25 April 2023

Coastal nature project launched on World Curlew Day

A project that will restore some of Europe’s most unique coastal habitats and also protect vulnerable breeding waders, such as the Curlew, was launched on World Curlew Day 2023, April 21st.

LIFE on Machair – a €7.4m nature project funded by the European Union and led by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) – was officially launched in Co. Mayo by the Ministers of State Malcolm Noonan and Senator Pippa Hackett.

The project, which will run until 2028, is primarily aimed at the delivery of environmental and social benefits for people and nature through the conservation and restoration of Machair habitats and species.

Machair grassland is a coastal habitat characterised by a plain of lime-rich, wind-blown sand that is unique to the north and west of Ireland and Scotland. The typical flower-rich vegetation of Machair is traditionally maintained through low-intensity livestock grazing, but is susceptible to pressures from recreational activities and over grazing.

The project is led by the NPWS and co-funded by the European Commission’s LIFE fund. Three Associated Beneficiaries are involved in the project: the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Teagasc and Fáilte Ireland. Over 100 farmers have already registered to take part in the project, across nine sites, totalling 5,000ha from west Connemara to north Donegal.

Speaking at the launch, Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan, said: “To ensure long-term success on complex environmental issues, we need to empower and incentivise communities to take action for nature and put them at the heart of the effort. I’m delighted that over 100 farmers have already signed up to take part in LIFE on Machair to restore these special coastal grasslands, which hold enormous biodiversity value. Collaborative approaches like these are the best way to deliver real and enduring results for nature that are good for people as well as wildlife.”

Minister of State Hackett highlighted the importance of the work already done by LIFE on Machair and other LIFE projects supported by DAFM, commenting: “LIFE on Machair is a fantastic project developed by the agencies responsible for farming, nature conservation and tourism to support rural communities which will deliver results for nature and biodiversity. The results based element is very key to the success of the project. Monitoring results helps farmers to really engage and deliver for their local ecosystem.”

At the launch, Project Manager, Dr Catherine Farrell, underlined some of the challenges and opportunities for coastal communities and natural systems, adding: “Healthy ecosystems underpin healthy societies and communities. Nowhere is this more obvious than for the coastal communities of the northwest of Ireland.

“Here on western shores we find that daily life is intertwined with the ever-changing forces of the Atlantic. Change is inevitable, but as our farming and recreational practices have changed, this has impacted on the health of our coastal systems, rendering them less capable of buffeting the storms and weather patterns of our now changed climate. This matters, as the resilience of natural systems is integral to protecting the coast where we live and work, but also in protecting the present and future livelihoods of those reliant on farming and tourism in Machair systems.”