‘We are first generation to know biodiversity crisis’

“We are the first generation to know a biodiversity crisis and the last who can anything about it,” said newly appointed biodiversity officer for Westmeath, Christina Sweeney, at a recent Transport and Planning SPC meeting.

Public consultation on the Westmeath biodiversity action plan has started and Ms Sweeney urged the public to get involved. She invited them to visit the council’s consultation portal or contact her directly.

Cllr Frank McDermott was disappointed that the Aghalasty fen near Fore was not mentioned in the proposed plan. He said that if Lough Lene is in, Aghalasty should be too. “It’s a small area and we are told that in 5,000 years it will be a bog, so there’s no point in sharpening the slean yet, but we take great pride in protecting it,” he said.

Ms Sweeney assured him that it was included, they just could not get it on the map. All the National Heritage Areas are included and the other 62 wetlands that have been surveyed and are locally important have been included on a separate map, she said.

Chairperson, Cllr Louise Heavin, wondered if the council could have direct work-shopping with farmers and the IFA, who are anxious to be involved and “often feel left out of the conversation”.

Farmers are vital stakeholders because they have been the caretakers, the custodians of our ecosystems for hundreds of years and no one took better care than the people who knew every hedgerow, knew every river, knew every bog, knew exactly how to have food produced in a sustainable way, and they need to be part of this conversation, remarked Cllr Denis Leonard. Once farms don’t get too big and become factory farms, that will continue, he added.

It is important that we learn from farmers and what they have been doing to take care of the flora, the fauna, the wildlife, and where it is necessary to make changes to their land, they should be compensated. It is a journey on which we need to bring people with us, Cllr Leonard stated.

Ms Sweeney pointed out that there is an IFA representative on the biodiversity working group. She has consulted agricultural reps and with Farming for Nature. She agreed it was important to bring this sector on board and said she would make sure that happened.