Heather cutting on the Knockmealdown Mountains

Heather cutting on the Knockmealdown Mountains

IFA Countryside were recently invited by ABGN Gun Club as they carried out vital conservation work on the glorious Knockmealdown mountains.  Also invited was Senator Garrett Ahearn.  AGBN raised concerns with Senator Ahearn about the ability to burn heather.

AGBN demonstrated how they manage the heather for one of our iconic game birds; the Irish Red grouse. In ideal conditions, strips of 10 metres wide and 100 metres long would be burned in a controlled manner before the deadline of 1st March.  Burning the heather provides a balance of both young and old heather which is essential for its survival.   Grouse feed mainly on heather.  The heather needs to be healthy and vibrant.  An ideal crop would have several stages of growth in any given area.

ABGN had been using controlled burning of the heather since 2004 but in the last number of years, adverse weather conditions involving heavy rainfall meant that this was not possible.  The Gun Club were adamant that this vital conservation work should continue so they found another method of controlling the heather.  They purchased a mulching head which is attached onto a hymac thus allowing mowing to take place even in adverse weather.

ABGN Gun Club had previously raised concerns with Senator Ahearn about extending the burning dates to allow them to burn the heather. They invited the Senator out to witness first hand their conservation efforts and the value of heather management. 

Many thanks to all members of ABGN Gun Club on their fantastic work in stabilising and indeed increasing grouse numbers on the Knockmealdown mountains.  Long may it continue.

March 23, 2022

Controlled Burning Period Must Be Extended to Include March – IFA

Controlled Burning Period Must Be Extended to Include March – IFA

The IFA National Hill Farming Chairman Cáillin Conneely has called on the Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan to ensure the managed burning of gorse is allowed in March.

At a meeting with the Minister, Cáillin Conneely said the extension by a month will bring a number of benefits. It will allow better vegetative management; help farmers keep land eligible for various CAP schemes; and reduce uncontrolled wildfires.

“We want to maintain farming in these areas and we fully respect the ecological value of lands with gorse and certain types of grass species.  Without farming, these areas would go wild and the incidence of wildfires would significantly increase,” he said.

“The Minister must take account of how farmers manage their hill land responsibly.  Where land is burned, it’s done in a managed way.  Controlled burning will significantly reduce the possibility of uncontrolled fires in April and May like we have seen in the past”.

“Controlled gorse burning before the end of February can be difficult to achieve due to the wetter ground conditions. These conditions prove to be drier in March,” he said.

“Flexibility will allow hill famers to deal with the practical issues they face in managing their hill farms. Wildfires we have seen in the past can be avoided if the window is extended to include the month of March,” he said.

February 18, 2022

Scientific ‘catch-tag-release’ survey programme opens for charter skippers

Scientific ‘catch-tag-release’ survey programme opens for charter skippers

Over 1,100 Atlantic Bluefin tuna, the ‘giant of the sea’, have been successfully tagged and released under ‘citizen scientist’ partnership 

 Experienced charter skippers can apply for Ireland’s 2022 Bluefin tuna scientific survey programme, as scientists confirm that over 1,100 of the largest tuna in the world have been successfully tagged and released through the programme in the last three years.

Building on the successes of the Tuna CHART (CatcH And Release Tagging) programmes of 2019-2021, this scientific data collection catch and release fishery for Ireland will operate in 2022, subject to Covid-19 restrictions.  In 2022, a maximum of 25 authorisations may be granted to qualifying angling charter vessel skippers around the Irish coast. This fishery will open on the 1st July and close on the 12th November 2022.

The Tuna CHART programme is a collaborative scientific programme between Inland Fisheries Ireland and the Marine Institute in partnership with the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC).

