Crucial areas for conserving Irish seabirds identified by BirdWatch Ireland
The wildlife NGO used the international criteria outlined by BirdLife International to identify the most crucial areas used by seabirds in Ireland.
Areas designated using this criteria, for Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), are recognised by the European Court of Justice and the European Commission as sites that should be designated by Special Protection Areas by EU member states.
The map identifies 73 important areas for Ireland's sea birds, 49 of which are colony/breeding areas and 24 of which are marine areas used by birds for feeding and wintering.
A total of 41 of the colony areas are already designated as Special Protection Areas (SPAs).
While two areas of the marine have been identified by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as potential SPAs.
These are in the northwest Irish Sea and in the sea off Wexford.
Jim Wilson has been observing the birds on the Old Head of Kinsale in Cork for more than 50 years.
Mr Wilson described the location as a noisy place due to being in the middle of breeding season, with the sounds of Kittiwakes and other birds including guillemots and razorbills.
However, he has noticed that the numbers of Kittiwakes are dwindling at the Old Head of Kinsale at "an alarming rate". The numbers of auk, guillemot and razorbill are also decreasing.
He said protecting the sea areas for birds where they hunt is "something we need to do fast".
IBAs are not a legal protection mechanism but are used to inform the designation of SPAs for birds under the EU Birds Directive.
These Irish sites now form part of a global network of IBAs across 243 countries.
Ireland is legally obliged to designate areas that protect the lifecycle of birds as SPAs under Article 4 of the Birds Directive, which is an EU legislation.
Ireland has had designated areas for the protection of birds since 1998.
A total of 24 species of breeding seabirds are hosted by Ireland's marine area, with 23 of them under a red or amber conservation status.
Ireland has committed to designate 30% of its seawaters as marine protected areas by 2030.
Around 9.8% have this designation. If all IBAs identified by BirdWatch Ireland on this list were designated as SPAs, that would bring the total are covered up to 17.5%.
BirdWatch Ireland said it is conservative in its designation and the areas identified are the most crucial ones for Irish seabirds.
Ireland's marine waters represent 8% of the total marine area of the European Union's marine area.
Issues impacting the birds include a lack of protection at breeding and colony sites, bird flu, overfishing, predation by invasive species, marine pollution and climate change.
Ireland began designating marine SPAs three years ago. Less than 2% of Ireland's Exclusive Economic Zone, the offshore area it has jurisdiction over living and non-living resources, is designated for seabirds.
The expansion of human activities at sea, including the development of offshore wind projects, pose potential future threats to the birds.
BirdWatch Ireland is calling on the Irish Government to designate the areas identified by the NGO as crucial for seabirds as SPAs.
They are also calling for management plans to be developed for all SPAs so that conservation efforts can be measured and for funding to measure the potential impact of offshore renewable energy projects on Irish seabirds.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Meath youngest Retained Firefighter hopes to inspire the next generation
Her journey into the fire service began almost by chance. 'I had no interest in becoming a firefighter until I became one. I said to myself 'you wouldn't know if you don't try,' Ms Weldon said. 'Myself and my dad just went down just to see what the story was and if it would suit me at all.' Sarah applied when recruitment opened at the Nobber station last year. Just a few weeks later, she was called for her very first interview. 'It was my first ever interview for anything, I was really nervous, I didn't really think I'd do very well but I was happy with my results.' 'You always doubt yourself a little bit as you don't know if you'll be able to do it but as you get through the courses or talk to other people, it helps. No matter what, you get to be working in a team.' One year into the role, Ms Weldon who also continues to work in a deli, reflects on her favourite part of the job - teamwork. 'Everyone picks each other up and carries each other through. Mentally that is so important,' she said. A standout moment for her was completing the BA (Breathing Apparatus) course — 'It was probably the most mentally and physically challenging course I'd had throughout my firefighter training.' To get started and out in the field, Ms Weldon completed three weeks of intensive recruit training. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more 'There's so many opportunities out there, with a lot of people to help you through. You learn so much on the courses but the real learning is done out on calls.' 'To any young girls or young boys - there is no reason why you can't do these things, believe in yourself. Don't close any doors.' With women still making up less than 10pc of Irish fire services, Ms Weldon is one of just six female firefighters in Meath. 'I feel so blessed that everyone has been so accepting. When I put in my application, I didn't expect anything would come back but it did and here I am - a year in already.' Since September 2023, Fire and Rescue Services across Ireland have trained 562 new retained firefighters, but some stations still face staffing shortages. To address this, the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) launched a national campaign to boost recruitment and raise awareness of the vital role retained firefighters play in their communities. There are 27 Fire Services in Ireland operated under local authorities. Each service handles its own recruitment, including Meath County Council, which is currently inviting applications for retained firefighter positions in Nobber and Ashbourne. Applicants must be able to respond to the fire station within 5–8 minutes of a call — typically requiring them to live within one mile of the station. Retained firefighters are expected to be on-call for at least 24 weeks per year, with flexibility to provide additional cover. Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Kerry principal reflects on 40 year career – ‘I loved teaching, I loved the children and the fun'
