Smooth newt by Robert Thompson

Registration is now open for newt survey training days in Mayo, Wexford, Louth, Clare, Laois, Limerick, Kildare an Donegal. This training is led by Dr Daniel Buckley and is free to all IWT members.

To register as a surveyor or for more information contact Daniel at newts@iwt.ie or on 086 3691982 or check out our website www.iwt.ie . Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

Wexford: 3rd March, Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

Mayo: 10th March, GMIT, Castlebar, Co. Mayo

Louth: 11th March, McKevitt’s Village Hotel, Carlingford, Co. Louth

Clare: 24th March, Clare County Council Offices, Ennis, Co. Clare

Laois: 25th March, Abbeyleix Heritage House, Co. Laois

Limerick: 31st March, University of Limerick

Kildare: 1st April, NUI Maynooth, Maynooth, Co. Kildare

Donegal: 7th April, Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal

In 2011 the IWT National Newt survey continued to reveal some of the secrets of the smooth newt in Ireland. Starting with a pilot project in 2010 the IWT survey is the first comprehensive attempt to study the distribution of this native amphibian in Ireland.

Ireland has only three species of native amphibian: the common frog, the Natterjack toad (confined to sand dunes in Kerry and Wexford); and the smooth newt. Results from 2011 have revealed that smooth newts are widespread in Ireland with positive records coming from Cavan in the north to Cork in the south, and from Dublin to Connemara. Newts are only found in still or slow moving water so the preservation of ponds, ditches and wetlands is essential to their survival. While smooth newts were scarce in agricultural landscapes the IWT survey revealed that man-made habitats, particularly garden ponds and quarries are now significant components of the newts natural habitat. We have also confirmed that newts are to be found in bogland habitats somewhere that had previously been discounted as suitable for this species.

However more needs to be done to fully assess the status of this important species in the Irish landscape. Despite recording effort we found no newts in Wexford, Offaly or Meath while we need surveys in Donegal, Leitrim, Tipperary, Limerick, Kilkenny, Louth, Laois, Kildare and Carlow to confirm their presence in these counties.

Being an amphibian, the smooth newt depends on healthy wetland habitats for its life cycle. Wetlands are vital for people too cleaning and storing water, storing carbon to mitigate climate change, alleviating flooding and enhancing valuable amenity and tourist areas. The IWT National Newt Survey highlights the importance of protecting these habitats for newts and people alike!

Our survey has been carried out with the help of Dublin Zoo and Fota Wildlife Park and we are grateful for their continued support. Crucially we also rely on a small army of volunteer ‘citizen scientists’. Our enthusiastic naturalists are providing real scientific data that is promoting conservation in Ireland.

We are delighted to announce that the survey will continue in 2012 and will be calling on our members and volunteers to once again get out and search their local pond for newts! Training days will be taking place around the country in March. Places are limited so book early to avoid disappointment. To register as a surveyor or for more information contact Dr Daniel Buckley at newts@iwt.ie or on 086 3691982. Full report can be downloaded from our newt project page http://iwt.ie/what-we-do/newt-survey/

Irish Hare by Mike Brown

IWT supports call for a ban of hare coursing in Ireland

The IWT wishes to express its support for a proposed Bill that would outlaw hare coursing in Ireland. The Dáil should follow in the footsteps of the Northern Ireland Assembly which banned this cruel and barbaric practice in 2010. It was banned in Scotland in 2002 and in England and Wales in 2005 – Ireland is an outlier country in terms of its attitude to animal welfare and conservation of its native wildlife.

The Irish hare is an endemic sub-species to this island, in other words it is found nowhere else in the world. Based on recent surveys the National Parks and Wildlife Service assessed its conservation status as of ‘least concern’ with a population that is “stable but with population fluctuations” (1). It found that the estimated population of Irish hare was 233,000 in 2006 but nearly twice that, at 535,000 only one year later. A Species Action Plan for the Irish hare, published by the same organisation, states that “populations are thought to have undergone a substantial decline in the past 15-25 years” while “populations have fallen to critical levels in some areas”. This document lists the “unsustainable taking of hares for sporting purposes” as one of the current factors leading to the loss or decline of this species (2).

Research into the impacts on hare coursing in Ireland has shown that while the direct mortality of hares during events has fallen to about 4%, the wider impacts to hares are unknown (3, 4).

Aside from the conservation of this unique animal the IWT believes that chasing hares for amusement constitutes barbaric treatment of our native wildlife.

The Irish hare is protected under the Wildlife Act 1976 (as Amended) 2000 and Annex IV of the EU’s Habitats Directive, which states that any taking from the wild should be subject to management measures.

As hares can breed at any time of the year it is likely that when hares are taken for coursing leverets (young hares) are left to starve. The IWT believes that our natural heritage should be cherished and respected. A practice which harasses and exhausts animals which have been taken from their natural surroundings, and in the name of entertainment, should have no place in a modern society.

(1) Marnell, F., Kingston, N. & Looney, D. (2009) Ireland Red List No. 3: Terrestrial Mammals, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Dublin, Ireland.
(2) Department of Environment, Heritage & Local Government and the Environment & Heritage Service. (2005). All Ireland Species Action Plans Irish Lady’s-tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana; Pollan Coregonus autumnalis; Hare Lepus timidus hibernicus; Corncrake Crex crex.
(3) Reid N, McDonald, R.A. & Montgomery W.I. (2007). Factors associated with hare mortality during coursing. Animal Welfare 2007, 16: 427-434
(4) Reid N., Magee C. & Montgomery W.I. Integrating field sports, hare population management and conservation. Acta Theriologic

Beaumont - a rare oasis for wildlife in Cork city

IWT Cork wants the quarry to be maintained for the benefit of the local community and wildlife. The quarry is currently used ‘informally’ by the local community as a recreation area but if managed it could be developed for wildlife as well as being used by the local community for amenity.