Between 2019 and 2021, some 1,136 Atlantic Bluefin tuna have been caught, tagged, measured and released off the Irish coast by authorised charter skippers. The largest tuna tagged to date in the programme was 2.75m, weighing an estimated 372kg. All tuna were carefully managed in the water alongside the charter vessel, subject to strict guidelines set by the Tuna CHART programme, and all were released alive. Data from the tagging programme have been collated by the partnership for reporting to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT).

The core aspect of the Tuna CHART programme is the welfare and successful release of the Bluefin tuna. Authorised skippers will be required to have high specification rods, reels and line in advance of the open season in order to ensure that the fish is brought alongside the vessel to be measured and tagged in the water in a timely manner.

Anglers will have an opportunity to participate in this fishery and contribute to this important scientific study by chartering and fishing from authorised vessels only. Unauthorised vessels are not permitted to target or catch Bluefin tuna and any unauthorised person found to be targeting Bluefin tuna is liable to prosecution.

Experienced charter skippers are being invited to apply to join the 2022 Tuna CHART programme between February 14th and 28th by filling out an application form online at  www.fisheriesireland.ie/bluefin

ENDS

For media information

Sarah Bohan

Communications

Inland Fisheries Ireland

E : sarah.bohan@fisheriesireland.ie

T : 087 65 39936

February 3, 2022

‘Brown Tags’ conservation regulations come into force for Salmon Anglers on Lower River Lee in Cork

‘Brown Tags’ conservation regulations come into force for Salmon Anglers on Lower River Lee in Cork

To boost conservation efforts, anglers who wish to catch and keep wild salmon from the Lower River Lee in Cork this year, are being advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland that ‘brown tag’ regulations are coming into force from Tuesday, February 1st 2022.

The measures are included in the Wild Salmon and Sea Trout Tagging Scheme (Amendment) Regulations, recently signed into law by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, T.D.

Under brown tag regulations, an angler who wishes to ‘harvest’ a wild salmon i.e., take or keep it, must attach a brown tag as well as a standard blue tag to the fish. To help conserve stocks of wild salmon within the Lower River Lee, No. 5 or Cork District, a total of 152 brown tags will be available for the season and will be distributed to anglers with a 2022 rod licence through a series of online lotteries.

Up to a quarter of the available number of brown tags can be issued at one time, under the Wild Salmon and Seatrout Tagging Scheme Regulations. Therefore, 38 brown tags will be selected through the first online lottery on January 31st 2022.

How to apply

 Any anglers that are interested in entering the January 31st draw are being asked to email their request to Inland Fisheries Ireland at: 2022corkleebrowntag@fisheriesireland.ie between Friday, January 21st and Friday, January 28th 2022 only. Within this email, anglers must provide their name, contact address, contact telephone number and they must also quote their 2022 Salmon Licence number. Only one entry is permitted per licence holder into the draw.

Anglers with a 2022 rod licence who are not allocated a brown tag are only permitted to fish for salmon on a ‘catch and release’ basis on the Lower River Lee, where the salmon is returned safely to the same waterbody.

Further details are available from the Inland Fisheries Ireland’s website at www.fisheriesireland.ie or by phoning its Macroom office on (026) 41221.

The brown tag regulations come into force on the Lower River Lee in Cork from February 1st and will remain in place until midnight on September 30th 2022.

ENDS 

For media information:

Sarah Bohan & Sadhbh O’Neill

Communications at Inland Fisheries Ireland

E : sarah.bohan@fisheriesireland.ie / sadhbh.oneill@fisheriesireland.ie

T : 087 65 39936 / 087 101 9998

 

Full Notice

Salmon Anglers – Lower River Lee, No. 5 or Cork District: Brown Tags Required

Salmon anglers are advised that from 1st February 2022 to midnight of 30th September 2022, Brown Tag regulations will be in force on the Lower River Lee.

152 Brown Tags are available for the season and distribution of these brown tags will be by four electronic lotteries throughout the 2022 angling season.

The Wild Salmon and Seatrout Tagging Scheme Regulations permit a maximum of 25% of the available tags to be issued at one time. IFI will therefore select 38 anglers to receive a brown tag on 31st January 2021.

