The legal protection of hedgerows has come into the spotlight lately. This as the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine (JOCAFM) says that up to 6,000 km of hedgerows are being removed in Ireland annually. The figure was revealed in a recent survey published by Monaghan County Council.
It’s understood that Hedgerows Ireland has since suggested an amendment to the 1976 Wildlife Act regarding this. The survey also indicates that 75% of the removals were attributed to agriculture and that only 12% of hedges were in a favourable condition. The figure for the removal of hedgerows in Monaghan is at 0.9% while the Environmental Protection agency estimates are at 0.3%, with the actual amount of hedges removed far more than the estimated figure.
The concern comes as JOCAFM met yesterday to discuss hedgerows, carbon and biodiversity. Hedgerow Ireland additionally brought forth the following recommendations tabled for discussion with JOCAFM:
- That Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) schemes would recognise and reward good hedgerow management
- The reintroduction of hedge-management courses and certification for contractors
- Implementation of the EPA recommendations around setback from hedgerows in forestry
This survey, which was based on sites that were first examined in Monaghan in 2010, found that almost 11 km of hedges had been removed over a decade.
LSL News.