Heritage minister, Malcolm Noonan, has supported a full investigation by An Garda Siochána into the causes of a major fire at Curraghline bog in Co. Galway on Wednesday, April 27.
The site, which is on the south east shore of Lough Corrib at Headford Road not far from Galway city, is an important habitat for breeding waders including the critically endangered curlew, according to the minister.
The area has seen several incidents of fire over the years, which fire crews from Galway Fire Service attending on several occasions.
In this latest fire, Gardaí had to close a section of the Curraghline for a period while emergency services tackled the gorse blaze.
Responding to calls by Birdwatch Ireland to investigate the cause of the fire as a possible wildlife crime, Minister Noonan said that he had immediately tasked National Parks and Wildlife Saervice (NPWS) staff to work with An Garda Siohána in its investigation of the cause of the fire.
He added that these fires don’t start by themselves and Birdwatch Ireland said that plumes of smoke from the fire could still be seen in the area yesterday (Thursday, April 28).
Oonagh Duggan, head of advocacy at BirdWatch Ireland said: “This area is really important for wildlife. At least three pairs of the critically endangered curlew are attempting to breed on, and close to, the bog but other species that are severely threatened are also breeding in the area.
“These include Lapwing, Snipe, Redshank and other ground nesting birds like Skylark and Meadow Pipit. Our staff will visit the area as soon as its safe to do so to determine the scale of the damage to the habitats for these birds,” she added.
Seriousness of a bog fire
Minister Noonan said the NPWS takes these matters very seriously and in recent weeks announced increased surveillance using drones and helicopters on key natural heritage sites and national parks.
“This Galway fire is devastating news for all involved in conservation efforts to save the curlew, particularly those invested in the curlew EIP project at Curraghline,” Minister Noonan said.
He said that a thorough investigation would need to be carried out and he thanked fire and emergency services of Galway County Council and NPWS staff who attended the scene to bring the fire under control.
“This is a particularly dangerous time of year for fires in our natural heritage areas and we urge the public to report suspicious activity and to be vigilant themselves while using our national parks and nature reserves,” the minister added.
“We are in the depths of a biodiversity emergency and cannot afford to lose any more habitats to fire.”
Minister Noonan added that there will be increased aerial and ground surveillance in the coming days as a preventative measure.
Birdwatch Ireland added: “We believe that its highly likely that breeding birds have been impacted by this fire and the smoke but it has also resulted in carbon release from the burning peat.
“Peatlands are so important as ecosystems supporting unique plants, birds and animals as as well as thousands of tonnes of captured carbon. Fires like these are extremely destructive.
“We need to understand what happened here and to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”