Any angler requesting a brown tag must be in possession of a valid 2022 Salmon Licence and must apply by email only to: 2022corkleebrowntag@fisheriesireland.ie by midnight on Friday, 28th January 2022.

Anglers must provide their Name, Contact Address, Telephone Number and 2022 Salmon Licence number. This is the only method to apply for a brown tag.  Anglers may only fish one brown tag over the full season. Multiple applications will disqualify. Salmon Licences are available online at: https://store.fishinginireland.info

Salmon anglers not in possession of a Brown Tag must fish using Catch and Release methods i.e., single or double barbless hooks. Use of worms is not permitted. A Salmon cannot be taken unless the angler is in possession of a Brown Tag. If a Salmon is taken both a Blue and Brown Tag must be affixed to the fish. Failure to do so may result in penalties.  Catch details must be recorded on the Anglers Logbook promptly.

 IFI will send all applicants an entry number for the lottery by email on Sunday 30th January 2022, before the draw which will take place at 09:30 on Monday 31st January 2022. No personal information will be shared.  10 reserve licence numbers will be drawn in case the initial offer of a brown tag is not taken up. Tags will be issued to successful applicants by post.

Application may be made between Friday 21st January 2022 and Friday 28th January 2022 to: 2022corkleebrowntag@fisheriesireland.ie  Late or early applications will be instantly excluded.

For further information contact Inland Fisheries Ireland, Macroom on 026 41221.

Information about angling quotas

Quotas for how many fish an angler can catch and keep (harvested) are set by Fisheries Managers every year, on the basis of scientific advice.

These quotas reflect the ‘exploitable surplus’ in any river, as follows:

  1. In cases where the exploitable surplus cannot sustain angling, that particular fishery is closed for the season.
  1. Where it can sustain angling, but not exploitation (harvesting the fish for consumption), the river is opened on a ‘catch and release only’ basis where the fish is returned safely to the same waterbody.
  1. Where there is a modest harvestable surplus with a risk of over exploitation, a brown gill tag system is introduced where it is considered necessary in the interests of conserving stocks to closely monitor the angling quotas. This is to ensure that river-based quotas are not exceeded.  Where these restrictions apply, you must be in possession of a brown tag specific to that river to harvest salmon, to be used in conjunction with a blue tag.  Similar to blue tags, brown tags issued contain a unique serial number specific to that licence holder and are not transferable between licence holders.
  1. And finally, where there is an adequate exploitable surplus, the river is opened with the standard 10 tag allocation issued in lots of 3 or 4.

 

January 21, 2022

New Year’s Eve sighting of Egyptian Vulture in South Roscommon by National Parks and Wildlife Services Staff

New Year’s Eve sighting of Egyptian Vulture in South Roscommon by National Parks and Wildlife Services Staff

An Egyptian vulture has been sighted in the South Roscommon area. He was initially observed on the morning of New Year’s Eve (31st December 2021) by the National Parks and Wildlife Services warden for Lough Rea and the Mid-Shannon Callows in the area, Owen Murphy, who picked up on the unusual flight pattern of the bird and upon closer examination, identified him as an Egyptian vulture.

The first recorded sighting of this bird species took place in the north of the country over the summer; however, it cannot be determined if this is the same vulture. This adult Egyptian vulture appears to be alone and the reason for the vulture’s arrival to Irish shores from his native habitat is unclear.

The Egyptian Vulture has made a stir in Irish birdwatching circles with a number of people travelling from many parts of Ireland to see it and many more arranging to travel today.

The Lough Ree area is rated as the most important site for Breeding Waterbirds in a report published this year for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, with the Shannon Callows also being rated highly. The area boosts large numbers of Red and Amber listed species with ‘rarities’ popping up on occasion.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service are keen to stress that the Egyptian vulture does not pose a threat to the public or to livestock.

