confirms potentially-catastrophic species loss and deterioration of globally-important habitats are accelerating.
According to environmental group An Taisce, the indicators on species and habitats are “a damning indictment of the state of biodiversity... with insufficient progress reported across most targets”.Meanwhile, the national report cites findings by the National Biodiversity Centre that a third of all Irish bee species could be extinct by 2030 and Irish butterfly populations have declined by 12 per cent over the past decade.
The factors contributing to the declines include agriculture, forestry and aquaculture, and the ambitious growth targets set for these sector by the Foodwise 2025 strategy, in combination with the lack of sufficient environmental safeguards, the NPWS says.
It welcomed the Dáil’s decision to convene a Citizens’ Assembly to examine how best to respond to biodiversity loss. An Taisce’s natural environment officer Dr Elaine McGoff stressed the need for urgency. “You cannot tackle an emergency with inaction. The declaration of an emergency is meaningless without concrete and swift measures,” she said.