Fourteen of the 21 species covered under the Open Seasons Order were highlighted as being of national-level concern in 2019, on foot of a National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) report to the EU on the status of bird species in Ireland, while 15 are listed as amber or red on BirdWatch Ireland’s Birds of Conservation Concern Ireland (BOCCI) list.
The review aims to bring forward proposals to ensure that the hunting of these species 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 also seeks to gather views on the steps that could be put in place, for example, with respect to improvements in data collection and the management of the Order to protect vulnerable bird species.
In parallel, NPWS is undertaking an analysis of available data in order to inform decisions on the retention or removal of species, or to the amendment of the open season for particular species. The NPWS is also seeking to set out other short-, medium-, and long-term actions that will be required to meet Birds Directive obligations and to ensure the sustainability of the Open Seasons Order. As part of this public consultation, the NPWS will engage with stakeholder groups and members of the public to consider how best to manage the order, and to gain a clearer picture on the impact of hunting on threatened bird species.
Commenting, the Minister said: “Despite more than 30 years of effort to protect and conserve biodiversity under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, the latest assessments under these Directives show declining trends in the conservation status of some of our most threatened species. We must make every effort to protect our birds and, in line with our EU counterparts, it is appropriate that we consider the role of hunting activities in this context.”
Members of the public can get involved by completing an online survey by 5pm, May 3. The survey is available here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/BirdsOSOReview2023IE