Conservation and Science

It was my great pleasure to once again welcome to my show Dr David Scallan, the Secretary General of the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE). It has been over three years since the last time we spoke on the podcast. So I felt that it was high time to talk with David again as there is a lot going on for hunters and hunting organisations at the moment. 

We discuss a range of topics that are important to hunters: the inevitable ban on ammunition containing lead, the public perception of hunting in Europe, the need for change in hunting organisations and the proposed EU Nature Restoration Law. It was a great conversation and if you are a hunter or just interested in nature conservation you should definitely listen to this one.

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How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland

This episode is slightly different from the usual format. It is a solo episode, so no guest today. I decided to record it because of a few bothersome messages I have received recently regarding climate change. But don’t worry, I will not repeat all the same information you get bombarded with on social media. And I will not reference any research or peer-reviewed papers. Besides, we know that facts don’t change minds. Instead, I will give you my personal view on the issue of climate change. I thought that an episode like this wouldn’t be necessary, given that my listeners are people attuned to nature. But my recent interactions online and otherwise made me question that assumption. So there you have it. You really should listen to this one.

We’ll be back to the regular format in the next episode.

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Hunting is a frequent topic on my podcast. It lies in the epicentre of the unnecessary divide in wildlife conservation space. It evokes strong emotions and is often the source of fierce debate and conflict. So today I’m bringing you my conversation with a man who has been on both sides of that argument. Philippe Jaeger is a hunting journalist who in his youth was a member of a radical anti-hunting group. I met with Philippe during the International Journalism Symposium in Paris where we, together with journalists from all over the world, had an opportunity to discuss issues around hunting and the sustainable use of wildlife resources.

It was abundantly clear to me that Philippe has an interesting and complex take on hunting and its current status in wider society. It is not all rosy as you might expect. And so we dive into a discussion about the ethics of hunting, hunting photos on social media, trophy hunting, social licenses to hunt, the connection between hunting and conservation and many other hotly debated subjects. Of course, I didn’t miss the opportunity to ask Philippe how he got involved in the anti-hunting movement and what made him change his mind. This is an important episode no matter which side of the hunting debate you are on.

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How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland

One of the three pillars of my podcast is to preserve knowledge about how the natural environment was in the past and to record stories and experiences from many decades ago. One such story, that I have a feeling is slipping away, is the story of the Irish sturgeon. Or to be more precise the story of sturgeon in Irish waters, as it wasn’t a separate species but likely one of two recorded in the north-west European waters: the Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) or the European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio).

My feeling that the story is not well known and is fading into history was only reinforced by the difficulty to find anyone to talk about it. Nevertheless, I persisted in my search, time after time encouraged by one of my regular listeners, you know who you are! Finally, during one of those scientific “fish” conferences I got in touch with a man who knows the man! Shoutout to Robert Rosell from Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Belfast. Without his help, this episode wouldn't happen.

Declan Quigley is an independent researcher and a man with a great passion for marine biology. He has written over 460 articles and papers that have been published in The Irish Naturalists' Journal, Marine Times, The Skipper and many others. In his home in Wicklow, he has an impressive-looking office filled with cabinets with research materials and samples. So it was my great pleasure and a unique opportunity to meet him there and sit down at his kitchen table and talk about the past, present and potential future of sturgeon in Irish waters.

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The topic of lethal predator control has proven to be highly contentious. On one end of the spectrum, there are people who are inherently opposed to killing animals no matter the circumstances. On the other end are people who are eager to get on with reducing numbers, too eager perhaps. However, there are many reasons and scenarios where it might be needed. Today we focus on predator control in relation to ground-nesting birds and their precarious conservation status. 

When dealing with a controversial subject like this it is important to be factual and follow the evidence. So I was delighted for the opportunity to talk about it with Barry McMahon, an Associate Professor of Wildlife Conservation & Zoonotic Epidemiology at the University College Dublin and Lecturer at the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science. At this point, I would like to thank Susan Doyle for putting me in touch with Barry after I had the pleasure to listen to her excellent presentation at the 8th Irish Ornithological Research Conference. There she discussed the need to revise approaches to the management of abundant generalist predators.

During our conversation, we not only talk about predator control but also about other human impacts on ground-nesting birds such as off-lead dogs or nest trampling by livestock. Of course, there are larger, systemic issues underneath and we didn’t shy away from discussing those as well.

Paper: European bird declines: Do we need to rethink approaches to the management of abundant generalist predators?

