The chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Fianna Fáil TD, Jackie Cahill has reiterated his call for a cull to control the wild population of mink.
The Tipperary TD has urged the government to reallocate some of the funds granted for the protection of nesting birds to allow for the mink cull.
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) Pippa Hackett and Minister of State for heritage and electoral reform, Malcolm Noonan, recently announced a €25 million European Innovation Partnership (EIP) to conserve breeding waders.
There will also be a further €5 million made available to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) to implement strategic conservation measures for the birds such as nest protection fences.
Mink
Deputy Cahill said that mink pose “a major threat to ground nesting birds”.
“As they are an invasive species with no natural predator, a nationwide cull is necessary.
“A cull of these animals is the only way to protect ground nesting birds. It essential for the protection of biodiversity and increasing the populations of breeding waders in rural areas.
“I would urge Ministers Hackett and Noonan to consider re-allocating some of the €25 million funding for breeding waders to the cull of mink,” he said.
Deputy Cahill has previously called for a bounty on mink tail of €20 to be funded by the NPWS and to be carried out by conservation and angling clubs nationwide.
Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, has said that the government has no current plans to carry out a national cull of mink
He said that the NPWS is responsible for the implementation of a suite of national and EU legislation in relation to invasive alien species in Ireland.
There are no plans at present in my department for a nationwide cull of American mink and no funds have been secured under budget 2024 in this regard.
“There are a range of ongoing efforts by NPWS to control American mink in the country,” the minister said.