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The EU Habitats Directive

Ireland is quite unique in terms of its natural heritage. It has no less than sixteen priority habitat types and a further 42 non priority habitat types of major community importance under the terms of the Habitats Directive. Amongst these are active raised bog, limestone pavements, fixed dunes and at least 10% of the worlds total blanket bogs.

The focus of the Habitats Directive is on the creation of the Natura 2000 network of sites (see Chapter on International Wildlife Agreements). These sites to be called Special Areas of Conservation (SAC's) are designed to meet the obligation upon Member States that habitats and species in the annexes are maintained at a satisfactory conservation status, or in the case of habitats or species with an unfavorable conservation status, that a favorable conservation status is achieved.

The Natural Heritage Area survey conducted by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and supported by the Life fund identified 1251 sites of importance for nature conservation across the country. These have been designated as NHA's. Of these a subset of around 420 sites are considered to be worthy of inclusion in the Natura 2000 network set up under the Habitats Directive and are in the process of being put forward as candidate SAC's.

The IPCC will campaign to ensure that the maximum number of bogland sites are put forward as SAC and that the necessary financial and legal measures are introduced to protect the bogs. During 1999 our work focused on proposing additional raised and blanket bogs for SAC designation. During 2000 the IPCC SAC work will focus on fens. Any damage caused to SAC will be reported, halted and reversed.

Report of IPCC's Joint SAC Campaign with other NGO's in 1999 and future activities on the SAC issue:

The Great SAC Race

Five Irish NGOs with an interest in wildlife ­ An Taisce, Birdwatch Ireland, Coastwatch, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, and the Irish Wildlife Trust, began together in 1997 to monitor the designation of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas under Natura 2000. Without sufficient national statutory protection, the independent supervision provided by the European designation process appeared to offer Ireland's NGOs their best conservation tool.

A Wildlife Grant 1999 was obtained from the Heritage Council to identify:

® Additional sites to ensure Ireland's habitats and species are adequately represented
® Sites which qualify for designation but are under threat or have been damaged or degraded
® Rehabilitation of degraded sites
® Identification of future studies, where necessary

Under the conditions of the Habitats Directive the Irish Government agreed to establish a network of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). The Directive ensures that the network of community sites should remain at or be restored to a favourable conservation status.

Up to September 1999 the Irish Government had transmitted 145 SACs to
the European Commission. The study produced by the NGOs was entitled "The Greatr SAC Race" and advocated the designation of a further total number of 201 sites as SACs, including an additional 30 raised bogs, 8 lowland blanket bogs, 15 mountain blanket bogs, 70 calcareous fens, 34 calcareous grasslands, 17 limestone pavements, 19 dunes, 4 residual alluvial forests, and 4 Taxus baccata woods.

Noting that no SACs were proposed by the Government for the Annex II species Lutra lutra (otter) and Salmo salar (Salmon), the report advocated the SAC designation of 46 sites for Lutra lutra, 22 sites for Salmo salar, 8 sites for Vertigo spp., and 8 sites for Margaritifera spp. amounting to a total of 84 additional Annex II sites.

A representative sample of Priority habitats and Annex II species is only possible if these additional 201 habitat sites and 84 sites for Annex II species are designated as SACs and included in the Natura 2000 network.

The report identified 138 Important Bird Areas (IBAs), of which 97 are protected by designated Special Protection Areas (SPAs). Those IBAs not yet protected as SPAs include 21 which are proposed SPAs. A further 20 IBAs remain undesignated.

It also identified a lack of protection of dispersed Annex I species, due to limited SPA coverage, as well as a lack of protection for non Annex I and non-migratory species, which are undergoing or are threatened by serious declines. It is likely that for some for some species with limited SPA protection, their habitats will be protected with the designation of SACs. However, in strict legal terms, these sites must also be designated SPAs for a clear legal obligation to exist in relation the protection of birds.

Many habitats which qualify as SACs or SPAs are threatened by development. Non-designation may result in the loss of this precious resource. The omission of estuarine habitat from some SPAs, for example, has far reaching implications in relation to planning and development pressures.

Finally it should be noted that information on habitats and species is still incomplete in Ireland. There is an urgent need for more survey work to identify additional sites that may require Natura 2000 designation, and ensure that each habitat type is sufficiently represented. Further funding has been granted by the Heritage Council to the five NGOs to continue their work with a final report in October, 2000.

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An Taisce - The National Trust for Ireland
The Tailors' Hall, Back Lane, Dublin 8
01-4541786
planning@connect.ie

BirdWatch Ireland,
Ruttledge House, 8 Longford Place, Monkstown, Co. Dublin
01 2804322
bird@indigo.ie

Coastwatch Europe
Civil & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2
dubsky@iol.ie

Irish Peatland Conservation Council
IPCC Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kidare.
Tel 045-860133
bogs@ipcc.ie
www.ipcc.ie

Irish Wildlife Trust
107 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2
01 6768588
enquiries@iwt.ie