population due to its very small size, estimated to be 1,017 individuals. These birds are at a tipping point and the decrease in their numbers speaks for itself. All other bird species and dates remain the same.
In relation to question 38631/23, changes to the Open Seasons Order for wild birds are made via statutory instruments. The Principal Order is the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) Order 1979 (S.I. No. 192 of 1979), as amended.
The recent changes to the Wild Birds Open Seasons Order which removed these birds from the list of huntable species of wild birds were made under the Wildlife (Wild Birds) (Open Seasons) (Amendment) Order 2023 (S.I. 421 of 2023). This is published on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and is available at the following link:
www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/open-seasons-order