Photos enclosed in this press release are provided courtesy of Conor Henry, a student from Munster Technological University, who was on the scene on New Year’s Eve.

ENDS.

 

January 20, 2022

Biodiversity funding for Local Authorities increased to €2.1m

Biodiversity funding for Local Authorities increased to €2.1m

  • 2022 Local Biodiversity Action Fund supports locally-led projects that align with actions under National Biodiversity Action Plan
  • It will also support the national rollout of the Biodiversity Officer Programme

Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, today (6th December) announced that the Local Biodiversity Action Fund will receive funding of €1.5 million in 2022 – a 300% increase in funding for this scheme since 2019.

Minister Noonan also announced that €600,000 will be made available next year to support the roll out of a Biodiversity Officer Programme in local authorities around the country.

First launched in 2018, the re-named Local Biodiversity Action Fund offers funding to assist local authorities in the implementation of actions in the National Biodiversity Action Plan.

Local authorities play a vital role in addressing the biodiversity emergency. This funding stream enables them to develop projects that address biodiversity loss in their localities by helping to create new habitats, restoring existing ones and by tackling invasive alien species.

The scheme, operated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, has proved hugely popular, with all 31 local authorities seeking funding in 2021. A wide variety of projects were financed, ranging from the surveying of breeding birds and the creation of pollinator-friendly initiatives, to projects raising awareness of the importance of biodiversity to our wellbeing.

New funding stream for Biodiversity Officers

In recognition of the vital work that local authorities and their staff undertake in tackling the biodiversity crisis, Minister Noonan today also announced that a new funding stream will be made available to progress the Programme for Government commitment to ensure that all local authorities have a dedicated Biodiversity Officer.

Biodiversity Officers are the public face of biodiversity at the local level. They are tasked with supporting the implementation of the NBAP and the delivery of national biodiversity targets, commissioning biodiversity surveys and working with the community on projects to improve the status of biodiversity in the local authority area.

Commenting on the announcement, Minister Noonan said:

“I’m delighted to be able to increase this vital biodiversity funding scheme, which has proved immensely popular with local authorities. They have increased their participation in biodiversity and invasive species projects year-on-year, and the benefits of this are shared by all of us, not least local communities.

 “I’m particularly pleased that the increased funding includes a new stream to extend the Biodiversity Officer programme across the country. In the Programme for Government, we committed to ensuring that all local authorities have a sufficient number of Biodiversity Officers among their staff complement, and I’m looking forward to seeing this grow over the coming years. Reversing biodiversity loss is among the greatest challenges of our times. Locally-led initiatives can be extremely impactful – supporting them is an important part of the response.”

 Minister for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke TD, said local authorities have a lead role to play in addressing the biodiversity emergency given their connection to the public.

“Local Authorities and their staff are the closest arm of the State to our citizens so it is great to see them supported to lead the charge against biodiversity loss.  Local Authorities experienced great success so far this year rolling out their Biodiversity Projects, so this increased investment will go a long way to boost their efforts.”

 Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, also welcomed the announcement, stating:

 “My Department is committed to supporting local authorities in the central role they play in the implementation of actions contained in the National Biodiversity Action Plan. Local authorities are uniquely positioned, working within their own biodiversity plans and with communities, to help halt biodiversity loss. Biodiversity officers are a key part of this and are crucial to the implementation of actions for biodiversity at local and regional level.”

