Anja Murray: Irish species at risk of extinction
Will species such as wild Atlantic salmon, curlew, and the great yellow bumblebee soon go the way of animals and birds such as the dodo, moa, Tasmanian wolf, quagga, aurochs, and blue antelope?
Extinction is a strong word. It is a term that many publicists and event organisers actively avoid — considering it distasteful or off-putting for most target audiences.
Those who talk about extinction too much run the risk of being shunned in the public realm. While I agree that its necessary to take care in how we frame issues and not push people into the cynicism that so often arises from feeling overwhelmed by bad news, it's equally important not to turn a blind eye to the fact that we are in the midst of a totally unprecedented mass extinction event — here in Ireland and across the world.
A whopping 20% of species are threatened with extinction in Ireland. So today were going to look at five well-known species that are now at risk of extinction here.
Extinction is not a new phenomenon. Ireland has already lost many species, especially as a result of rapid deforestation in the 1600 and 1700s, and persecution of top predators such as wolves and eagles. The last wolf was shot in 1786, reputedly on Mount Leinster in County Carlow.
Grey wolves continue to exist in most other European countries, so they are not extinct as a species, but the dire consequences of wolves having been exterminated from the island of Ireland still haunt Irish ecosystems. In their absence, an abundance of introduced feral deer nibble tree saplings in to non-existence and we are left with a dearth of trees in every location where natural regeneration would otherwise allow native woodlands to thrive. The knock-on implications of this for both terrestrial land aquatic ecosystems across Ireland are stark.
It's hard to imagine now that could go the same way as wolves. Salmon have been abundant in Irish waters for millennia and have always been integral to Irish culture, as a culinary staple; as a draw for recreational anglers from near and far; and as symbols of wisdom and endurance in the legends of old. Now, wild Atlantic salmon could become extinct here within my lifetime.
Over just 40 years, the numbers spawning in Irish rivers have declined by 60%. The causes of this demise include plummeting water quality in Irish rivers and lakes; over-fishing; contamination with sea lice from salmon farming operations; barriers to upstream migration; and ocean warming due to climate change. While conservation measures for salmon and their aquatic associates are being implemented, water quality is not improving overall, climate change continues to accelerate, and there is a significant risk that conservation efforts to date are insufficient to save this iconic animal.
The, like salmon, is also a long-distance migrant with an incredible life cycle. Each eel begins life as a tiny hatchling in the Sargasso Sea, near the Caribbean, then crosses the Atlantic to navigate their way up through the rivers of western Europe. Decades later, these eels return to the Sargasso Sea to spawn. Though still widespread, the number of eels in Ireland has suffered a catastrophic decline since the 1980s, with only 7% remaining. Pesticide pollution, barriers to migration, overfishing and changing ocean currents have all contributed to making eels Critically Endangered in Ireland.
were widespread across Ireland until the 1980s, their unmistakable breeding call providing the soundtrack of spring. Curlew breed among the soft wet bogs of the midlands and peaty uplands, and amid the rushes of open damp pastures. But drainage of both wet pasture and peat bog has left our breeding Curlew bereft of the soft ground they and their chicks need. The march of conifers across the uplands has also taken its toll. Like salmon, the demise of the curlew is a case of death by a thousand cuts. From an estimated 5,000 breeding pairs in the late 1980s, Curlew are now down to as few as 130 breeding pairs, a 97% decline in just over 20 years.
Out beneath the ocean waves, the is a slow growing, long living flat fish, gliding gracefully through the deep sea on impressively large outstretched wings. They lay their eggs in egg cases that we know as ‘mermaids purses’ which are often washed ashore. White skate were once found all across the eastern Atlantic, though now, due to overfishing, this species has been depleted or extirpated in many parts of its former range. White skate is now critically endangered in Irish waters.
Wild bees are still common, though more than half of Ireland’s 100 bee species have undergone substantial declines in their numbers since 1980. One third of the Irish species are threatened with extinction and six species are critically endangered, including the ‘’. In the past, the great yellow bumblebee was found throughout Ireland, but now its kind is only managing to hold on a few locations where species rich semi-natural grasslands are still the norm. The machair grasslands of the Mullet Peninsula in Mayo is where the only healthy population of the great yellow bumblebee still exists. This bee's future is very much in jeopardy.
The levels of species decline and pending extinction we are experiencing are the result of known pressures, many of which are reversible. We have the knowledge required to restore ecosystems and allow species to recover. Implementing the ‘30x30’ worldwide initiative, in which governments commit to designating 30% of Earth's land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030, will go a long way to reversing the declines. 195 countries across the world have already signed up to this through the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
Mitigating climate change and implementing the Paris agreement is necessary too. But with the current backlash against environmental policies and conservation action, in Ireland and elsewhere, it's time to speak up and fight for what we value most. Communities, businesses, and individuals all have a powerful role to play in demanding action and accountability from our political leaders.
