The European Commission has approved funding for 202 new projects under the LIFE+ programme, the European Union’s environment fund. Among the projects approved is a Eur2.2 million project by Clare County Council for tourism on the Burren. Half the money will come from the European Commission and the other half is national co-funding. The Burren … Read more
Today is the 20th anniversary of two key instruments for the conservation and sustainable use of nature in the EU: the Habitats Directive and LIFE, the EU financing programme for the environment. Twenty years ago, EU Member States unanimously adopted the Habitats Directive to safeguard the most threatened species and habitats across Europe. This was … Read more
The Irish Government and the European Commission have agreed to work closely together on the urgent preparation of a national plan for the conservation and restoration of 53 internationally important Irish raised bog sites protected under the EU Habitats Directive. This plan will have the aim of comprehensively addressing the challenge of conserving the sites … Read more
Researchers at NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute are at the centre of conservation efforts in relation to mining for precious minerals at the depths of our oceans. In this new ‘gold rush’, the ecological assessment of the effects of mining operations will be key to sustainably exploiting resources at these very important habitats, according to organisers … Read more
A scientist at the University of Reading has called for immediate action to save pollinating insects crucial to British wildlife and the economy. Simon Potts (pictured), Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services at the University’s School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, says ‘strong conservation action’ was needed now to reverse the decline in the UK’s … Read more
The conservation and sustainable use of our agricultural biodiversity is critical to future sustainable development, both in Ireland and internationally. In response to this, on Thursday, 9 February, the NUI Galway Plant and AgriBiosciences Centre is hosting AgBioDiv2012. The free event is Ireland’s first Annual AgroBiodiversity Conference. Agricultural biodiversity or agrobiodiversity refers to all biological … Read more
The Government is establishing an independent non-statutory Peatlands Council to assist Ireland in responding in a strategic way to the requirements of the EU Habitat’s Directive, which requires Ireland to protect and conserve important peatland habitats. Conor Skehan, a lecturer with DIT’s School of Spatial Planning, has been appointed as chair of the Council. As … Read more
A glimmer of hope, but much cause for concern. Those are the reactions from teams of scientists from around the world that have returned from an unprecedented search for 100 species of ‘lost’ amphibians – frogs, salamanders, and caecilians that have not been seen in a decade or longer, and may now be extinct. The … Read more
The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has decided that the temporary closure of the hunting season for wild birds, which was extended for an extra seven days last week, will be extended again for a further week. The temporary closure is to protect wild ducks, geese and waders and other wild game … Read more
The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has decided that the temporary closure of the hunting season for wild birds brought in last week should be extended for a further week due to the continuing cold and freezing weather conditions across the State. The Department consulted with the National Association of Regional Game … Read more