Month: October 2021

Small Streams Characterisation System (SSCS) Course

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The course is designed to train those who are interested in small streams on how best to monitor and characterise these small water bodies.

The rationale behind the course is outlined below:

  • The course is based on a simple premise: that obtaining high-quality information on the condition of our small streams is key for catchment and fishery managers to put in place plans to protect the high quality water-courses and improve the problematic areas.
  • This citizen science based training programme covers the collection of data on fauna, flora and hydromorphology (the physical structure of the stream channel). It provides volunteers with the required skills and training to walk and monitor the small streams in their particular location, both small mountain streams and discrete coastal streams.
  • The objective of the assessment is not to intentionally seek out pollution points but to objectively assess the current status of small streams. In many ways identifying and highlighting the presence of pristine streams that have been little impacted by agricultural or forestry practices, is as important as identifying problems in damaged or degraded streams.
  • The Institute of Fisheries Management has accredited the course and will issue a Certificate of Achievement to those who successfully complete the SSCS course.

The SSCS courses are run at various times in different areas of the country. There is no one calendar of courses. Best option is to email Ken Whelan ken@kenwhelan.info for details of what’s on and when

The Atlantic Salmon Trust, Small Streams Characterisation System – Two Days

https://wicklowrivers.ie/small-streams-characterisation-system-sscs-course/

Red Grouse

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In April 2021 the European Union updated its list of ‘priority birds’ to include Lagopus lagopus hibernica.

Red Grouse Species Action Plan
2013: National Red Grouse Steering Commitee

Click to access 2013_RedGrouse_SAP.pdf

The status of Red Grouse in Ireland and the effects of land use, habitat and habitat quality on their distribution: Results of the national Red Grouse Survey 2006-2008

This is the most recent survey:

Click to access IWM50.pdf

Tenders sought for national survey on Red Grouse bird

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/tenders-sought-for-national-survey-on-red-grouse-bird-1.4688832

https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/editdocuments_b.asp?TID=199712&PID=198862&LID=226022&LN=1&BUID=250499&mode=view&side=S

Birdwatch Ireland

https://birdwatchireland.ie/birds/red-grouse/

Europe’s Huntable Birds: A Review of Status and Conservation Priorities (FACE)

2010 Irish Red Grouse survey indicated that the population in the Republic of Ireland was just over 4.200 birds suggesting a 50% decline in range in the last 40 years (Cummins et al., 2010).

Now, with the last Article 12 assessment, Irish populations has been estimated at 1.708-2.116 breeding pairs. Its population trends are declining, and its status is ‘threatened’.


A Red Grouse Species Action Plan was developed in 2013, with a variety of stakeholders, is still ongoing until 2023 (National Red Grouse Steering Committee, 2013). It demonstrates that although the species is declining, some 36 conservation projects have been established by hunters to address local declines.

Specific actions include habitat management, predator control, disturbance control, provision of grit, improving public awareness and monitoring.

Map of Red Grouse Conservation Projects in Ireland

Development of Best-Practice Guidelines for Red Grouse on Irish SAC Raised Bogs

Click to access Report_on_Red_Grouse_on_SAC_Raised_Bogs.pdf

Survey of Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus) in the Owenduff/Nephin Complex Special Protection Area, County Mayo

Click to access IWM77.pdf

Red Grouse population performance on western Irish blanket bog

https://www.jstor.org/stable/24394300

Grouse Conservation Project: Ballinacor, Wicklow

Teagasc Forestry Development Department

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Contact details for all research, advisory and education forestry staff

Education 

Advice & Training

  • John Casey, Forestry Advisor (Cork, Waterford)
  • Liam Kelly, Forestry Advisor (Kildare, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath)
  • Noel Kennedy, Forestry Advisor (Galway, Mayo, Roscommon)
  • Frances McHugh, Forestry Advisor (Carlow, Dublin, Wexford, Wicklow)
  • Steven Meyen, Forestry Advisor (Donegal) and Forestry Communications and Digital Media Coordinator
  • Kevin O’Connell, Forestry Advisor (Cavan, Leitrim, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Sligo)
  • Michael Somers, Forestry Advisor (Clare, Kilkenny, Tipperary)
  • Jonathan Spazzi, Forestry Advisor (Kerry, Limerick) 

Research

Researchers

  • Dr Niall Farrelly, Forestry Researcher (conifer management research) 
  • Dr Dheeraj Rathore, Forestry Researcher (tree improvement research)
  • Oliver Sheridan, Forestry Researcher (birch and alder research) 
  • Dr Ian Short, Forestry Researcher (broadleaf management research) 

Forestry Technicians

Walsh Scholars

DAFM Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) Bovine Statistics Report for 2020

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This report gives a snapshot of bovine density in Ireland

Click to access 12ca7bbf-f873-41e7-88fe-68b206f58f4a.pdf

Note: this is a good example of application of Open Data Directive. A lot of data is published in pdf or other formats that make analysis impossible. For example, you cannot overlay this map with catchment maps or nitrates or other data. You can submit raw data request via EIA, but ideally Dept would publish all datasets with an API to conform with the Directive, which came into force in July

If you have an Open Data request cc to the relevant Dept FOI Officer and cc to Helena.Campbell@per.gov.ie and PaulD.Fitzpatrick@per.gov.ie at the Open Data Unit

The Open Data Directive and it’s application for environmental data

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S.I. No. 376/2021 – European Union (Open Data and Re-use of Public Sector Information) Regulations 2021

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directive_on_the_re-use_of_public_sector_information

https://data.gov.ie/blog/the-new-open-data-directive-what-will-it-mean-for-public-bodies

