Action for Curlew in Ireland Recommendations of The Curlew Task Force Summary document C onservation actions to protect and enhance the breeding population of Eurasian Curlew in Ireland in order to prevent its extinction May 2019 1 Acknowledgements Thanks are due to Mary Colwell for her involvement in instigating the Higginstown conference and her encouragement since. And to all those individuals and organisations who engaged in the Higginstown “Curlews in Crisis” conference in 2016 Staff of NPWS who acted as secretariat to the Task Force and led on the production of the background document, particularly Barry O’Donoghue who has taken a very major role in driving much of the effort to inform and facilitate the Task Force. The Task Force was made up of a wide range of organisations and individuals and thanks are due to all for their participation and contributions. Organisations: BirdWatch Ireland, Bórd na Mona, Coíllte, Cork County Council, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM; including agriculture sections and Forest Service), Golden Eagle Trust, Irish Cattle and Sheep Association, Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association, Irish Farmers Association, Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, Irish Peatlands Conservation Council, Michael Martyn Agricultural Consultants, National Association of Regional Game Councils, National Parks & Wildlife Service of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Office of Public Works, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Northern Ireland), An Taisce, Teagasc, Turf Cutters and Contractors Association, University College Dublin. Individuals: Alan Lauder, David Rees, John Temple-Lang. 2 Contents Background to The Curlew Task Force ..................................................................................................... 4 Recommendations .................................................................................................................................... 5 1. Curlew Ecological Requirements ................................................................................................... 5 2. Farming and agri-environment ...................................................................................................... 7 3. Forestry .......................................................................................................................................... 8 4. Bogs .............................................................................................................................................. 10 5. Predation and nest protection .................................................................................................... 11 6. Planning and development .......................................................................................................... 12 7. Curlew and people ....................................................................................................................... 14 8. Synthesis ...................................................................................................................................... 15 Annex 1: List of recommendations ......................................................................................................... 17 Annex 2 Recommendations of the Curlew Task Force – Background Document .................................. 20 3 Background to The Curlew Task Force The Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata (hereafter ‘Curlew’) is the only Irish bird on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species1. The species is afforded protection under the EU Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) where it is listed as an Annex II species. In Ireland, the Curlew is also protected under the Wildlife Acts and the Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations, 2011 and is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland (BoCCI2). It was readily apparent, as evidenced by the Bird Atlas of 2007-2011 and from observations in key areas, that the population of breeding Curlew in Ireland had declined to very low levels by 2011. The first national survey of breeding Curlew in Ireland was coordinated by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) between 2015 and 20173. The population estimate derived was 138 pairs, representing an estimated decline of 96% since the population estimate generated by the Bird Atlas of 1988-1991. In November 2016, a workshop entitled “Curlews in Crisis” was instigated by writer and broadcaster Mary Colwell, whose personal campaign via a long-distance walk and blog had helped to further raise awareness about Curlew declines across Ireland and Britain. The conference was organised by Mary, with input from Alan Lauder, BirdWatch Ireland, University College Dublin and NPWS. The primary resolution arising from that conference was that a dedicated Task Force should be formed to identify the various issues relating to Curlew conservation and to recommend appropriate immediate actions (as well medium- and long-term actions where this was feasible. In January 2017, then Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Heather Humphreys TD, announced the formation of the Irish Curlew Task Force, as an advisory group to include various stakeholders with an interest in the management of the Curlew and its habitat. In addition to a number of individuals with significant experience of or engagement with, Curlew conservation, the various parties that contributed to the Curlew Task Force were: BirdWatch Ireland, Bórd na Mona, Coíllte, Cork County Council, Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM; including agriculture sections and Forest Service), Golden Eagle Trust, Irish Cattle and Sheep Association, Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association, Irish Farmers Association, Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association, Irish Peatlands Conservation Council, Michael Martyn Agricultural Consultants, National Association of Regional Game Councils, National Parks & Wildlife Service of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Office of Public Works, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Northern Ireland), Teagasc, Turf Cutters and Contractors Association, University College Dublin. The Task Force was chaired, voluntarily and independently, by Alan Lauder and the secretariat was provided by staff from NPWS. Between February 2017 and November 2018, there were six dedicated Curlew Task Force meetings, attended by over 30 representatives. Representation was for the most part reserved for one representative per stakeholder organisation. These representatives were offered the opportunity to contribute to various aspects 1 www.iucnredlist.org 2 Colhoun, K. and Cummins, S. (2013). Birds of Conservation Concern in Ireland 2014 –2019. Irish Birds 9: 523-544. 3 O’Donoghue, B. G., Donaghy, A. and Kelly, S.B.A (2019) National survey of breeding Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata in the Republic of Ireland, 2015–2017. Wader Study 126:1 pp43-48 4 of the overall discussion but had more focused input into issues they were directly associated with. To do so, the Curlew Task Force was segmented into eight focus groups (presented below). Each group had a coordinator who facilitated discussion and input from fellow group members and produced draft recommendations towards chapters of the overall Task Force. In addition, each of the focus group’s recommendations were collated in this document and cross-cutting themes are included in a synthesis section. This document synopsises the recommendations and background document produced by the focus groups and aims to succinctly draw together the recommendations of the CTF in a single document. Curlew Task Force Sub-groups: 1. Curlew ecological requirements and research 2. Farming and agri-environment 3. Forestry 4. Bogs 5. Predation and nest protection 6. Planning and development 7. Curlew and people 8. Synthesis Recommendations 1. Curlew Ecological Requirements The population of Curlew is critically low and breeding productivity has been identified as a critical factor. A population model derived from known parameters predicts that in the absence of any action, the Curlew will become extinct as a breeding species in Ireland within 10 years. Saving the Curlew from extinction in Ireland is one of the greatest conservation challenges faced by Ireland. One of the first considerations is to properly understand the species ecological requirements in an Irish context; much is known from UK and other European studies but the precise factors operating in Ireland need to be further explored to identify what measures are required to address declines here. The Task Force identifies that the Curlew Conservation Programme, established in 2017 and focusing on action and research, should continue to be supported, and as soon as practicable, upscaled and expanded, most likely under the forthcoming Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan. Together, with existing measures such as agri- environment schemes and EU programmes such as the Curlew EIP, this could provide a coherent programme of State and EU funded measures, albeit it is recognised that improvements to existing schemes are required to make them most effective for Curlew. As such then, a suite of actions, including those undertaken in the NPWS Curlew Conservation Programme, the Curlew EIP, GLAS prescriptions trialed between 2016 and 2020 and NPWS Farm Plans should be combined in a Curlew specific Programme of Measures. This Programme of Measures for Breeding Curlew in Ireland should have cross-government support with clear targets and deliverables. Other measures