Ireland's 6Th National Report to The

IRELAND IRELAND 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity Citation:DCHG 2019. Ireland’s 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Report prepared by: Craig Bullock (Optimize), Rachel Morrison, Noeleen Smyth* (National Botanic Gardens), Tomás Murray (National Biodiversity Data Centre) & Deirdre Lynn (National Parks and Wildlife Service). Contributions from: Katherine Duff (Forest Service), Hannah Denniston (DAFM), Una Fitzpatrick (NBDC), John Lusby (Birdwatch), Oonagh Duggan (Birdwatch), Derek McLoughlin (exRBAPs), Daire O’hUallachain (Teagasc), Nathy Gilligan (OPW), Mark Adamson (OPW), Kevin Collins (Forest Service), Hannah Hamilton (Eirewild), Ciaran O’Keeffe (National Parks and Wildlife Service, Andy Bleasdale (NPWS), Barry O’Donoghue (NPWS), Ferdia Marnell (NPWS), Barry O’Donoghue (NPWS), Brian Lucas (NPWS), Gerry Lecky (NPWS), Catherine Vernor (NPWS), Dave Tierney (NPWS), Yvonne Leahy (NPWS), Sarah Ui Bhroin (NPWS), Jenny Fuller (NPWS), Alan Walsh (LAWCO), Michael Kane (LAWCO), Donal Daly (exEPA), Florence Renou (UCD), Gerry Brady (CSO), Clare O’Hara (CSO), Brian Deegan (Irish Water), Francis O’Beirn (Marine Institute), Ciaran Nugent (DAFM), Karin Dubsky (Coastwatch), Emma Higgs (WRI), Martin Walker (AGS), Karin Dubsky (Coastwatch), Shirley Clerkin (Local Authority), Roger Harrington (DHPLG). *See Section V for further list of contributors Cover photo: Colchicum autumnale L. also known as meadow saffron, autumn crocus or naked ladies is an endangered, toxic, autumn blooming, perennial corm geophyte. In Ireland this species is found in base-rich riverside meadows and is largely restricted to the Nore Valley. Its use in the treatment of gout and rheumatism can be traced back at least 2,000 years. IRELAND 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, HERITAGE AND THE GAELTACHT 2 IRELAND | 6TH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CO NTENTS Executive summary 5 ObjEctivEs and targEts national biodiversity Plan 10 global aichi biodiversity targets 12 sustainable development goals 15 sEctiOn i: 17 alignment between national biodiversity Objectives andt argets and the aichi targets sEctiOn ii: 27 implementation measures taken, assessment of their effectiveness, associated obstacles and scientific and technical needs to achieve national targets. sEctiOn iii: 71 assessment of progress towards each national target sEctiOn iv: 119 assessment of progress towards each aichi target references: sections ii-IV 162 sEctiOn v: 171 description of the national contribution to the achievement of the targets of the global strategy for Plant conservation 3 DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, HERITAGE AND THE GAELTACHT 4 IRELAND | 6TH NATIONAL REPORT TO THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Executive Summary Outline of this report This assessment report reviews Ireland’s progress on the five Strategic Goals and 20 Aichi Biodiversity Targets set by the Conference of Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan in 2010 for implementation by 2020. Section I provides an overview of each of the 7 Objectives and 18 Targets of Ireland’s National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP). This section describes the context to these Objectives and Targets and the links with the Global Aichi Targets of the CBD. Section II describes the implementation measures undertaken to achieve the Targets of the NBAP and details any obstacles to their effectiveness. Section III discusses the performance of these measures against each Target of the NBAP. This is followed in Section IV by an assessment of the Irish contribution to achieving the Aichi Targets and links with the UN Sustainable Development Goals are provided. In Section V, progress with Targets under the Irish and Global Strategy for Plant Conservation are detailed. There is some repetition between sections due to the need to discuss different aspects of measures. This means that where a measure or its effectiveness appear not to have been fully assessed in one section, it is very likely to have been addressed in the next. Section IV is presented as a series of questions for each Target as proposed in the CBD reporting guidelines and draws together the results of the assessment from the preceding sections. Country Profile Status of Species and Habitats in Ireland Ireland lies on the western edge of the European continental shelf. Ireland’s territorial waters extend to the outer edge of the continental margin covering an area of 880,000 km2. The terrestrial area of Ireland covers an area of 84,421 km2 comprised of low central plains surrounded by coastal mountains. In common with other countries, biodiversity in Ireland is impacted by habitat loss, changes in land use, pollution and climate change. Most rural land in Ireland is under agricultural production (mainly pasture for cattle and dairy with some arable) or commercial forestry; improved farm productivity has been encouraged in the agricultural sector in particular. According to the most recent (Article 17) Report to the EC on the implementation of the EU Habitats Directive in 2013[1], 52% of listed species were identified as being in ‘Favourable Conservation Status’. 