The impact of over and under grazing in the uplands are to be reviewed as part of a DAERA-commissioned report investigating the effects of the weekend’s Mournes wildfire.
Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots told the Assembly on Monday (April 26), that the report would build on management work carried out at Greenmount’s Glenwherry hill farm.
“A detailed assessment of the impacts on biodiversity across the impacted areas and the wider SAC [Special Areas of Conservation] will be commissioned to inform appropriate restoration interventions, depending on the extent and depth of the damage,” he said.
“It will consider the effectiveness of the wildfire prevention measures that were implemented in the eastern Mournes.”
Management is NI’s biggest wildfire problem
Poots said poor management was the biggest issue facing Northern Ireland’s heathlands.
“Undergrazing and overgrazing are problems, so we need to manage that side of it well,” he said.
“We also need to look at the firebreaks. I mentioned Glenwherry. There has been a significant uplift in the numbers of ground-nesting birds in that area as a consequence of the actions that have been taken.
“Sometimes, folk suggest wilding as a way forward: It is not. Good management is the way forward, and, in some of those areas, the management is not as good as I would like to see.
In March, the department established the strategic wildfire group, which works alongside the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service to reduce the risk of wildfires.
“[The group] will look at a range of issues, including land management, undergrazing and overgrazing and controlled burning,” Poots said.
“We need to better tackle the fuel source issue – we must consider appropriate burning of habitat to preserve the overall habitat. That needs to deliver for agricultural productivity, conservation and vegetation and fuel management.”
However, Poots had a stark message for any farmers considering illegal burning.
He told MLAs: “There are those on the farming side who deliberately burn off gorse to allow for fresh growth to come through. That does not take place at this time of year. If they are doing that, they are breaking the law and should be prosecuted.
“I make it very clear: Any farmer who engages in that at this time of year is breaking the law and should be prosecuted,” he added.
Beating the fire out with shovels
Details of the gruelling task facing the emergency services were also revealed, with the minister explaining how firefighters had to hike up the mountain in their protective gear because support vehicles could not access parts of the terrain.
“We had anticipated getting helicopter support from Ireland and from GB [Great Britain], but unfortunately, those became unavailable,” he said.
“The fact that there is a road leading up to a quarry enabled water to get so far, but fire personnel ended up having to beat the fire out with shovels. That is how crudely it was done.
“Hundreds of acres of land were on fire, and they were beating it out with shovels. When you get it out, it can flare up again – so you can see the work that was involved.
“It was a warm day, there was the heat of the fire, and the fact that personnel had to wear their uniforms and personal protective equipment. That led to an immense amount of work being carried out by those individuals.
“We cannot speak highly enough of their efforts. We need to ensure that they have as much equipment as possible to enable them to do their work as safely as possible. They were very challenging circumstances,” he concluded.