The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) has said that “the negative impact” of designated land on farmers must be addressed.
The association’s president Vincent Roddy has claimed that the predominately negative experience of over 30,000 landowners with designated lands around the country has been a “significant factor” in the concerns raised about the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law.
He has called for a “reassessment” of the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA) land designations which form part of the Natura 2000 network.
INHFA
The INHFA president said that designation has curtailed the income potential from these lands, along with causing “significant price devaluation”.
“Over time, frustration on this has turned to anger as paltry payments made through the various agri-environment schemes were continually reduced and eventually withdrawn, leaving farmers with the full financial burden of these designations.
“Unfortunately, with ongoing calls to address this clear injustice being continually ignored, insult has been added to injury through the proposed introduction of the Nature Restoration Law that will further undermine potential income and land value.
“It is vital that we immediately park the Nature Restoration Law and seek a full renegotiation of the Natura 2000 designations to ensure that this time we give equal status to the social and economic impact of these designations.”
The Nature Restoration Law continues to be the subject of intense debate and demonstration in Ireland and Europe.
The INHFA president said that he is “anxious to see the same level of concern now focused on the ongoing impact of the Natura 2000 designations”.
“It is vital that our politicians protect our interests from faceless bureaucrats that don’t understand or need to understand the impact of their proposals on our local communities,” he said.
Roddy also warned against any compromise that could result on the Nature Restoration Law being implemented on Natura lands only.
“This would be the ultimate nightmare and we are calling on all politicians to oppose any such suggestion should it appear,” he said.
The INHFA leader also rejected suggestions by some politicians and commentators that there had been scaremongering by those opposed to the Nature Restoration Law.
“Suggestions such as this could only ever be made by those that never engaged with landowners, especially landowners that have been left dealing with the unfair burden of the Natura 2000 designations for the last 25 years,” Roddy said.