Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

What is happening?

The Minister for the Environment, John Gormley TD, has laid down the gauntlet ‘big time’ to the RISE! Campaign.

The Campaign has decided on a series of initiatives to defeat his proposals and prevent him achieving his stated aim of bringing the Wildlife (Amendment) Bill and the Dog Breeding Establishments Bill into law before the middle of July.  

Gormley has availed of the recent period of political uncertainty to start pushing his proposal through the Dáil and Seanad.

Wildlife (Amendment) Bill

Next Thursday 24th June at 7.30 pm the Dáil will begin debating the Bill to ban the Ward Union Hunt and to severely restrict deerstalking.   It will come back to the Dáil on Wednesday, 30th June.  The Taoiseach has backed Gormley to allow him to ‘guillotine’ the debate (that is, they will prevent TDs from speaking even if they want to) so that the Bill will be finished in the Dáil on Wednesday 30th. After that, it will go to the Seanad and it looks like Gormley and Cowen’s guillotine will be wielded there as well to get in passed in short order.

Dear Member or Supporter

A last minute amendment has been tabled by Mr Jim Wells and Mr Peter Weir  that would insert into Article 45 of the Environment Order (Power to make byelaws for ASSI), paragraph 2 by inserting two new sub paragraphs as follows:

Police are investigating a wildlife crime incident which has led to the detection of carbofuran, a pesticide which can kill wildlife.

In Carrickfergus two dead buzzards were discovered by a member of the public in a rural area at Paisleys Road on Sunday 25th April. 

The delay between discovery and this call for information is due to the testing being carried out on the dead buzzards.

Following a report to local police, who organised tests by external specialists to check for poisoning, the substance carbofuran was detected and it was established that the birds had died of poisoning.

Police would warn users of carbofuran that use of carbofuran leading to the death of wildlife could result in offences under the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985 and the Welfare of Animals Act (NI) 1972. Enquiries will be carried out by police and could lead to robust action against individuals.

Police - who are investigating the incident in Carrickfergus to establish the circumstances - take wildlife crime seriously and would ask that any suspected incidents are reported to a local police station on 0845 600 8000 as soon as possible.

Information about crime can also be passed to the Crimestoppers charity anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.

It was feather rustling of a different sort at Stormont this week at a special event to launch the Great Game Fairs of Ireland 2010 events the leading Game Fairs here and in the ROI.

Lending their full support were Stormont Minister Arlene Foster and newly elected MP Jim Shannon who mingled with guests from Northern Ireland, the ROI and farther afield as  Parliament Buildings watched the colourful display of  gundogs, horses, mounted Dragoons, birds of prey and some of the other top attractions to be seen at the Irish Game Fair at Shanes Castle, Antrim on 26/27 June.

At a reception inside the building, four outstanding works of art were on display, centred on the famous Byerley Turk horse that fought at the Battle of the Boyne, raced successfully in later life and went on to help found the Thoroughbred horse line that we have today. 

Hard on the heels of the recent Ballywalter Game Fair, Shanes Castle is the first really big countryside event this summer and the organisers are expecting record breaking numbers to come along and see the fun on 26 and 27 June.

Full details can be found on www.irishgamefair.com

The Telecom & Postal Clay Pigeon Club are holding their 3rd Annual Clay Pigeon Shoot at the Qarry Bends, Dundrod (between the Joey Dunlop Grandstand and the Darren Lindsay hairpin) on Saturday the 26th June 2010 starting at 12pm

This will be a 50 Bird (re-entry) with last entry at 4.30pm

£10 per Round

12 Target Pool Shoot £2

Prizes 1st place £100, 2nd place £50 and 3rd place £25

Everyone is welcome. For further details contact Kevin on 07547 305 775 or Gerard on 07771 692 113

The 29th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Wild Deer Association of Ireland will be held on Saturday June 19th 2010 in the Kilcoran Lodge Hotel, Cahir, Co. Tipperary  you can contact the hotel on 052 7441288 for accommodation in the Hotel or Woodland Lodges, ask for the WDAI preferential rate.

The committee would ask all members to attend, as there are many important issues to discuss. Following the AGM a venison banquette will be provided, starting at 9.00pm, family members are also welcome.

A message from the Firearms Policy Unit

As you are all aware, the final extended one year firearm certificates will expire on 30th June 2010. As of the 2nd June 2010 we have over 130,000 new applications on the system, the majority of which have been fully processed and certificates issued. We have also had significant numbers of unwanted, old or obsolete firearms handed in to Garda Stations for destruction. However, this still leaves large numbers of firearms owners who have still not yet re applied for their new 3 year firearm certificates.

Under the terms of the EU Birds Directive, all EU member States, including Ireland, are bound to take measures to protect all wild birds and their habitats. The Directive allows member States to make derogations from its protective measures where certain wild bird species covered by the declaration are causing damage to crops, livestock and fauna or represent a threat to public health or to air safety. The declarations, which are attached, renew the derogations for the period May to August 2010 and exclude the use of meat baits for the purposes of the control of certain wild bird pest species by means of poison which was introduced with effect from 1st January, 2008.

The Minister has signed 4 declarations for the 4 month period May to August 2010 for the provinces of Connaught, Leinster, Munster and the administrative counties of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal.    A separate countrywide derogation is issued in respect of air safety.

Declaration regarding Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan (pdf, 626 kb)

Declaration regarding Leinster (pdf, 623 kb)

Declaration regarding Munster (pdf, 627 kb)

Declaration regarding Connaught (pdf, 616 kb)

Declaration regarding species representing a threat to air safety (pdf, 214 kb)

RISE! Campaign comes to Westmeath on Wednesday the 9th June

RISE! Campaign comes to North County Dublin on Monday 14th June

A RISE! Campaign Information Night will be held in The Rolestown Inn, Rolestown, Fingal, county Dublin at 8.30 pm on Monday 14th June 2010.

Further Information can be obtained from: Derek O’Brien 086-3040556

RISE! Campaign comes to Kerry on Friday 18th June

A RISE! Campaign Information Night will be held in The Killarney Oaks Hotel, Muckross Road, Killarney, county Kerry at 8.30 pm on Friday 18th June 2010.

Further Information can be obtained from: Donal Murphy 087-2510172 or Eamon Courtney 087-2618654