Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

163 Chapter 7: Nature Species such as the pine marten and otter have shown increases, with the pine marten showing an increase in range (NPWS, 2019a). Some key species, however, are declining. One of the species of greatest concern is the pollution-sensitive freshwater pearl mussel (Figure 7.5). Only a few rivers have populations that include juvenile individuals; populations without young individuals are likely to die out (NPWS, 2019a). The next update on the assessment of the conservation status of protected habitats and species in Ireland is due in 2025. Figure 7.5  One of Ireland’s longest-lived species, the freshwater pearl mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera , considered to be in bad status in Irish rivers and lakes The EU Birds Directive (2009/147/EC, Article 12) reporting for Ireland (NPWS, 2019b), also published every six years, highlighted that approximately 30% of the breeding species assessed are estimated to have remained stable or increased in abundance over the long term. Such birds include the little egret, great spotted woodpecker, golden eagle, white-tailed eagle and red kite. In contrast, almost 20% of breeding bird species in Ireland for which there are available data are in long-term decline. For example, acute declines were recorded up to 2018 for some ground nesting bird species such as red grouse, whinchat, twite, dunlin, golden plover, curlew, corncrake and redshank. Unfortunately, there were still several species that had significant data gaps and were therefore not assessed. The next full update on the assessment of the conservation status of protected birds (Article 12) in Ireland is due in 2025. Meanwhile, recent reporting from the NPWS highlights serious declines (59% since 2000) in the hen harrier ( Circus cyaneus ) population, a medium-sized raptor typically found in upland areas in Ireland (Ruddock et al. , 2024). Estimates suggest that this iconic bird of prey could be extinct in Ireland within 25 years (Ruddock et al. , 2024). While the 2019 updates on protected habitats and species (NPWS, 2019a) and protected birds (NPWS, 2019b) are welcome, it must be noted that these represent only protected flora and fauna, which account for a small percentage of our nature and biodiversity. Very little research or data collection has been undertaken on the status of our non-protected habitats and species that make up most of our flora and fauna. This may be obscuring the true scale of biodiversity loss and highlights the need for accurate and up-to-date data on a wider range of biodiversity in Ireland. Some statistics from Irish biodiversity research are stark. For example, Fitzpatrick et al. (2007) found that more than half of Ireland’s bee species had experienced substantial declines in numbers since 1980, with 30% of species considered threatened with extinction. Water quality is continuing to decline too, with almost half of freshwater systems in Ireland in poor or deteriorating condition (Chapter 6). Sixteen freshwater species, comprising ten aquatic insects, five snails and the European eel ( Anguilla anguilla ), are now considered critically endangered in Ireland (Kelly-Quinn et al. , 2020). Even more stark is that 11 species (eight water beetles, one stonefly and two snails), or 2.3% of the invertebrate species examined to date, are now considered extinct in Ireland (Kelly-Quinn et al. , 2020). Further information on some selected groups of Irish flora and fauna is provided below.