Irish Deer Commission says deer management units must be based on scientific evidence

The hunting season for deer is to be reviewed, and local deer management units in known hotspot areas are to be set up.

These are some of the actions contained in the Deer Management Strategy Group’s report which has just been launched.

It followed several months of work by the Deer Management Strategy Group on developing a sustainable deer management strategy for Ireland.

There are no specific recommendations for Killarney National Park in the report.

The development of this report by the Deer Management Strategy Group included public consultation, stakeholder meetings and stakeholder sub-committees, which led to the formation of a series of recommendations.

The report lists 15 actions, to address a wide range of issues from hunter training and forest design to land use management and the venison market.

They include the establishment of local deer management units in known hotspot areas, a review of the current deer Open Seasons Order, and researching the possibility of setting up an independent deer management agency.

The Deer Management Strategy group includes representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the NPWS, Teagasc and Coillte.

It’ll develop an initial implementation plan for the eight short-term recommendations and report back to Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcom Noonan, within nine months.

Damien Hannigan of the Irish Deer Commission says a deer management unit could be set up but it must be based on scientific evidence:

SHORT TERM ACTIONS

1. Appointment of a program manager to set up deer management units with local co-ordinators.
2. Program manager, in conjunction with Deer Management Strategy Group, to develop an Implementation Plan.
3. Set up Deer Management Units, in critical/hot spot areas initially, following on from localised stakeholder meetings.
4. Revise the deer Open Seasons Order to align with the current dates in Northern Ireland in the first instance.
5. Investigate the feasibility of establishing a Deer Management Agency and research the best model for such an Agency set up.
6. Investigate support incentives necessary for national deer management program (including for Venison market).
7. Review of changes to Statutory Instruments and current legislation.
8. Revision of the process of Section 42 licence applications under the Wildlife Acts to ensure consistency of approach.

MEDIUM TERM ACTIONS

1. Review the results of feasibility of setting up a Deer Management Agency.
2. Secure changes to legislation following review of Wildlife Acts and other deer related legislation.
3. Monitoring of the impacts (on biodiversity, forestry, farming & road safety) arising from Implementation Plan.
4. Review Open Seasons Order again as required on foot of 3 above.
5. Engage with state bodies to develop a structured deer management policy on State lands.
6. Phased certification for all hunters over next 3-5 years.
7. The integration of a deer management module into agricultural, forestry, land management & environmental training courses.
8. Review of forest design and scheme specifications in relation to deer management.