Farmers risking 'catastrophe if they defend themselves against poachers'

Extra.ie​

a day ago

Attempts by farmers and landowners to protect their property against criminal gangs of poachers could spark a 'catastrophe', rural activists have warned.
It comes amid a reported rise in violent threats from criminals targeting isolated areas that do not have a significant policing presence.
Fears of a backlash prompted promises of a Government clampdown on poachers this weekend.
In several recent reported cases, poachers are using lurcher dogs and laser technology to hunt their prey at night. Attempts by farmers and landowners to protect their property against criminal gangs of poachers could spark a 'catastrophe', rural activists have warned. Pic: Shutterstock
But they are also using their 'hunting' activities as cover to case out rural properties and farms.
Rosie Palmer, chief executive of the rural voluntary organisation Muintir na Tíre, this weekend called for a 'zero-tolerance approach' to criminals 'who pose a threat to wildlife and people'.
She told the Irish Mail on Sunday: 'Our countryside and our wildlife deserve protection and should not be disregarded by these criminal practices. There is no 'sport' in what these poachers are doing.'
Junior Justice Minister Niall Collins said he will prioritise what he described as 'a major continuing clampdown' on nighttime poachers amid fears of a rise in rural violence.
In one multi-agency campaign, codenamed 'Operation Lurcher', gardaí in south Tipperary, supported by national units, members of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA), seized a large number of items used for illegal hunting, suspected cocaine to the value of €5,000 and a substantial amount of cash.
In Clare, gardaí also noted 'reports that farmers in west and north Clare were banding together to confront gangs of men who are trespassing on their land and hunting hares illegally'. Pádraig Nally on his farm. Pic: Tom Honan
Mr Collins said gardaí and the NPWS 'are committed to combating' the rise in poaching.
He also urged farmers and landowners to report any illegal activity on their lands, adding: 'If it is [reported], we will clamp down on this damaging activity.'
However, one rural community source familiar with the poaching threat, said: 'This is not the sort of crime you report at your local Garda station which, more often than not, even if it isn't closed, certainly isn't open.'
Another source involved in the revitalisation of the Garda Community Alert system warned: 'It [criminal poaching] is starting to become endemic across the country as distinct to certain traditional hotspots. Gangs pull up at farms and farmers are being given no option in the matter. They are told it is happening and to basically stay out of the way.'
Ms Palmer also said Muintir na Tire has received 'reports of threats being made to farmers and landowners'.
She told the MoS: 'It's not just the wildlife crime; it's also concerning to see a rise in trespassing and the excuse of hunting being used as an opportunity to scope out farmyards and rural homes. At a meeting recently in Offaly, a farmer told us how he was verbally attacked by poachers when he confronted them for being on his land. He was on his own, out on a rural road, and he feared for his life.'
One Government TD said more gardaí need to be allocated to rural areas.
'Poaching with lurchers and the threat it poses has left communities frozen in fear, yet you get the sense after the riots that crime is only important in Dublin,' they told the MoS.
'The judiciary are blind and deaf to this. They seem to think this is the sort of poaching you would see on Downton Abbey or Greengrass in Heartbeat – some fellow with a couple of rabbits for the pot.
'This is a serious criminal enterprise, involving not only betting but… casing places for future criminal acts.'
Aside from the threats to people and property, one community activist said criminal poaching is 'utterly devastating for wildlife'.
They told the MoS: 'Lurchers are pleasant pets but they are a hunting dog. These new scanners [also called lasers] are much more powerful than lamps. It's a new technology. The animal freezes. The hares don't have a chance.'
One rural activist warned the growing threat posed by poachers and criminal gangs could spark 'a repeat of the Nally case'.
This is a reference to the fatal shooting of Traveller John 'Frog' Ward by farmer Pádraig Nally on October 14, 2004. Pádraig Nally. Pic: Collins Photos
Mr Nally, who lived alone on an isolated farm, had become increasingly worried that his property would be targeted by thieves. Mr Ward, who had around 80 convictions from 38 court appearances and had convictions for burglary, larceny and assault, was shot twice by Mr Nally after trespassing on his property.
In November 2005, Mr Nally was sentenced to six years' imprisonment for manslaughter. His conviction was quashed in October 2006 and, after a retrial in December 2006, he was found not guilty of manslaughter.
Earlier this year, law professor Diarmuid Phelan was found not guilty of the murder in 2022 of trespasser on his land, Keith Conlon, after a trial in Dublin's Central Criminal Court.
Mr Phelan had pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defence when he shot Conlon on his Hazelgrove farm at Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, Dublin. The trial heard Mr Conlon was trespassing with two others on the farm that day. They had two dogs, a lurcher and a terrier, and were apparently badger-baiting.
The rural activist said of the growing threat posed by criminal poachers: 'These farmers are isolated, fearful and terrified. But they are also armed. Real potential exists for a catastrophic event.
'Remember, Nally was about crime, fear and terror. Farmers are being terrorised by these thugs,' they said. Diarmuid Phelan was found not guilty of the murder in 2022 of trespasser on his land, Keith Conlon, after a trial in Dublin's Central Criminal Court.
In response to queries, a spokesman from the Department of the Environment said: 'The National Parks and Wildlife Service is aware of incidents involving illegal hunting of hares involving the use of lurcher-type dogs.
'The NPWS takes a multi-faceted approach to tackling the serious issue of wildlife crime including unlawful hunting. This includes traditional law enforcement measures through a joint protocol with An Garda Síochána and partnership with other agencies along with preventative measures such as community engagement, public awareness and education.
'In recent months, NPWS has undertaken a series of patrols and checkpoints with An Garda Síochána to deter and detect illegal wildlife hunting activity.'