Case for removing river barriers and dams outlined by wildlife expert
Rewilding many parts of the Irish landscape is not anti-farming, and must be factored into national policies a lot more if the country’s “climate and biodiversity crisis” is to be addressed, according to wildlife expert Pádraic Fogarty.
Speaking on Monday at an online conference on “reimagining Irish rivers through working with nature”, the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) campaign officer said re-wilding was not a cure-all in a scenario where “ecosystems in Ireland have effectively collapsed” and conservation measures have not worked.
This was against a background where the global climate was going through dramatic breakdown with major ecological shifts threatening humanity, which “is probably worse than many of us think”, he added.
If the scale of the damage was recognised and what can be done in response, “it opens up a world of opportunities”, Mr Fogarty believed.
While there was no accepted definition of rewilding, it was “one part of the solution, that can work at scale”. It was “not about recreating ecosystems that may or may not have existed at some point in the past”, nor was it “anti-human” or about focussing on a single species.
He added: “It’s not anti-farming. Farming is essential . . . but it’s about recognising farming has gone beyond the limits of nature.”
It was about establishing an ethical relationship with nature, which did not mean conflicts would not arise; “they have to be recognised and addressed,” he said.
https://www-irishtimes-com.cdn.ampp...fits-for-nature-and-humans-1.4517209?mode=amp
Rewilding many parts of the Irish landscape is not anti-farming, and must be factored into national policies a lot more if the country’s “climate and biodiversity crisis” is to be addressed, according to wildlife expert Pádraic Fogarty.
Speaking on Monday at an online conference on “reimagining Irish rivers through working with nature”, the Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) campaign officer said re-wilding was not a cure-all in a scenario where “ecosystems in Ireland have effectively collapsed” and conservation measures have not worked.
This was against a background where the global climate was going through dramatic breakdown with major ecological shifts threatening humanity, which “is probably worse than many of us think”, he added.
If the scale of the damage was recognised and what can be done in response, “it opens up a world of opportunities”, Mr Fogarty believed.
While there was no accepted definition of rewilding, it was “one part of the solution, that can work at scale”. It was “not about recreating ecosystems that may or may not have existed at some point in the past”, nor was it “anti-human” or about focussing on a single species.
He added: “It’s not anti-farming. Farming is essential . . . but it’s about recognising farming has gone beyond the limits of nature.”
It was about establishing an ethical relationship with nature, which did not mean conflicts would not arise; “they have to be recognised and addressed,” he said.
https://www-irishtimes-com.cdn.ampp...fits-for-nature-and-humans-1.4517209?mode=amp