Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Northern Ireland's farming, shooting and hunting community will be keeping a close eye on the review of The Wildlife (NI) Order 1985 over the coming months.

The Wildlife Order is Northern Ireland's primary wildlife legislation, the principal aims of which are to provide for the sustainable management of the countryside and the plants and animals within it. Most importantly for farmers and field sports enthusiasts, it determines which animals may be hunted or taken, when this can be done and by what methods.

As the scoping exercise by the EHS is now completed. Countryside Alliance Ireland is eagerly awaiting the publishing of the full consultation documentation.

Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI) has broadly welcomed the review of this legislation, as it provides us with an opportunity to examine the level of protection afforded to certain quarry species and to consider whether this is appropriate.   The consultation will provide us with an opportunity to seek further positive change, for example, the extension of certain seasons and removal of unnecessary protection.

Our approach to the consultation will be simple; we will not accept any proposals to increase protection for any quarry species unless there is clear scientific evidence that there should be concern for the conversation status of any particular species and that any proposed change to existing practices would contribute significantly to addressing these concerns. We have made it clear that we will not accept decisions being made for political or personal reasons rather that they must be based on factual science.

In terms of timing, the consultation period will commence early autumn ending in early 2006. We are unlikely to see legislation until late next year and this could change further if there was a return to devolved government.

The consultation of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order will be lengthy and time consuming, but it will also be hugely important for all CAI members. We will play an active and if necessary aggressive role to ensure that sustainable and responsible fieldsports are not unfairly or unnecessarily restricted.