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Ireland’s fourth National Biodiversity Plan is being launched and the Government is hoping that legislation and new funding will help spearhead significant changes.
It comes as natural habitats such as native plant species and the marine environment are in decline.
The first plan was launched in April 2002, and while there have been goals met and targets achieved in the last 20 years the overall global trend has been below its targets.
A review of the third plan that was published in 2020 reported that “land, ocean, atmosphere and biosphere are being altered to an unparalleled degree”.
It added that “unless action is taken to reduce the intensity of drivers of biodiversity loss, there will be a further acceleration in the global rate of species extinction, which is already at least tens to hundreds of times higher than it has averaged over the past 10 million years”.
The document’s summary of the national situation was also alarming.
It said: “In Ireland, 85% of EU protected habitats are reported as being in unfavourable status with 46% demonstrating ongoing declines.
“The main drivers of this decline are agricultural practices which are negatively impacting over 70% of habitats, particularly ecologically unsuitable grazing, abandonment and pollution.
“Of particular note are declines in peatlands and grasslands, and some of the marine habitats.”
Launching this latest action plan the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcom Noonan, said he believes nature can recover, but acknowledged that it is “in trouble”.
This plan is different to the preceding three in that it has a legislative basis.
It was published under the Wildlife Amendment Act, 2023 and it creates obligations for all public bodies including state agencies such as Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Bord na Mona.
Local authorities will also have to produce and update local biodiversity action plans in the same way they already draw up climate ones.
The plan also promises more national parks and expansion of the current areas.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service is a lead agency on biodiversity and will receive more resources to enable it to target wildlife crime.
Niall Ó Donnchú, Director General with the National Parks and Wildlife Service said the success of the plan will all depend on “all of us taking action for nature”.
“If we give nature a chance it will give us a second chance. Let’s not waste that!”
Nature friendly farming schemes will also be extended.
The plan promises to implement some of the recommendations of the Citizens Assembly on Biodiversity such as reforming nature governance and examining how the rights of nature will be recognised.
This could include a referendum to include these rights in the constitution.
While the Biodiversity Action Plan will create many obligations it will also create more opportunities.
New funding is promised and communities who draw up plans to protect and improve biodiversity in their area should be able to access some of the funds set aside for it.
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