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Nature and Biodiversity
81
The National Platform for Biodiversity
Research, which is co-funded
by the EPA and the NPWS, was
re-established in 2009 to define
national biodiversity research needs,
to assist in the dissemination of
biodiversity research in Ireland,
and to improve the exchange of
information between researchers
and policy makers. Several large-
scale biodiversity research projects
were undertaken in recent years to
inform biodiversity policy, including
the EPA-funded Biochange project,
which addressed the main drivers
of biodiversity loss and made
recommendations to improve
biodiversity governance.
Outlook
Protected Areas and Species
Based on the bad conservation status
of many important habitats and
some species, considerable efforts
and resources will be required to
improve their status, both within
and outside protected areas. Climate
change may also exert additional
pressure on a number of species
and habitats.
Ireland has made progress in the
designation of Natura 2000 sites,
and the process of designating
marine/coastal sites is due to be
completed by 2014. Appropriate
protection and management of
Natura 2000 sites and of listed
habitats and species is clearly
paramount given recent conservation
assessments. Management plans
including site-specific conservation
objectives need to be prepared
for all areas designated for nature
conservation as soon as possible.
There are some 630 proposed
Natural Heritage Areas (pNHAs),
comprising 65,000 ha, which were
published on a non-statutory basis
in 1995 but have not since been
statutorily proposed or designated
and therefore currently receive
limited protection. It is imperative
that undesignated nationally
important sites of biodiversity
significance be designated as NHAs
by the NPWS as soon as possible to
afford them better protection.
Biodiversity Planning and
Conservation
Implementation of local authority
biodiversity action plans will be
crucial in ensuring that biodiversity
and green infrastructure issues are
taken account of in development
planning. The network of local
authority Heritage/Biodiversity
Officers has made a valuable
contribution to raising awareness
of biodiversity, and should be
maintained.
It is important that biodiversity
protection objectives be incorporated
into the forthcoming reform of the
EU’s Common Agricultural Policy
and Common Fisheries Policy. Agri-
environment, forestry, aquaculture
and fisheries measures implemented
nationally should be monitored and
reported on to ensure that they bring
about measurable improvements in
the conservation status of species
and habitats and in the provision
of ecosystem services. Incentives
harmful to biodiversity should be
identified and addressed. The OECD
has recommended that spending
on agri-environment measures
should match ecological needs, for
example by placing more emphasis
on measures in or near Natura
2000 sites (OECD, 2010). Sectoral
initiatives, such as
Food Harvest
2020
, need to take full account of
environmental/biodiversity concerns
in their implementation. Sectoral
plans, programmes and projects
should be subject to SEA, EIA and
Appropriate Assessment processes
where required.
Information on the location and
condition of natural habitats and
species in Ireland is essential for
good conservation management
and for protection of essential
ecosystem goods and services.
The establishment of the National
Biodiversity Data Centre in 2007 was
a significant step forward in ensuring
that data are available for improved
decision making, with over 76
datasets of almost 2 million records
now freely available through the
Biodiversity Maps website.
Socio-economic Benefits
Research findings on the economic
and social benefits of biodiversity
in Ireland indicate a marginal value
of at least €2.6 billion per annum
(Bullock et al., 2008). Given the
value of biodiversity to Ireland’s
economy, its protection is not just
an ethical concern but an economic
necessity. The international study on
The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity
recommends that the
economic value of biodiversity be
factored into decision making, and
reflected in national accounting and
reporting systems, and it provides
guidance on this for policy makers
(TEEB, 2010).
Public Awareness
Eurobarometer results and findings
from an Irish study on attitudes
to biodiversity among the public
(Heritage Council, 2010) indicate
that knowledge of biodiversity in
Ireland is well below the EU average
and much more needs to be done
to communicate issues relating to
biodiversity to a wider audience.
This will involve greater engagement
with relevant sectors and greater
incorporation of biodiversity/
ecosystem services issues into
relevant educational courses. The
National Biodiversity Plan 2011–
2016 aims at developing a suite of
biodiversity indicators which would
help to inform the public and policy
makers on the state and trends in
biodiversity, pressures on biodiversity
and the effectiveness of key policy
measures.