Just under 1,000 webs of the protected Marsh Fritillary butterfly have been counted at a wind farm site in Northern Ireland, which is an increase of 300%.
The webs were found at Energia Group’s Teiges Wind Farm site in Fermanagh, marking a 300% increase since 2022.
It is part of Energia’s efforts to promote biodiversity and represents one of the highest counts from any colony site in Northern Ireland.
The news has been revealed today, which is World Biodiversity Day (Wednesday, May 22).
The Marsh Fritillary is not only Ireland’s only legally protected butterfly but insect as well, and is listed as “vulnerable to extinction” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Under the Red List of Irish Butterflies published by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in 2010, the Marsh Fritillary is categorised as ‘vulnerable’, meaning it is considered at risk of extinction.
Historically found in 58 sites, this butterfly is now only present in eight.
Butterfly preservation
Energia Group has said that the conservation success is attributed to its “careful implementation of grazing prescriptions from the site’s Habitat Management and Enhancement Plan”.
Environmental officer at Energia Group, Sean McGovern emphasised: “Biodiversity preservation is a core part of our sustainability efforts.
“The increase in Marsh Fritillary webs at Teiges Wind Farm demonstrates our commitment to protecting the environment.
“Our initiatives also include rewetting peatlands, planting native hedgerows, and erecting bird boxes.”
Energia Group supports the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan and is involved in the Business for Biodiversity Ireland platform and the Nature + Energy project with the Trinity Centre for Biodiversity and Nature-based Solutions.
The company also stated that it offers biodiversity training to its employees through a partnership with Vyra.