And over those years she had guided the school expertly to ensure that the small community school was more than just a place of learning but a community hub focused on an all around education for the pupils that passed through the door. In fact, it appears the school has more than its fair share of talent particularly on the music field as almost every student plays a musical instrument – a feat that Laoise is rightly proud of. Over the years she says there has been plenty of stand-out moments but those that mean the most to her include the official recognition of the school as a Gaelscoil. This was hugely important as part of the revitalization of the Irish language in South Kerry and ensuring that the next generations have a proud love of their native language. Another proud moment for the school was when the pupils built and launched two traditional, life-size currachs, 'Báidín na Óg' and 'An Báidín Greanta' under expert guidance of currach maker Holger Lonze. The currachs were launched by local poet Paddy Bushe from Reen Pier, in what was a memorable day for the whole community. "It was an amazing project,' said Laoise and it was a project that won the school an Ocean Heroes award and was also the subject of a Radio Kerry documentary. And the final big moment for Laoise came at the end of the school year when the entire community including the wonderful staff of the three teacher 48 pupil school came together to celebrate her retirement. It was also a day of celebration for the vice-principal Síle Ní Chonaill who also had a long career over 25 years at the school and both her and Laoise worked side by side during that time to ensure the school ran smoothly. Laoise says there has been a lot of changes in teaching over the past 40 years, many gradual so you don't even notice them. "When I look back on the 40 years teaching is now unrecognisable especially with technology,' she says. ADVERTISEMENT However, she says despite such technological advances paperwork has increased no end and and she believes this is off-putting to the new generations particularly for such posts like her one as a teaching principal. 'People just aren't applying for those posts anymore, they [Department of Education] expect a lot but we are poorly funded,' she says. Thankfully Scoil Mhichíl Naofa in Ballinskelligs has no such problems replaced Laoise and Sheila with Cristíona Uí Loingsigh taking over as principal and Louise Moriarty as the vice-principal role and although they have big shoes to fill they will do so expertly. Laoise is originally from Sneem and aside from two years subbing in Kerry and Cork her career has been dedicated to the South Kerry school. Teaching is in her blood she says as her mother taught in nearby Scoil Cillian Liath and her daughter Muireann has also followed in her footsteps. Laoise says it is now time for the next chapter of her life which she is truly looking forward to and will she hopes involve plenty of travel not least the Camino in Spain this September. "It is exciting to be moving on which I still have the health to do so... I am looking forward to the next chapter.' Laoise has just celebrated her 60th birthday so she is hopeful of a long retirement ahead. But of course she will miss the children. "I will miss the kids and the fun we had. It is a privilege to have worked with the children, they are so upbeat.'
Irish Independent
9 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Map initiative calls for protection of Ireland's endangered seabirds
But despite laws being passed 46 years ago to safeguard them, the places they feed, roam and spend most of their time are largely unprotected. Birdwatch Ireland now wants the Government to make up for lost time and officially designate key locations around and off the coast as protected areas. The charity has identified 73 strips of coastline and stretches of sea it said meet the criteria for Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and is calling on the Government to recognise them as a first step towards formal protections. Oonagh Duggan, of Birdwatch Ireland, said such protections were long overdue. 'The European Union Birds Directive dates back to 1979, so that's how long we're waiting,' she said. 'Article four of the directive says sites should be designated for all phases of a bird's life cycle. On land we have some legally created Special Protected Areas [SPAs] for breeding birds but we don't designate out to sea, which is where they feed, winter and generally hang out the rest of the time.' Birdwatch Ireland is proposing that 49 coastal IBAs be created for vital breeding sites and established colonies of birds, with a further 24 marine IBAs out at sea. Marine IBAs are areas where birds have regular feeding grounds and where they exhibit 'rafting' behaviour – gathering in floating groups to socialise and preen under the safety of numbers. IBAs would support 24 species of seabird of all shapes and sizes, from the compact puffin to the hefty gannet, from the little tern to the great skua, from the well-known herring gull to less familiar manx shearwater. The others are black guillemot, common guillemot, Arctic tern, roseate tern, sandwich tern, common tern, kittiwake, shag, cormorant, European storm petrel, Leach's storm petrel, northern fulmar, razorbill, Mediterranean gull, black-headed gull, great black-backed gull, lesser black-backed gull and common gull. All but the great black-backed gull have an unfavourable conservation status, which means their populations are under threat. Pressures include loss of food sources from overfishing, entanglement in fishing nets, predation of nests and chicks by rats and other invasive species and marine pollution, including plastics. They are also suffering from the spread of avian flu, human interference with breeding sites and increasing extreme weather events caused by climate change. Future threats are also identified – including intensification of development at sea when offshore wind projects are built. Birdwatch Ireland is calling on the Government to accept the IBAs and designate all of them as formal SPAs. The organisation is also asking that existing SPAs be reviewed and updated using the new IBA data. It also said management plans must be developed for all IBAs/SPAs with 'clearly defined and quantifiable science-based conservation objectives' and 'conservation measures necessary to achieve these objectives'. It said accompanying 'avian sensitivity maps' should be drawn up to guide activities at sea, in particular the location of offshore renewable projects. While they are not a legal designation, thousands of IBAs are already recognised in many countries and used to inform policymakers in the process of formally declaring protected areas. The EU accepts their validity, as does the European Court of Justice. Global conservation organisation BirdLife International has devised the criteria for declaring an IBA, setting out the research that must be carried out to ensure they are scientifically robust. A detailed report being published today by Birdwatch Ireland was compiled with help from experts at the National Parks and Wildlife Service, University College Cork, University College Dublin, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and universities and research institutes in England, Scotland and Norway. Extensive surveys were carried out and tracking data collated to piece together the most up-to-date picture of the places our seabirds depend on for survival. The public will be able to check out the areas and birds for themselves when Birdwatch Ireland launches an interactive map on its website today. It stressed the initiative is not just critical for Ireland's wildlife but for global biodiversity, as some of the sites host some of the most significant colonies of species in the world. The initiative comes as concern grows over the fate of Government promises to designate 30pc of Ireland's seas as marine protected areas (MPAs). Just 10pc is designated so far and practical protections have not been put in place. Legislation to formally create MPAs has been delayed and Environment Minister Darragh O'Brien indicated this week that he may change tack.
