Wicklow project a 'welcome opportunity for sustainable deer management'

Wicklow Uplands Council has warmly welcomed the signing of a contract for sustainable deer management services in Co. Wicklow.

Following the signing of the contract, coordinator for Wicklow Uplands Council, Brain Dunne shared;

“The project that was signed today will be carried out in conjunction with Wicklow Uplands Council and Wicklow Deer Management Partnership and will deliver sustainable deer management on a more professional basis and promote knowledge transfer throughout the county.”

Pat Dunne, chair of Wicklow Deer Management Partnership, also spoke, adding: “This is a very welcome opportunity for sustainable deer management in the county.

The project will involve the establishment of at least three new deer management units in Co. Wicklow.

“It will assess and reduce the adverse impacts of deer in each of these units with appropriate management practices.”

Yesterday (Thursday, August 2), both the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle, and the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaelteacht, Josepha Madigan, announced details of the project.

Also Read: New project to address ‘unsustainably high deer populations’ in Wicklow

The signing of the contract comes in the wake of a successful bid by the Wicklow Uplands Council, following a tender competition that took place earlier this year.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture outlined that “unsustainable deer populations” have the potential to impact adversely on agriculture, conservation and forestry objectives – as well as road safety.

Issues related to high deer populations frequently arise in Co. Wicklow, and are increasingly of concern to a range of land managers and conservationists in the county, the department added.