 Successful projects in 2021 include:

  • Cavan County Council Biodiversity Awareness Project, promoting awareness of biodiversity within the county. Projects include: Cavan County Biodiversity Action Plan, Tidy Towns Pollinator Award, vegetation management plans for historic graveyards and West Cavan Bogs Association Community Mapping Project – Trackways and Trails to the Past.
  • Kilkenny County Council Barn Owl Project carried out surveys which showed that barn owl populations are faring well in the county, after decades of declines.
  • Roscommon County Council Biodiversity Awareness Project 2021 had three strands: 1. Supporting the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, 2. Local Radio Biodiversity Campaigns, 3. Supporting Biodiversity Projects.  The funds enabled RCC to sign up to the All-Ireland Pollinator plan and implement a number of actions therein.
  • Clare County Council implemented ‘The Hare’s Corner’ project, which sought to support landowners in County Clare who wanted to dedicate a small space for nature through creation of a mini-woodland, a mini-orchard or a pond.
  • Dun Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council Hedgerow Survey showed how important hedgerows are to landscape connectivity in the county. The map will feed into their Ecological Network maps for the county which will inform decision makers as part of their County Development Plan. Also, as a result of this project, DLR’s Biodiversity officer will develop guidance on hedgerow protection and management for DLR.  DLR have also developed a hedgerow toolkit for schools as part of the project in order to raise awareness about our hedgerows to teachers and school children.

ENDS

Note to Editors

 An amount of €1.5 million has been made available in 2022 for the NBAP Local Authority Biodiversity Grant Scheme. The funding was made available, in line with a grant application and award process, to biodiversity officers in the counties that have them, and heritage officers. Funding awarded is:

  1. Subject to provision of an agreed level of co-funding from the local authority’s own resources;
  2. spent on a project directly related to one or more actions of the National Biodiversity Action Plan or targeting Invasive Alien Species projects, including species which are included on the on EU IAS list of Union concern;
  3. The project outputs must be reported to the Department before the end of the year.

For further information, queries can be sent to biodiversitypolicy@housing.gov.ie

December 8, 2021

Funding of up to €1m available for fisheries conservation

Funding of up to €1m available for fisheries conservation

Minister Ryan welcomes launch of Inland Fisheries Ireland’s ‘Habitats and Conservation’ Funding Call

Inland Fisheries Ireland, the state agency responsible for the protection and conservation of freshwater fish and habitats, is launching a funding call of up to €1 million today (Tuesday, November 9th), to support vital conservation projects around the country.

Since 2016, more than €5 million in grants have been awarded to over 250 projects throughout Ireland under funds administered by Inland Fisheries Ireland. From today, eligible angling clubs, fishery owners and other stakeholders are invited to apply for funding to support fisheries conservation projects in their local areas through the 2022 ‘Habitats and Conservation’ scheme.

Priority will be given to projects that focus on habitat ‘rehabilitation’ and conservation, such as improving water quality, rehabilitating damaged habitats and helping fish overcome physical barriers, like impassable weirs.

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan T.D., has welcomed the funding call and is encouraging eligible groups and stakeholders to apply. He said: “The Habitats and Conservation Scheme is a great example of how we can encourage and support the stewardship role of managing our natural resources across the country. This important environmental scheme supports angling clubs, fishery owners, and stakeholders – in helping them to improve damaged habitats, water quality and fish passage at a grassroots level.

“The works and studies supported by the scheme in the future will also result in wider benefits for the environment. As the funding call is now open, I would encourage any eligible group or stakeholder to contact Inland Fisheries Ireland and express their interest in applying for this grant before the deadline.”

In 2021, a total of €785,604 in funding was approved for 18 projects, based in Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Mayo, Roscommon, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow. Examples included the construction of rock ramp passages, to make it easier for fish to migrate upstream and downstream of impassable weirs and the installation of fencing to improve water quality. This was done by stopping livestock from entering the river and providing them with alternative sources of drinking water.

Suzanne Campion, Head of Business Development at Inland Fisheries Ireland, said that protecting and conserving fish species, like Atlantic Salmon and Sea Trout, was critical to the overall health of the country’s eco-system. She said: “Damaged riverine habitats can lead to poorer water quality, climate change can lead to rising water temperatures and invasive species can mean even more threats to biodiversity. These are having a damaging impact on our rivers and lakes and on all species that depend on them for survival. Under the Habitats and Conservation Scheme, made possible through fishing licence income, groups can now apply for grants to fund projects and measures that benefit the conservation of freshwater fish and habitats.”

