“Sustainable hunting” of endangered birds: Nature Minister's outrageous response to protection plea

Petition updateBan Blood Sports in Ireland“Sustainable hunting” of endangered birds: Nature Minister's outrageous response to protection plea

Irish Council Against Blood SportsMullingar, Ireland

Sep 15, 2024

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The office of Green Party Minister of State for Nature Malcolm Noonan has stated that he is focused on the “sustainable hunting” of birds.

The outrageous statement was in response to an appeal from the Irish Council Against Sports for the Minister to remove threatened amber- and red-list birds from the open season order which allows recreational shooters to blast them out of the sky for fun.

In our May appeal to Minister Noonan, we stated: “We are writing to renew our appeal to you - during National Biodiversity Week and ahead of the much anticipated broadcasting of the Birdsong documentary on RTE 1 - to please remove all the remaining amber- and red-list birds from the Open Season Order.”

We went on to list the RED LIST BIRDS OF HIGHEST CONSERVATION CONCERN:
Snipe (breeding populations of snipe now “IN SEVERE DECLINE”), Golden Plover, Shoveler, Red Grouse, Woodcock.

and the AMBER LIST BIRDS OF MEDIUM CONSERVATION CONCERN:
Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Greylag Goose.

“These birds are in trouble,” we reminded the Minister. “They have been identified by Birdwatch Ireland and RSPB Northern Ireland as birds of medium conservation concern and highest conservation concern. Please act now to safeguard the future of these vulnerable species.”

We referred to his previously stated commitment to "support sustainable hunting practices", denouncing it as “entirely inappropriate, particularly from a Green Party representative in the context of species at risk of extinction”.

“There must be zero hunting of these species and definite moves toward allowing all birds to live free from the horrors of recreational shooting,” we added.

In a 22 August reply, Minister Noonan's private secretary wrote: “On behalf of Mr Malcolm Noonan, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, I wish to refer to your correspondence in relation to the Open Season for Birds.

“Minister Noonan has committed to the establishment of a stakeholder forum on the sustainable hunting of wild birds. This forum, which will facilitate discussions and collaboration with relevant stakeholders on the issue of sustainable hunting, will include hunting organisations, eNGOs, Government Departments and farming organisations.”

Last year, Minister Noonan removed four out of 15 amber- and red-list birds from the shooting list. A statement from the Department of Heritage at the time outlined that the reason scaup, pochard and goldeneye were removed was “due to the great decline in their numbers in Ireland”. It revealed the shocking extent of the demise – “over the period 1994/95 to 2019/20, estimated declines of 89% (scaup), 79% (pochard) and 67% (goldeneye) have been recorded”.

Pintail was also removed from the shooting list “due to the very small numbers in Ireland at this time” (estimated to be just 1,107 individual pintails).

According to the Department, the decision to remove the birds was made “in order to ensure that the hunting of the species on the open season 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”.

It is imperative that Minister Malcolm Noonan proceeds to fully protect the remaining 11 amber- and red-list birds from shooters. Join us in contacting him.

ACTION ALERT

Tell Minister Malcolm Noonan to stop the killing and give full protection to Snipe, Red Grouse, Shoveler, Golden Plover, Woodcock, Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Tufted Duck and Greylag Goose and all birds.

Malcolm Noonan TD (Green Party, Carlow Kilkenny)
Minister of State for Nature
Tel: (01) 618 3148 OR (01) 618 3156
Email: mos@housing.gov.ie; malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MinisterMalcolmNoonan/
X: https://twitter.com/noonan_malcolm

Heritage Minister Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fail, Dublin Fingal)
Tel: (01) 618 3802 OR (086) 251 9893
Email: darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie; minister@housing.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DarraghOBrienTD
X: http://twitter.com/DarraghOBrienTD

The threatened birds blasted to death by shooters

The Snipe is a threatened red-list species of highest conservation concern. Breeding populations are now “in severe decline”. Shooters are allowed to kill Snipe during 153 days of the year (1st Sept – 31st Jan).

The Red Grouse is a threatened red-list species of highest conservation concern. Shooters are allowed to kill Red Grouse during the month of September.

The Shoveler duck is a threatened red-list species of highest conservation concern. Shooters are allowed to kill Shoveler ducks during 153 days of the year (1st Sept – 31st Jan).

The Golden Plover is a threatened red-list species of highest conservation concern. Shooters are allowed to kill Golden Plovers during 153 days of the year (1st Sept – 31st Jan).

The Woodcock is a threatened red-list species of highest conservation concern. Shooters are allowed to kill woodcock during 92 days of the year (1 Nov to 31 Jan).

Teal, Gadwall, Wigeon, Tufted Duck – amber-listed birds of medium conservation concern. May be shot throughout the state between 1st September and 31st January.

The Greylag Goose – this amber-list bird may be shot between 1st September and 15th October (anywhere in the state) and also between 16th October and 31st January on Lady’s Island, Wexford and in Gearagh East and West in County Cork.

See the open season order at
https://www.npws.ie/legislation/irish-law/open-seasons-order

Read the “Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland 4: 2020–2026” report at
https://birdwatchireland.ie/app/uploads/2021/04/BOCCI-2020-2026.pdf