Category Archives for "All News"

Oct 25

Environmental NGOs Rebukes Government For Slow Progress On Key Ocean Protection Legislation

Press Release Environmental NGOs Rebukes Government For Slow Progress On Key Ocean Protection Legislation Published: 25 October 2023 Fair Seas Coalition deliver 11,758 signature petition calling for urgent legislation A coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs has strongly criticised the government for failing to publish key legislation that would protect Irish seas and help tackle […]

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Oct 11

Wildart 2023 – Children’s Wildlife Art Competition open for Entries

Press Release Wildart 2023 – Children’s Wildlife Art Competition open for Entries 10th October     The Irish Wildlife Trust is excited to announce the launch of WildArt 2023, an engaging art competition that invites young artists to immerse themselves in the enchanting world of Irish woodlands during the autumn season. Under the theme “Autumn […]

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Jul 27

Message from the Board of the Irish Wildlife Trust

This is the text of a message sent to IWT members from the Board of Directors following the resignation of our staff member Pádraic Fogarty. Interested members of the public beyond our own IWT membership have contacted us about this incident so we have decided to publish this message here for public reference.   Message […]

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Jul 15

Opinion: Drift of the farm orgs

OPINION Drift of the farm orgs By Pádraic Fogarty 15th July 2023 This blog represents the views of the author and is not an Irish Wildlife Trust position.   Last May, I found myself on the farm of Donie Regan in the west of County Offaly. The open day was organised by the Farm Carbon […]

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Jul 14

Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes new marine designations but warns that fisheries must be controlled if they are to be effective.

Press Release  Irish Wildlife Trust welcomes new marine designations but warns that fisheries must be controlled if they are to be effective. 14th July 2023   The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) welcomes the latest announcement of a large new Special Protection Area (SPA) in the north-west Irish Sea. SPAs are designated under existing legislation for the protection […]

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Jul 10

Opinion: Nature Restoration must be supported by Irish MEPs

OPINION Nature Restoration must be supported by Irish MEPs By Damien Thomson Political Advisor to the Left grouping in the European Parliament on environment & climate, July 10th 2023   On Wednesday (July 12th), there will be an extraordinarily decisive vote in the European Parliament which will decide whether we have a chance of overcoming […]

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Jul 05

Judgement on European Commission vs. Ireland case

Ireland has lost a case brought to the European Court of Justice by the European Commission over its failure to implement the Habitats Directive. The judgement occurred on the 29th of June after a lengthy case and highlights Ireland’s consistent failure to protect nature on land and at sea.   Recap   In 2004, 423 […]

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Jul 04

Bad news for bogs as designated areas set to lose protections

Press Release Bad news for bogs as designated areas set to lose protections 4th July 2023 The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is appalled that the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill 2016 is set to be passed by the Oireachtas (it is scheduled to be presented to the Dáil tomorrow evening, July 5th). The Bill, if enacted, will […]

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Jul 01

Three years in government

Three years in government Pádraic Fogarty 1st July 2023 The Government recently celebrated three years in office, how is it doing in meeting nature objectives? I wrote a blog after its first anniversary in 2021 and the same terms and conditions apply to the one you are about to read. A year is not a […]

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Jun 17

Fair seas but few whales

Fair Seas, few whales Pádraic Fogarty 17th of June 2023 The south west-coast of Ireland has been identified by Fair Seas as an area which warrants designation as a Marine Protected Area (MPA). The Irish government has committed to protecting 30% of our territorial waters in MPAs by 2030 and legislation to allow for this […]

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Jun 15

MEPs have voted to keep the Nature Restoration Law alive and fought off attempts to quash it by the European People’s Party (Fine Geal’s European group).

Press Release MEPs have voted to keep the Nature Restoration Law alive and fought off attempts to quash it by the European People’s Party (Fine Geal’s European group) 15th June  2023   A key vote in Strasbourg has kept hopes alive for the livelihoods of millions of workers and the wellbeing of the planet. Voting […]

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Jun 07

Discussions on Control Measures for Fisheries reach a conclusion

Five years after the initial proposal to reform the EU Fisheries Control Regulation, the EU Council and Parliament have finally come to an agreement in trilogue negotiations on the European Commissions proposal. The EU Fisheries Control Regulation helps to ensure that the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) are followed by all those fishing […]

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Jun 03

Big parties are failing to lead

Big parties are failing to lead Pádraic Fogarty June 3rd 2023 Biodiversity week came to a close last week with dozens of events around the country celebrating our natural heritage. It’s hard to know if the irony was lost on some politicians that instead of spending time reflecting on our connection with nature they joined […]

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May 24

Irish Wildlife Trust calls on the Government to send the Citizens’ Assembly report to an Oireachtas committee to fast-track action for nature

Press Release Irish Wildlife Trust calls on the Government to send the Citizens’ Assembly report to an Oireachtas committee to fast-track action for nature 24th May 2023    The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) is today calling on the Government to ensure the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss are fast-tracked for action. A […]

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May 20

Bringing back the sturgeon

Bringing back the sturgeon Pádraic Fogarty 21st May 2023 Dublin’s wonderful Natural History Museum has a lot to say about our sea fish. The Victorian cabinets that line the walls of the hall on the ground floor speak to not only the great diversity of marine life that once abounded around our coasts but also […]

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May 19

Ireland and UK conservation groups unite to call on the Government to reintroduce the sturgeon – Ireland’s lost ‘dinosaur fish’

Press Release Ireland and UK conservation groups unite to call on the Government to reintroduce the sturgeon – Ireland’s lost ‘dinosaur fish’ 19th May 2023 The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) and the Blue Marine Foundation in the UK have jointly published a report, ‘Restoring the Sturgeon to Irish Waters’ urging the Government to examine the […]

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May 06

Ireland in 2050

Ireland in 2050 Pádraic Fogarty 6th May 2023 2050 is only 27 years away. It’s at the same point in the future as 1996 is in the past, when Hotmail launched on the internet, Mission Impossible, Twister and Independence Day were in cinemas and the ‘Macarena’ was driving people on to, and away from, the […]

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Apr 22

People and wildife and dogs

People and wildlife and dogs Pádraic Fogarty April 22nd 2023 In the greater scheme of things, owning a dog is probably seen as at the insignificant end of the biodiversity crisis wedge. Owners of harmless-looking lapdogs or lumbering retrievers do not typically see their beloved pets as destroyers of ecosystems. I’m not a dog owner […]

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Apr 08

Will the Citizens’ Assembly change anything?

Will the Citizens’ Assembly change anything? Pádraic Fogarty 8th April 2023 This week’s publication of the Citizens’ Assembly report on Biodiversity Loss is a vindicating moment for environmental NGOs. Over the past year, 100 randomly selected citizens were given the task of making comprehensive recommendations on how we can reverse biodiversity loss, even though many […]

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Apr 05

Press Release: Citizens’ Assembly report on Biodiversity Loss a damning indictment of the State’s failure to protect nature

Press Release Citizens’ Assembly report on Biodiversity Loss a damning indictment of the State’s failure to protect nature 05th April 2023   The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) welcomes the publication today (April 5th 2023) of the final report and recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. It confirms that the State has abjectly failed […]

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