An information guide about the Habitats and Conservation Funding Call 2022 is available to download from www.fisheriesireland.ie/services/funding. As part of a new two-step process, all applicants must firstly complete an ‘Expression of Interest’ application on Inland Fisheries Ireland’s online grant management portal before 5:30pm on Friday, December 17th 2021. After the expression of interest has been completed, full applications must then be submitted to Inland Fisheries Ireland via the online grant management portal by 5:30pm on Friday, January 28th, 2022.

ENDS

For media information

Sarah Bohan/ Sadhbh O’Neill

Communications

Inland Fisheries Ireland

E : sarah.bohan@fisheriesireland.ie/ sadhbh.oneill@fisheriesireland.ie

T : 087 65 39936 / 087 1019998                                       

Photography credit: Inland Fisheries Ireland.  The Silver River in Kilcormac, Co. Offaly following the completion of selective pruning along the river.

November 9, 2021

Three Month Suspended Jail Sentence for the Possession of Two Dead Buzzards

Three Month Suspended Jail Sentence for the Possession of Two Dead Buzzards

A County Laois man has been given a three month suspended prison sentence for the possession of two dead Buzzards, which were found strung up on his land.

The offence took place on the 19th of April 2020.  The offence was investigated by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage. It was prosecuted under the Wildlife Acts.

At the District Court sitting, photographs of the two dead Buzzards and X-ray evidence were presented to Judge Catherine Staines.

In her summation, Judge Staines expressed her abhorrence at the undignified manner in which two beautiful birds were displayed, saying it showed no respect whatsoever. It was, she said, “an example of a disgusting lack of respect in an outrageous act of wildlife crime”.

Judge Staines then detailed to the court that she had to consider a prison sentence as an appropriate way to deal with this matter. She convicted the man in question of the possession of the two Dead Buzzards under Section 45 (2) and 45 (7) of the Wildlife Acts and imposed a three-month sentence of imprisonment, which she suspended on the Accused’s own bond for a period of one year.

“Wildlife crime is serious, and it has serious consequences”

The Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan TD said that recent judgements in the District Courts indicate clearly that wildlife crimes have serious consequences:

“I welcome the conviction in this awful case and would like to thank everyone involved in securing it. I particularly welcome the comments of Judge Staines, who acknowledged the outrageousness of the crime and the lack of respect shown to these beautiful birds. Recent judgements being handed down in the Courts to people convicted of deliberately destroying habitats or harming wildlife are sending out a clear signal that, as a society, we will no longer tolerate such actions. Wildlife crime is serious, and it has serious consequences. We need to protect nature,” he said.

Ciara O’Mahony, Regional Manager of the South East Region of the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, welcomed the reporting of this matter by a concerned member of the public, and encouraged more who witness wildlife crimes such as this to come forward in confidence to the NPWS.

“We are increasingly receiving contact about wildlife crime and habitat destruction, from people who are concerned about biodiversity loss. We welcome such reports, and the nature conservation consciousness and awareness that they represent,” she said. 

Any member of the public wishing to report possible wildlife crime or illegal habitat destruction can contact the NPWS through natureconservation@housing.gov.ie or direct to local NPWS staff. For more detail on wildlife legislation, see www.npws.ie

Information in relation to recording incidents involving birds of prey, including Buzzards, “Recording and Addressing Persecution and Threats to our Raptors. A Review of Incidents” can be found at:https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM126.pdf

 

Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage Press Office

Tel: (01) 888 2638 (direct)

Email: press@housing.gov.ie

Website: gov.ie/housing

Twitter: @DeptHousingIRL

November 2, 2021

World Habitat Day – Managing Hedgerows to Protect Habitats

World Habitat Day – Managing Hedgerows to Protect Habitats

IFA Environment & Rural Affairs Chairman and Smart Farming’s Programme Leader, Paul O’Brien said that while hedgerow cutting is now permitted to the end of February, farmers should be aware that hedges provide food and shelter and habitats for wildlife and birds throughout the winter months.