The quarry has huge potential as an educational resource. The IWT wants to offer talks and walks to the local community and local school children. Because this quarry is so unique we are preparing a submission for the City Council to ask them to consider managing the quarry to be sympathetic to these needs. We would like to manage the area with the City Council and representatives from the local community. Our recommendations include:

1. Putting in a picnic/seating area close to the entrance of the quarry,
2. To put safety grills on the cave entrances,
3. Improve the accessibility of the site for prams and wheelchair users,
4. To organise regular clean ups to remove rubbish, and
5. To encourage the use of the site for educational purposes.

The Irish Wildlife Trust will provide a resource pack to schools and community groups on request. We will also offer talks and facilitate educational activities.

We are asking you to support our submission by emailing us at corkbranch@gmail.com. We have prepared a standard letter that you could send to us – all you have to do is add your name and address (follow this link), or you are free to compose your own letter or email to the branch asking for the site to be managed as a wildlife/recreational area. We intend to submit our plans and letters of support to the City Council in the near future, so please forward any response to the above address by 24th February 2012.

The IWT urgently needs your help! Please show your support for the conservation work that we do by renewing your membership, joining, or donating today. Its easy to do on line by clicking here. We are campaigning for an end to badger culling, the sustainable use of our seas, empowering local communities to protect their natural heritage, managing reserves and holding dozens of events nationwide but we can only continue to do this with your help. Thank you.

Wild Boar by Ben Locke

In recent years a number of sightings of wild boar have been recorded in Ireland. These are thought to have been illegally released, possibly for the purpose of hunting. Wild boar is a former native species that became extinct in historical times, due to overhunting and deforestation. Boars are also a keystone species in forest ecosystems, as their rooting activity creates a disturbance regime that increases plant diversity and aids tree regeneration. For these reasons, the Irish Wildlife Trust objects to the current classification of wild boar as an invasive species by Invasive Species Ireland, as it does not fit the definition of an invasive species as laid out by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). We feel that this move confuses members of the public about what an invasive species actually is, making it more difficult to raise awareness about the threats from actual invasives, such as grey squirrel, rhododendron and zebra mussel.

The Irish Wildlife Trust also objects to the illegal release of wild boar and feels that if a reintroduction should take place, then it should be only be sanctioned by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and done in accordance with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines on reintroductions – as has been done for recent reintroductions of birds of prey. This would involve assessing whether there is sufficient habitat in Ireland for a viable population of wild boar, ensuring that the reasons for extinction have been resolved, sourcing animals that are closely related to the extinct population and engaging with interested stakeholders, such as foresters and farmers. Illegal releases bypass these important steps and also risk importing diseases that may threaten agriculture. The animals may also not be pure wild boar but a mix of wild boar and domestic pigs, making them inappropriate for a reintroduction project. These irresponsible introductions could be prevented without having to define wild boar in Ireland as invasive.

If a population of wild boar is now established in Ireland, then the IWT would like a study to be conducted on the “purity of animals”, genetic origin, disease status and habitat availability for such a population. If it is found that that animals are relatively “pure”, of appropriate genetic stock for Ireland and disease free then an assessment should be made as to whether they should be allowed to remain, through consultation with interested stakeholders.

Further reading
Department of the Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (2005). Feral wild boar in England: status, impact and management. Department of Food and Rural Affairs. London.

Invasive Species Ireland (ISI) (2011). Policy Position Statement on Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) and hybrids in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Belfast.

Welander, J. (1995). Are wild boar a future threat to the Swedish flora. IBEX Journal of Mountain Ecology. 3: 165-167.

Woodman, P., Mccarthy, M. and Monaghan, N. (1997). The Irish quaternary fauna project. Quaternary Science Reviews. 16: 129-159.

Yalden, D. W. (1999). The history of British mammals. Poyser Ltd, London.

The IWT was grateful for the opportunity to respond to the Draft Deer Management Policy Vision from the Inter-agency Deer Policy Group, September 2011 and welcomes the formulation of the policy as an overdue element in the management and conservation of our natural heritage.

We would like to stress that deer, and especially red deer, are an integral component of our native wildlife which have been present in Ireland since the end of the last Ice Age. The persecution and eventual elimination of the wolf, a top predator that kept deer numbers in check, along with the subsequent introduction of non-native deer species by human agency have resulted in the current situation whereby four deers species are known to be breeding in Ireland with little population control.

The IWT accepts the commonly held belief that deers numbers have increased in some areas but without hard evidence this increase is impossibe to verify. We therefore welcome the priniple, stated in the draft policy, that “a national census of deer population and distribuiton must be carried out”. This must be a first step prior to the implementation of management interventions.

Uncontrolled deer numbers can have negative impacts on habitats of high conservation value, particularly our native woodlands, through over-grazing and a subsequent loss of local biodiveristy. However in these cases other factors are often at play, e.g. grazing by sheep in areas that are shared by deer. Therefore the management of deer in areas of high conservation value such as National Parks or Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) must be considered only as a part of the overall managment of these sites. In the case of SACs the control of deer should be included as a conservation objective to be determined in consultaiton with the National Parks and Wildlife Service and relevant landowners.

Until such time as the re-introduction of the wolf in Ireland is considered (a move that would restore a sustainable means of control of the deer population and benefit biodiversity) the IWT accepts that humane culling of deer will be a necessary component of any management strategy.

We would argue that any management strategy should prioritise areas of high conservation value that are considered most under threat from deer numbers. These areas are frequently of high amentiy and landscape value and so such an approach does not ignore the economic and social dimension of the draft policy.