Submission to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss

7 Oct 2022

Dear Assembly Members,

This submission is made on behalf of UCC Green Campus. Our Green Campus programme works to promote and enhance climate action and biodiversity on our university campus and beyond using a student-led, research-informed, practice-focused ethos. Biodiversity protection has time and time again been highlighted by concerned students, staff, and members of the local community as a critical issue that requires an all-of-society approach to tackle and solve. The UCC Community has implemented numerous initiatives to ensure that precious ecosystems are protected, enhanced, and restored, and we welcome the opportunity to make a submission to the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss.

The ever-growing biodiversity emergency is having catastrophic impacts on our ecosystems on a local, national, and global level. This human made crisis has pushed our natural environment to the brink and we must take immediate and radical action to minimise any losses and transform our country so that all species can thrive. Despite being internationally renowned for its ‘green’ image, Ireland has one of the lowest levels of ecological integrity and forestry coverage in Europe. Our once vibrant and diverse ecosystems have been devasted by continued over-extraction, over-grazing, and disregard for the well-being and functionality of nature. The lack of strong government leadership has led us down a path of biodiversity loss, and this must urgently change if we are to have any chance at safeguarding our flora and fauna, and their habitats.

There are a number of key threats to biodiversity in Ireland. Firstly, overgrazing has had devastating ecological impacts on our natural landscape and the continued systemic failure to take effective action to prevent and reverse this damage is a national biodiversity failure. Species such as sheep, sika deer, and feral goals are destructive herbivores that devour our native flora, and whole ecosystems if left unregulated. Overgrazing prevents the natural restoration of native plants and makes our landscapes more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which accelerates degradation and erosion. Immediate and long-lasting measures must be taken to tackle overgrazing and farmers must be supported throughout these processes of revitalising our ecosystems. The absence of large predators has allowed the populations of wild deer and goats to proliferate, and the reintroduction of our native carnivores will allow for long-term restoration and the rebalancing of our ecosystems.

Secondly, invasive alien species have devastated our native ecosystems. Invasive flora species such as Rhododendron ponticum, Heracleum mantegazzianum (giant hogweed), and Fallopia japonica (Japanese knotweed) and alien fauna such as the Neovison vison (American mink) and Sciurus carolinensis (grey squirrel) can be found across Ireland and are detrimental to our native species. Invasive alien flora and fauna have negative impacts on terrestrial and aquatic environments, native species, and the functionality of our ecosystems overall. All efforts must be made to manage and reduce invasive alien species. Furthermore, non-native tree forestry activities such as Sitka spruce plantations do not effectively support our biodiversity or tackle rising carbon emissions. Our natural carbon sinks such as native forests and peatlands are much more effective carbon sequesters and support an array of biodiversity, in comparison to the ecological desert these monocultures of non-native trees create. Only 1% of Ireland is covered by native woodlands and we must allow our woodlands to naturally regenerate, which has been shown to work effectively in harmony with existing species.

Lastly, our current agriculture system is putting biodiversity under extreme pressure. There is an undeniable link between intensive farming practices and biodiversity loss and our water quality continues to decline due to run-off and chemical use. Many of our rivers have alarmingly high levels of nitrate pollution due to agricultural activity, and similarly, our marine biodiversity is under threat due to unsustainable fishing practices and the ongoing climate crisis. Sustainable agricultural and marine practices must become widespread across Ireland. Farmers must be provided with the necessary financial support, incentives, and information that will allow them to rewild their land if they choose to do so. Nature-based solutions and conservation of biodiversity on farmlands are critical to biodiversity protection. We must work closely with farmers and rural communities to design and implement effective farming and rewilding initiatives. Transparency, collaboration, and open communication must be central to these initiatives if they are to be successful.

Local and national biodiversity organisations and initiatives need to be fully funded and resourced if biodiversity loss is to be addressed across Ireland. The continued lack of adequate support for the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) inhibits its ability to effectively enforce and deliver existing plans and targets and this must be addressed immediately. Furthermore, all national, EU, and international biodiversity commitments must be honoured and fulfilled. Our existing national frameworks should be reviewed, and legislation should be revised where necessary to ensure comprehensive biodiversity protection, and restoration. Additionally, wildlife crime poses a serious threat to our biodiversity and the sustainable development of countless communities. A zero-tolerance approach for such activities needs to be embodied and the strengthening of enforcement mechanisms and wildlife legislation is essential to protect wildlife species and deter wildlife crime. The implementation of proportionate punishments will increase the significance of these crimes in the eyes of government officials, law enforcement, and the public, which will help prevent and reduce wildlife crime.

Tackling biodiversity loss will not be a straightforward task by any means. Ecological restoration requires political commitment, radical nationwide action, imaginative solutions, and ambitious individual and collective vision. We must adopt a holistic approach to rewilding our natural landscape to prevent and reverse biodiversity destruction and tapping into creativity and curiosity will help facilitate this transformation. Given the interconnected nature of our ecosystems, repairing and maintaining ecological connectivity must be of the utmost priority. Our culture of overconsumption, perpetual economic growth, and the pursuit of profit at the demise of our planet cannot continue if we wish to live in an equitable and sustainable world where all beings can thrive. The very way we view and interact with the natural world needs to be re-examined. We must view ourselves as being a part of a complex ecosystem made up of wondrous flora and fauna, rather than being detached, living a separate existence from nature. Whilst the benefits that healthy and vibrant ecosystems offer humans should be highlighted, we should value our ecosystems for their intrinsic value, irrespective of the co-benefits. Nature has the right be able to exist, grow, and thrive without human interference and exploitation.

Despite what we may wish to believe, we must realise that we are not at the top of the food chain but exist in an ever-changing system that fails to recognise anthropogenic ego and echelons. We are entirely dependent on our earth for food, water, clean air, fuel, materials, and shelter. Humanity cannot survive without healthy and functioning ecosystems, but the natural world can not only survive but thrive in our absence. Our existing relationship with the natural world is akin to parasitism, where humans are the intrusive and invading species that extract and consume at the demise of our host, the natural world. However, we have the power to transform this relationship to create a symbiotic kinship where humans can reconnect with our roots and nature can revert to its wild and abundant state.

We thank you for taking the time to consider our submission and ask you to view this as a call to action to halt biodiversity loss and facilitate the comprehensive restoration of our priceless native flora and fauna. We urge you to take this opportunity to demand immediate and radical action from our politicians. We desperately need ambitious legislation, policies, and initiatives to be enacted across the country to tackle the above-mentioned threats to biodiversity, facilitate inter-agency cooperation, and community collaboration, and it is imperative that key state agencies receive adequate resources so that we can reach critical biodiversity goals. A holistic approach to biodiversity loss must be taken and action is required on all levels to preserve and protect our biodiversity so that we can create an Ireland that is abundant with life and nature.