“Ideally, we should do as little as possible with our hedgerows and they should be allowed to grow upwards and outwards. If hedges are starting to spread too far into fields, the sides can be trimmed back to keep them under control. It’s recommended to only cut one third of hedges each year to benefit the environment as much as possible,” he said.

World Habitat Day takes place each year on the first Monday in October.

Paul O’Brien emphasised the need for farmers to communicate with contractors about maintaining hedgerows and explain what they want to achieve from hedge cutting.

“Farmers should speak with contractors about leaving some thorn trees uncut or doing less cutting than previous years.  Farmers need to make sure their contractor knows what they want,” he said.

He said that hedgerows contribute significantly to biodiversity and carbon sequestration.  He encouraged farmers who are considering planting additional hedgerow to do so this winter.

“New hedges should be planted between November and March, depending on weather conditions. Planting new hedges can increase the number of full trees within the hedge and the density of the hedges.”

For more information on the Smart Farming programme visit www.smartfarming.ie.

October 5, 2021

Second population of rare Kerry Mousetail fern discovered

Second population of rare Kerry Mousetail fern discovered

  • First European discovery made in Killarney National Park
  • Species found on vertical rockface
  • NPWS believe species arrived in Ireland without human intervention

Killarney National Park, world renowned and internationally significant for the number of bryophytes that occur there, is still capable of revealing secrets. Two years after a new species to Europe was first discovered there, a second population of the Kerry Mousetail Fern (Stengrammitis myosuroides) has just been discovered.

 In September 2021, a second population of the Kerry Mousetail fern was found in a very remote woodland in the uplands of the National Park, over 4km distant from the previously known location. Six plants were found to be present on a vertical rockface above a stream, one of which was fully mature and producing spores. This discovery proves that this species is fully established in the Killarney National Park, and is not merely a transient colonist that will quickly disappear again.

The Kerry Mousetail Fern was first discovered in the Killarney National Park in July 2019, as a new species to Europe. This species was previously found only in the Caribbean, in the tropical cloud forests of Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic, and is a member of a group of tropical ferns known as the Grammitid ferns, of which no members had been previously found in Europe, aside from in Macaronesia, a collection of four volcanic archipelagos in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the coasts of the continents of Africa and Europe.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage believe that this species arrived in Ireland without human intervention, with the most likely explanation being that its tiny spores travelled across the Atlantic on the wind and happened to land in a place where conditions were suitable for it to grow. “It is not clear how long this species has been present in Ireland and only forty plants were found on two rocks in one location, making it an extremely vulnerable and threatened plant,” a spokesperson said this week.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), in its quest to add to the knowledge of the range of species and habitats under its remit, have over the last two years embarked on a suite of taxonomic and botanical surveys in Killarney National Park, with a particular focus on niche specialists. As part of the survey scheme NPWS engaged leading specialists in a number of fields, including independent botanical researcher Dr Rory Hodd.

It is not known when the rare plant first established itself in Killarney National Park, widely regarded as one of Ireland’s richest and more diverse National Parks.

The NPWS is looking into the suggestion that it has survived undetected in the area for at least a number of years, and may not be a recent arrival, having possibly been present for decades, centuries or even longer. Due to its very small size and tendency to grow in remote areas, it would be very easily overlooked by generations of botanists.

However, the fact that it has now been found in two disparate areas means that it is very likely that the Kerry Mousetail Fern occurs elsewhere in the National Park, or further afield, as many pockets of similar habitat exist where conditions are suitable for its growth. This discovery puts to rest any doubts that may have existed about whether this enigmatic Neotropical fern can be considered a full, established member of the Irish flora.

ENDS

October 1, 2021