Rewilding all the way, Irelandhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mkn6vbkw3c2gMinister Christopher O'Sullivan says that Ireland's nature restoration plan will be funded... "no doubt about that", and that "now is the time for action". Fine words but there's still no clear path for funding29 Apr 2026 13:20 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkn6vbkw3c2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mkkpkqsrb22lNew study highlights the extraordinary cost of bottom trawling https://news.nationalgeographic.org/new-peer-reviewed-study-bottom-trawling-in-europe-s-waters-costs-society-up-to-eur16-billion-annually-mostly-due-to-climate-impacts/28 Apr 2026 13:40 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkkpkqsrb22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mkire4kpnc2rBrand new 115 metre monster ship set to ravage the world's oceans but thank goodness it has an "advanced eco-efficient design" and "among the most environmentally responsible trawlers of its type". Phew https://thefishingdaily.com/latest-news/tersan-delivers-new-annie-hillina-pelagic-freezer-trawler/27 Apr 2026 19:07 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkire4kpnc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mkfq652yns26It was very nice to welcome Rewilding Europe back to Ireland to talk about the potential for landscape and seascape scale rewilding26 Apr 2026 14:08 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkfq652yns26https://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mkdghon3322vThis is a very balanced piece on the angel shark issue. It's the subject of a public talk in Dingle next weekend that I'll be speaking at with a local fisherman. https://www.independent.ie/life/are-we-waiting-for-this-species-to-go-extinct-inside-the-fight-to-save-rare-angel-sharks-off-west-coast-of-ireland/a1616758012.html25 Apr 2026 16:09 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkdghon3322vhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mjx2l2pn7223Varadker's comments reflect a wider erosion of the influence of farm organisations and their public image, which is a good thing https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/simon-harris-distances-himself-from-varadkar-comments-that-farmers-bring-costs-on-ireland/a765565211.html20 Apr 2026 18:04 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjx2l2pn7223https://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mjtoolwsls2aYet another gushing story of how bogs are "prime areas for development" with plans for a "radical transformation of swathes of the midlands". Bogs are important in their own right should be restored not converted to data centres https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/this-could-be-groundbreaking-for-ireland-inc-and-the-midlands-new-research-reveals-transformative-potential-of-energy-parks/a42193530.html19 Apr 2026 09:53 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjtoolwsls2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mjpizgnicc2tYet another no-trawl zone announced for England... what is Ireland doing? https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp84p23y6gko17 Apr 2026 18:01 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjpizgnicc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mjm7ld6rv22nSheep grazing is a sensitive issue but is also unavoidable if there is to be nature restoration on the hills. https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2026/04/16/irelands-hills-are-victims-of-policy-that-hurts-farmers-and-nature/16 Apr 2026 10:35 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjm7ld6rv22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mjji7gxi2s23I'll be in Dingle over the May Bank Holiday weekend for two talks related to Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara as part of Féile na Bealtaine15 Apr 2026 08:31 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjji7gxi2s23https://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mjd4l7mjgc2vWhat amazing news! https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/12/world/live-news/hungary-election-orban-magyar12 Apr 2026 19:47 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjd4l7mjgc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mjc3uyhj6c2mThis is how it's done! "a core reserve where fishing is banned outright, surrounded by a buffer zone that allows some artisanal fishing — designed to allow local fishing communities to retain their traditional livelihoods" https://www.conservation.org/news/brazil-creates-the-south-atlantics-largest-marine-park-12 Apr 2026 10:02 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjc3uyhj6c2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mj7l7im6s22m"around 95% of species being hauled up were not the intended target of the fishery" The destructive power of bottom trawling has been known for a long time yet authorities still allow it in so-called 'protected areas' https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/world-first-study-exposes-the-breadth-of-bottom-trawlings-catch/11 Apr 2026 09:58 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj7l7im6s22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mj5k4k5mok2dWhat a disgraceful statistic - and a clear demonstration of why animal agriculture needs to be drastically scaled back [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Apr 2026 14:33 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj5k4k5mok2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3miylmvn2ls2qThis has been a very long battle for @antaisce.bsky.social in the face of much abuse, misinformation and a wrong decision from the EU to give Ireland another derogation despite worsening pollution. Fair play to them for not giving up! https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/arid-41823440.html08 Apr 2026 15:17 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3miylmvn2ls2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mityus5zk22xImportant progress globally if still far from the 30% target which needs to be met by 2030. No progress at all to be reported in Ireland as promises around Marine Protected Area legislation comes and goes 🐬 https://iucn.org/press-release/202604/world-reaches-milestone-nature-10-ocean-now-officially-protected06 Apr 2026 19:31 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mityus5zk22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3miquk4ee322i275,000 animals a day are killed in Ireland for meat. "In the time it’ll take you to read this piece, 700 animals will be dead" https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2026/04/04/deer-pressure-i-need-a-licence-to-cull/05 Apr 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3miquk4ee322ihttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3milnvgbgg22tA great success story which is hopefully being mirrored in Ireland (where we know cranes are breeding but accurate numbers are lacking, albeit much lower than in Britain) https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr9l8d7rxno03 Apr 2026 11:53 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3milnvgbgg22thttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mijc7q2zuk2bNice to see politicians defending the EU's LIFE programme. It's the only dedicated funding for biodiversity and the European Commission wants to scrap it as a stand alone programme in the name of 'simplification' https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2026/03/31/ending-of-eu-nature-funding-will-be-detrimental-for-conservation-in-ireland-says-committee/02 Apr 2026 13:19 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mijc7q2zuk2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mhpzp7hyg22sI think it's a good thing that the State is buying land for more and bigger national parks. But it has yet to demonstrate that it's capable of managing the land it has. jrnl.ie/6989788 https://jrnl.ie/698978823 Mar 2026 12:10 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhpzp7hyg22shttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mhibh7h6tk22We often hear from the farm orgs that great change is happening and measures to improve water quality just need time to take effect. But the rivers don't lie20 Mar 2026 10:07 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhibh7h6tk22https://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mhgpk5etp22lUnbelievably, a number of EU leaders want to use the war in the Middle East to withdraw from climate goals, when accelerating the switch to renewables is the obvious course. Spain's Pedro Sanchez seems to be the only one calling this out. https://euobserver.com/207696/spains-sanchez-attacks-other-eu-leaders-for-exploiting-energy-prices-to-gut-climate-policies/19 Mar 2026 19:14 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhgpk5etp22lhttps://bsky.app/profile/whittledaway.bsky.social/post/3mhfk4fj5d22yGreat news from the south of England where life is recovering five years into a trawling ban. a "quiet but powerful transformation is unfolding beneath the waves" 🐟 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c86y8z9wdnwo19 Mar 2026 08:04 +0000at://did:plc:e27glpmqieaxssmmgfav66vb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhfk4fj5d22y