Four birds added to hunt ban list

Last year, the Green party minister established a review of the Open Seasons Order, which covers the period when birds can be legally shot — in many cases this season starts on September 1.

The review looked at the 21 species that can be hunted here, including 15 that are under a red, or amber, conservation listing.

The minister has now announced there’s no longer an open season on four species: scaup, goldeneye, pochard, and pintail (all ducks). 

It’s only the second time in 30 years that species have been removed from the open season — the first was the curlew, in 2012. Mr Noonan described the latest move as a significant step forward.

BirdWatch, however, is disappointed that the golden plover and shoveler are not included in the shooting ban, saying no reason has been given for the open season on them: “The information provided announcing the decision is inadequate and lacking detail. 

"The most severe impacts to water birds and wading birds that are on the Open Seasons Order relate to habitat loss and degradation, pollution, disturbance and climate change."

But, the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), which represents gun clubs and game shooters, claims the minister took ideology more than science into account.

The association maintains that, in his review, Mr Noonan only considered reductions in the number of birds rather than the possibility of adding to the list of birds that can be hunted.

“All these birds have got very scarce and we should be conserving what’s left of them," said one long-time game hunter.

“At one time, people ate these birds, but that doesn’t happen much anymore: a woodcock isn’t much bigger than a blackbird and people just throw them away after shooting them," he claimed. 

Editor's note Sept 22: The Irish Examiner has received a significant volume of correspondence from individual hunters and from The National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) disputing the claim that hunters throw away the woodcocks they shoot. They say that, rather than throw the dead birds away, they consider them delicious and sustainable food for the family table.

"There’s a lot of talk about saving the corncrake at a cost of millions and, yet, there isn’t much more than 100 pairs of corncrake left. Much more should be done to save all other birds," the game hunter said.

According to a National Parks and Wildlife Service report, last year, almost €10 million, including €8.75 million paid to farmers, was spent on the corncrake conservation programme in the previous seven years.

Finally, everyone agrees on one thing: improved habitat and more sanctuaries would be a major help to all threatened birds.