The state will monitor the impact of measures for biodiversity implemented under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) by 2027, according to Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP).
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) will monitor the trends in measures beneficial for biodiversity supported under Ireland’s CAP strategic plan.
This could result in changes in result-based payment scheme scoring under agri-environmental scheme support, according to the NBAP launched today (Thursday, January 25).
The NBAP is the first plan backed by legislation with legal requirements for public bodies. Several of the 194 actions outlined in the plan affect agricultural land.
Agricultural land
The state also sets the target that by 2025, a national long-term programme will be in place to assess and monitor habitat quality, quantity, connectivity and change on agricultural lands.
The government aims to have “optimised opportunities” under agriculture, rural development, forestry and other relevant policies to benefit biodiversity in place by 2027.
The DAFM will ensure that farmers are incentivised to create and maintain habitats on farms as part of Ireland’s CAP strategic 2023-2027 and the Rural Development Plan, the plan states.
By 2030, habitat biodiversity assessments will be conducted on a regular basis on all National Farm Survey (NFS) farms, with the DAFM and Teagasc ensuring these are carried out.
Further targets of the 4th NBAP include that by 2030, land under organic farming is increased to 10%, and at least 4% of agricultural land has biodiversity rich landscape features.
By the end of the decade, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy, the use and risk of pesticides will be cut by 50%, with new measures to reduce chemical pesticide use implemented.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will ensure that the NPWS Farm Plan Scheme is adequately resourced to expand the number of farms delivering conservation measures.
The state aims to ensure that the impact of water quality measures on biodiversity is minimised this year, and that all actions of the Nitrates Action Plan (NAP) will be implemented by 2025.
The DAFM will ensure that Ireland’s CAP strategic plan will encourage circular and localised nutrient management and reduce loss of nitrogen, phosphorus, and soil to water.
Biodiversity actions
By 2030 the NPWS will increase its network of national parks and nature reserves, with increased investment in new and existing parks and reserves, the plan states.
The production of a National Restoration Plan will be led by the NPWS and will comprise a public participation process, and ecological and socio-economic impact assessments.
The plan is a requirement under the EU Nature Restoration Law which is expected to be finalised next month. The state aims to publish the plan by 2026 with implementation by 2027.
The implementation of the Habitats and Birds Directive will be enhanced by 2024, with the NPWS completing the selection of sites for protection of listed habitats and species.
The NPWS will publish detailed site specific conservation objectives, along with the approach used, for all existing Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs).