Deer cull in the pipeline as new survey finds big demand for action

The culling of deer in Laois and other counties looks set to be recommended following the completion of a survey the results of which were disclosed at a recent meeting in Portlaoise.

The Department of Agriculture has issued a statement that points to strong support for a cull due to the impacts of a rise in the deer population around Ireland highlighted by a national survey.

The Department said the consultation received over 1,500 submissions from people all over the country from a wide variety of backgrounds. 

The Department says the first major public consultation into the impact of the Irish deer population carried out on behalf of the Deer Management Strategy Group found that over 80% of respondents said the national deer herd is damaging biodiversity.

A statement said the main concerns regarding the impacts of deer to emerge from the consultation were:

• biodiversity loss/damage (82%);
• damage to agricultural crops / grazing (81%);
• road safety issue (80%);
• preventing the establishment of new forests (71%);
• a role in the epidemiology of TB in cattle (67%).  

In order to tackle the problems raised by deer the following were the main preferred options:

• 86% of the survey’s respondents said culling of deer is needed
• 78% said support for landowners to manage deer is required
• 69% said the domestic venison industry should be expanded.

The Department said the Deer Management Strategy Group will now progress the process by convening a series of stakeholder working groups to  develop recommendations to managing the deer population effectively.  It said these working groups will focus on development of the venison market, encouraging collaboration among stakeholders, necessary legislative changes, training and education initiatives and land management solutions.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, along with Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, launched a new public consultation late last year to inform the next phase of the development of the Strategy Group. 

Minister McConalogue commented on the work of the Group.

“For agriculture as well as our nature ecosystems, it is important that we aware of the need for the sustainable management of our national deer population. These include the protection of biodiversity, newly planted forestry, pasture and crops, road safety, animal health, public health, and not least the health and welfare of the deer themselves.

“I am delighted to see the Deer Management Strategy group, chaired by Teddy Cashman, progress this important work with officials from my department, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Coillte,” he said.

The Green Party's Minister Malcolm Noonan, from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage also commented.

“The development of an effective deer management strategy for Ireland is a vital tool in our efforts to protect and restore nature and biodiversity, particularly native woodlands, as well as for agricultural crops and road safety. I’m mindful that its success very much depends on the ongoing commitment of all stakeholders, and as such I would like to acknowledge the broad representation and constructive input at the recent stakeholder meeting. This bodes well for the next steps in this process,” he said.

Public support for dealing with the 'explosion in deer numbers' say farmers after Laois meeting

The Deer Management Strategy Group group, chaired by Teddy Cashman, hopes to publish the final report in the early Autumn.