1 20% of species were assessed as being in “inadequate status” and 12% were assessed as being in “bad status”. 10% of species showed a declining trend since the previous report compared with 6% which showed an improving trend. Other studies indicate a decline of 14% in bee species [2]. Bumblebees are especially affected with 7 out of 20 species at risk of extinction. Amongst bird species, 19% had increased, but 18% of breeding species and 16% of wintering species were in decline [3]. Of the 10% of species on the Red List, 24% are regarded as “threatened” and 15% “critically endangered”. 1 A new Article 17 report is due in 2019. 5 DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE, HERITAGE AND THE GAELTACHT Functioning habitats are key to species survival; however 91% of listed habitats were assessed by the Article 17 report as being in “Unfavourable Conservation Status” with 31% in a declining condition and 16% in an improving condition. Draft results from the 2019 Habitats Directive report shows over 50% of habitats with a declining trend, based on more robust monitoring than previous reports. Of particular note are declines in peatlands and grasslands, and some of the marine habitats. Around 65% of Important Bird Areas (IBAs), as identified by Birdlife International, are regarded as having a very high level of threat [4]. The composition of species and habitats at risk indicates, in particular, the impact of changes in land use in Ireland. For example, the decline or loss of farmland bird species such as corncrake, yellowhammer and corn bunting, are indicative of changes in agricultural practice and a nationwide reduction in mixed farming with small scale cereal growing, moving instead to specialisation in livestock production. The decline in bees, butterflies and other insects has largely resulted from the effect of monoculture and the drive to ever higher levels of productivity characterised also by a loss or neglect of hedgerows, farmland edges and scrub. The decline of once familiar breeding bird species such as curlew and lapwing, and many flowering plants, are indicative of long term trends in drainage of ponds, wetlands and the conversion of remaining meadows into agriculturally productive grassland. Applications of fertiliser to maintain more intensive systems have, in turn, had a deleterious effect on aquatic biodiversity, contributing an estimated 53% of water pollution as the nutrients of nitrogen and phosphorous have spread into watercourses.[5] Together with pollution from urban sources and dispersed housing, this has presaged a gradual decline in water quality. Although this decline has stabilised, there is a continuing loss of the highest quality waters of most value to biodiversity, including for species such as freshwater pearl mussel. Biodiversity has also suffered from the drainage and exploitation of peatlands, in particular of raised bog, and also blanket bog. Industrial-scale cutting of peatlands for electricity generation, household fuel and horticulture products has impacted severely on the larger raised bogs, but private cutting for domestic fuel has increasingly become the domain of contractors using machinery. Ninety-two percent of raised bog is thought to be degraded, while the area of active (peat-forming) raised bog may be just 4% [6]. As these peatlands were drained prior to being worked they are vulnerable to any further desiccation due to drier or warmer temperatures associated with climate change. Forestry has also had an impact on biodiversity with 85% of commercial forest being comprised of a monoculture of fast-growing coniferous species of low biodiversity value. Much of this planting previously occurred on cut-away bogs or in the uplands, and while the conditions of planting have been tightened to avoid protected areas of biodiversity value, including areas of value to hen harrier, curlew or red grouse, there is still no working definition of ‘high nature value’ farming to guide where planting should or should not occur. Ireland has an extensive marine resource, however, a prolonged period of over-fishing had a severe impact on the biodiversity of commercial fisheries, and recently only very limited catches of former staples such as cod, haddock and herring were permitted. The populations of 22% of commercial species

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