Good summary from McCannFitzgerald

Overview of the Open Data Directive and 2021 Regulations

  • Re-use of documents free of charge: The Open Data Directive is intended to make reuse of public information easier. In a significant change to the existing regime, under the New PSI Regime, the default position is that re-use of existing documents held by both public sector bodies and public undertakings operating in specific sectors should be free of charge. The New PSI Regime also applies to the re-use of publicly funded research data.
  • Open data: The New PSI Regime imposes a positive obligation on public sector bodies and certain public undertakings to make public data available as open data (rather than on request), “in formats that are open, machine-readable, accessible, findable and re-usable, together with their metadata”.
  • Dynamic data: The New PSI Regime requires public authorities to make dynamic data “available for re-use immediately after collection, via suitable APIs and, where relevant, as a bulk download”. ‘Dynamic data’ refers to data that are updated frequently or in real time, such as meteorological data and traffic data.
  • High-value datasets: The New PSI Regime imposes an obligation to make high value datasets available for re-use free of charge in machine-readable formats and via APIs and, where relevant, as a bulk download. High-value datasets are documents the re-use of which offers significant benefits for society, the environment and the economy, as they are suitable for developing applications and value-added services that have a large number of potential beneficiaries and therefore create new, high-quality and decent jobs. The Open Data Directive defines lists of thematic categories of high-value datasets, namely: geospatial data, data on earth observation and environment, meteorological data, statistics, data on companies and company ownership and mobility data.
  • Exclusive arrangements: Article 12 of the Open Data Directive requires the re-use of documents to be open to “all potential actors in the market, even if one or more market actors already exploit added-value products based on those documents”. Under the New PSI Regime, contracts or other arrangements between the public sector bodies or public undertakings holding the documents and third parties shall not grant exclusive rights. However, where an exclusive right is necessary for the provision of a service in the public interest, the validity of the reason for granting such an exclusive right shall be subject to regular review, and shall, in any event, be reviewed every three years.

https://www.mccannfitzgerald.com/knowledge/technology-and-innovation/update-on-the-open-data-and-re-use-of-psi-regime

Peatlands Gathering 2021 (Ireland)

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Post Conference Report and Recordings of Presentations

Full report on the conference and the event recordings are ready for viewing

You can access videos of all the sessions on the Peatlands Gathering site –  https://www.peatlandsgathering.com/recordings  

You can also watch Day 1 & day 2 of Peatlands Gathering as playlists on Natural Capital Ireland’s YouTube channel:  

Day 1 Playlist – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDsZQc7KDOPDkzy84vFSaY9dI_Zf7ZZta  

Day 2 Playlist – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDsZQc7KDOPBlEM4lAGh5aX-EVF55ZrmE  

Access the PG21 Conference Report here: https://www.peatlandsgathering.com/report

List of all EPA Licensed Poultry Farms

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The EPA grants and enforces Industrial Emissions (IE) licenses for specified agricultural activities.

You can find these licenses here:

https://www.epa.ie/our-services/licensing/industrial/integrated-pollution-control-ipc-licensing/who-needs-an-integrated-pollution-control-ipc-licence/

You can:

Browse Applications/Licences by Applicant/Licensee name
Search by Register Number
Search by Applicant/Licensee Name
Search by Facility Type/County/Status

But, you cannot search by poultry, chicken or duck etc as not all poultry farms have these keywords in the name

Here is a simple workaround in Excel of all EPA poultry licenses

licence-advanced-find-view-21Download

Note: The only categories of intensive agricultural activities which fall under EPA control are:

Intensive Agriculture
6.1( a ) The rearing of poultry in installations where the capacity exceeds 40,000 places. ( b ) In clause (a) ‘ poultry ’ shall be construed in accordance with Regulation 2(2) of the European Communities (Poultry and Hatching Eggs) Regulations 2010 ( S.I. No. 564 of 2010 ). 
6.2The rearing of pigs in an installation where the capacity exceeds — ( a )750 places for sows, or ( b )2,000 places for production pigs which are each over 30kg.

All intensive agriculture sites below these capacities would be controlled by the local authorities. 

e.g. fur farms do not fall within the scope of the EPA Act

List of all EPA Licensed Pig Farms

adminLeave a comment

The EPA grants and enforces Industrial Emissions (IE) licenses for specified agricultural activities.

You can find these licenses here:

https://www.epa.ie/our-services/licensing/industrial/integrated-pollution-control-ipc-licensing/who-needs-an-integrated-pollution-control-ipc-licence/

You can:

Browse Applications/Licences by Applicant/Licensee name
Search by Register Number
Search by Applicant/Licensee Name
Search by Facility Type/County/Status

But, you cannot search by pig / piggery as not all pig farms have the keyword pig in the name

Here is a simple workaround in Excel of all EPA piggery licenses

licence-advanced-find-view-2Download

Note: The only categories of intensive agricultural activities which fall under EPA control are:

Intensive Agriculture
6.1( a ) The rearing of poultry in installations where the capacity exceeds 40,000 places. ( b ) In clause (a) ‘ poultry ’ shall be construed in accordance with Regulation 2(2) of the European Communities (Poultry and Hatching Eggs) Regulations 2010 ( S.I. No. 564 of 2010 ). 
6.2The rearing of pigs in an installation where the capacity exceeds — ( a )750 places for sows, or ( b )2,000 places for production pigs which are each over 30kg.

All intensive agriculture sites below these capacities would be controlled by the local authorities. 

e.g. fur farms do not fall within the scope of the EPA Act

Dataset: Pig Census

https://datacatalogue.gov.ie/dataset/national-pig-census

2020 Pig Census

Click to access 15c18bbd1d7945008e93b894f5254e40.pdf