Participation by farmers in nature restoration 'must be voluntary' - ICMSA
There must be "no degree of compulsion whatsoever" on farmers when it comes to nature restoration, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) has said.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan today (April 29) unveiled a major new report that could shape Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan.
The Independent Advisory Committee’s report - delivered after 15 months of work - sets out 94 recommendations to guide how Ireland will meet its obligations under the EU Nature Restoration Law.
Voluntary
Commenting on today’s release, the deputy president of ICMSA, Eamon Carroll, who sat on the committee, said that a "great deal of time and commitment" had gone into the development and publication of the report.
Carroll said, however, that the "absolute core principle around which everything else must revolve was the voluntary nature of participation".
“Farm organisations, officials from state agencies and civil servants spent 15 months assembling this report and every one of the 94 recommendations was pored over and painstakingly worked through," the ICMSA deputy president said.
"The key message here is that any participation by farmers must be voluntary and there can be no degree whatsoever of compulsion.
"This was discussed by our [ICMSA's] national council as late as yesterday and [it is] adamant that this voluntary dimension must be the starting point and the operating principle."
Funding
Carroll added that the recommendations must be "funded completely".
"While there’s no doubt that there are areas of improvements needed in nature on this island, we naturally expect state agencies to show a lead and use their own lands first before any question arises on private farmers’ land," he said.
"Farmers are happy to play our part, but we have to be able to farm and make a living.
"ICMSA will expect state agencies like Coillte and Bord na Móna to lead the way and prioritise their own lands for restoration before any question of voluntary measures even arise on private farmers’ land."
Nature restoration
The report published today sets out seven general recommendations aimed at ensuring a successful implementation of the forthcoming plan, including three ‘priority’ recommendations:
- Funding nature restoration;
- Prioritising action on public lands;
- Supporting farmers, fishermen and foresters.
In addition to this, the report provides an analysis of Articles 4 to 13 of the EU Nature Restoration Law, which sets out legally binding targets to restore a wide range of ecosystems and species in EU member states.
