The National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC), which represents over 1,000 game hunting clubs in Ireland, and 25,000 members nationwide, has been recognised at a European level for its outstanding contribution to protecting and restoring duck breeding habitats.
At the Annual General Assembly of FACE Europe, the European federation for Hunting and Conservation, the NARGC was presented with a special award in recognition of its outstanding contribution to biodiversity.
The award citation recognised NARGC’s significant commitment – as a voluntary association – to funding projects aimed at protecting and restoring duck breeding habitats.
NARGC
Earlier this year, NARGC donated €25,000 towards the Finnish SOTKA-project and various other projects managed by the international Waterfowlers Network.
The SOTKA project aims to rehabilitate 400ha of Finnish bogland which are critical breeding grounds for migratory waterfowl found in Ireland.
At a national level, the association established the Irish Habitat Trust in 1997. The IHT is one of Ireland’s oldest conservation trusts, dedicated to raising awareness of the country’s rich natural heritage with a primary focus on wildlife conservation and the provision of suitable habitats.
Around Ireland, the NARGC has said that its members actively support local conservation, from making and erecting duck tubes to providing elevated nesting platforms along rivers for duck species, to releasing mallards and restoring boglands.
National chair of NARGC John Butler welcomed the award stating: “NARGC [is] Ireland’s largest conservation organisation, and this award is testament to the dedication, hard work and fundraising efforts of [our] clubs and members around Ireland, who day-in-day-out strive to protect and nurture Ireland’s wild bird population and their habitats.
“At a time when some in Ireland seek to portray hunting and conservation as black and white opposites, this European recognition goes a long way in highlighting how Ireland’s game hunters are at the fore of conservation efforts across this country.”
NARGC has also welcomed the establishment by the Irish Government – after lengthy delays – of the new Stakeholder Forum on the Sustainable Hunting of Wild Birds.
The forum will meet for the first time next month and the NARGC said that it looks forward to working constructively and inclusively with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and all stakeholders to ensure a responsible approach to the future hunting and conservation of wild birds in Ireland.