Title survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DL56R59

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There is a lot going on for Irish deer hunters at the moment. First, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine launched a Public Consultation on the Management of Deer in Ireland. There are a lot of questions and worries about the potential outcomes of this consultation. The online survey published as a part of it only confirmed these concerns. There is a common perception that it was constructed to lead to a preconceived outcome rather than to solicit an honest view of the situation.

Second, the Department of Justice formed The Firearms Expert Committee to review the firearms licensing regulations. This is further raising concerns among hunters because the committee refuses to consult with the Firearms Users Representative Group and the report published by the committee indicates that it is venturing outside of the scope of its original remit. It is important to remember that Ireland already has one of the most restrictive firearm control laws in the world.

To discuss these pressing topics I invited Liam Nolan, the Course Director of the Deer Alliance HCAP. Liam has been involved in deer hunting and more generally, game shooting in Ireland for the past 45 years. He is one of the most prominent figures in the Irish deer hunting space. He is also a practising Barrister, all of which makes him expertly positioned to discuss issues on the border between law and hunting.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter to find more information and useful links about the topics discussed in each episode of the podcast.

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How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland

Those of you who follow me on social media already know that last week I gave a presentation about the use of podcasting for communicating complex and nuanced ideas to non-experts. The presentation was part of the 7th International Journalism Symposium on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wildlife Resources. The symposium was moderated by a well-known environmental dialogue broker, Rob Yorke. 

Having Rob right then and there I couldn’t miss the opportunity to sit down with him for a quick podcast about communication in the environmental space. It was one of those crazy episodes recorded in a hotel lobby with crowds of people walking by and the sun shining right into the camera lens. Those of you who know Rob and his work can probably guess that it would be difficult to summarise in just a few sentences what we were talking about. So, you need to push that play button and listen to our conversation.

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The woodcock is one of the most interesting birds. It is a wader that adapted to the woodland habitat. It has a range of unique characteristics like 360-degree vision, a flexible bill and white tail feathers that reflect up to 30% more light than the feathers of any other bird. It is also a valued game bird, meaning it is a sought-after quarry for bird hunters. So much so that an entire breed of gun dogs, cocker spaniels, was created for hunting woodcock. Their name ‘cocker’ is thought to have come from the bird’s name.

To talk about this fascinating bird I could invite only one person. Our guest today is none other than James O’Neill who some people refer to as Mr Woodcock. James is a PhD student at University College Cork who focuses his research on this species of woodland bird. James not only rings these birds but also conducts surveys and examines all kinds of parameters of woodcock biology and ecology.

As you would expect, one hour is not nearly enough to cover all aspects of James’ research and to even scratch the surface of his deep knowledge of this species. So we agreed that we’ll get together again soon to record part two of our conversation. Subscribe to my newsletter to not miss it. Finally, I want to give a shoutout to NARGC who was a driving force and huge supporter of this project. Once again a hunting organisation is playing a key role in research and conservation.

Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted: tickets here

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How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland

Once again we are coming back to the subject of getting the young generation educated about nature and involved in experiences they might otherwise miss. It’s a theme that has been discussed on my podcast several times. It also comes back time and time again during my conversations about the state of nature and outdoor pursuits. Young people are just not getting outside that much anymore. There is a multitude of reasons for this. Today we touch on almost all of them.

Our guest today is Emanuel Rose, a passionate outdoorsman, experienced fly angler, and accomplished hunter. In addition to his love for the outdoors, Emanuel is also a talented author who has written a series of children's books. Originally intended for his grandchildren, these books have since become widely popular among children and institutions alike. Join me for my conversation with Emanuel, where we delve into his experiences and insights on hunting, fishing, and the beauty of nature. We also talk about his mission to educate and inspire the next generation about the importance of the natural world.

A Children's Book About Nature Wenaha Henry-Seeds to a Tree

Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted: tickets here

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How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland

With declining wildlife populations, expanding urbanisation and dwindling social acceptance of hunting I often question whether this activity has a future. Add to the list the ageing population of hunters and the minimal recruitment of new hunters from young generations and the picture doesn’t look pretty. So is hunting fading into the history books together with the abundance of wild game and fish?

To discuss this topic I sat down with Richard Prideaux, a wilderness skills and survival instructor, writer, photographer and host of the Modern Outdoor Survival podcast. I heard Richard talking indirectly about hunting and its future and I thought he had an interesting perspective on it. Of course, I have my own views on this subject and so I was eager for this conversation.

And so we discussed various environmental and socio-economic issues that are impacting hunting and its perception among wider society. I must admit that some of Richard’s views were not what I thought they would be. So that made for an interesting conversation. I am sure that regardless of whether you’re for or against hunting, you will find this discussion valuable.

Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted: tickets here

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Mentioned in this episode:

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How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland