Conservation and Science

Today we discuss a wide range of important farming-related topics like getting rid of nitrogen inputs, multispecies pasture, soil health, organic farming and how to convert a conventional farm to a low input operation. James describes his journey to regenerative farming and how it helped both biodiversity and his pocket. Of course, we don’t shy away from important subjects like the perception of farming by the wider public.

It was a massive pleasure to spend time at the Coolydoody Farm and to hang out with James. At the end of the day, we swapped our logo hats and book recommendations. Of course, just like every farmer, James couldn’t let me go empty-handed so I left his farm not only with the recorded material for this podcast but also with a pack of organic pork sausages from outdoor-raised pigs.

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Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted: tickets here

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We often ask the question of whether farming and rewilding can coexist. Today we are going a step further and asking if farming and rewilding can support each other. To answer this question I talk with Miriam Kate McDonald, an ecologist and farmer, who recently published her book titled “Emergent: Rewilding Nature, Regenerating Food and Healing the World by Restoring the Connection Between People and the Wild”.

In the course of our conversation, we talk about Miriam’s internal struggle between viewing the landscape as a farmer and as an ecologist. She was initially torn between the two perspectives but ultimately came to illuminating conclusions, which we discuss in detail. Other topics we touch on are soil health, regenerative farming, agroforestry and more.

As always you can purchase Miriam’s book using the provided links. This is also a great way to support my work as I get a small commission from every purchase.

Buy Emergent by Miriam Kate McDonald: https://amzn.to/3I4u2xJ

Environmental Debate Live & Unscripted: tickets here

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The subject of the humane treatment of animals is not an easy one. As hunters, anglers, conservationists, farmers and pet owners we like to think that we instinctively know which interactions with animals are humane and okay, and which are not. And when someone questions our actions or intentions we often tend to get irritated and defensive. The epithets like “bunny hugger” or “animal rights brigade” get thrown.

The subject, however, is neither simple nor intuitive if you examine it more closely. In his book “Treated Like Animals - Improving The Lives of The Creatures We Own, Eat and Use”, Alick Simmons, a veterinarian and naturalist, employs his lifetime experience in public service to get us deep into ethical and practical aspects of animal exploitation.

If you enjoy this conversation and are interested in animal welfare you should definitely buy Alick’s book using the link provided below. That way you also support my podcast as I get a small commission from each purchase.

Buy Treated Like Animals by Alick Simmons: https://amzn.to/3Dufjuh

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Join me for the conversation with Dr William Roche, a senior research officer at Inland Fisheries Ireland, about angler-driven fish tagging programmes. We put a particular focus on the Tuna CHART programme but we also talk about the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme which is aimed at elasmobranch species of fish like sharks, skates and rays. And as you might expect I did not forget to enquire, albeit briefly, about the bass tagging program too.

During our chat, we discuss the conservation status of the Atlantic bluefin tuna, the fishing gear required to catch one of these iconic fish and we talk you through the typical tuna fishing day. We also talk about the importance of recreational anglers taking part in citizen science initiatives, and we discuss comparing anglers’ data about catches with commercial fishing data. Finally, we encourage all anglers to take part in the IMREC Project and to record their catches, and indeed blanks, in the IMREC app. The app provides anglers with a personal angling diary while anonymised data is collected to help make better management decisions to sustain the sport of angling.

Feature story: The Demise and Recovery of The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

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Listen to my conversation with John Aitchison from the Coastal Communities Network Scotland to learn about the devastating effects of salmon farming on the marine environment and coastal communities. Toxic waste, pesticides, diseases and parasites are just the tip of the iceberg.

I knew that salmon farming was bad but I didn’t realise quite how bad it really is. Salmon aquaculture creates massive ecological and welfare issues for the fish. Both farmed fish as well as wild fish populations are negatively affected by open-net aquaculture. And that is even before I mention the impacts the industry has on coastal communities. The massive amounts of toxic waste, misuse of pesticides, diseases and spread of parasites that negatively affect wild salmon are just the tip of the iceberg.

To better understand the issues examined in this episode, I talk with John Aitchison. John is an acclaimed wildlife filmmaker but he is also an environmental activist at the Coastal Communities Network Scotland NGO. During our conversation, we take a closer look at the Scottish salmon farming industry. However, the issues we discuss apply equally to Ireland, Norway or anywhere salmon aquaculture is present.

I am pretty sure that after listening to this episode you won’t buy farmed salmon again, which you shouldn’t, or you will at least take a pause and consider your choices.

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This is the final show of the year 2022. So, instead of examining another complex subject from the realm of conservation or ecology, I decided to record a solo episode and summarise what this year has been like for the podcast. I will also reveal some of the changes that are coming to the show.

I look forward to bringing you more wildlife, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and ecology content in the coming year. All the very best and a happy 2023!

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Marine acoustic ecology is a discipline that is important for our understanding of marine ecosystems. To learn more about it, tune in to my conversation with Denise Risch from the COMPASS project, and discover the acoustic behaviour of marine mammals.

There is an entire world hidden under the surface of the ocean and, as the common saying goes, we know more about space than we do about the deep ocean. We are even less aware that there is a rich and diverse underwater landscape of sounds. With modern technology and data analysis methods we can now record those sounds and use them to learn about the creatures living in the ocean.

To introduce this topic, in this episode I am joined by Dr Denise Risch, who specialises in marine acoustic ecology with a focus on the acoustic behaviour of marine mammals. After a general discussion about marine soundscapes and ecology, we dive deeper (pun intended) into the Marine Mammals work package in the COMPASS project. Denise and her colleagues develop and implement a passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) program for marine mammals, cetaceans and pinnipeds, for a cross-border network of Marine Protected Areas.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Denise-Risch

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What are the differences between salmon and sea trout? What are their migration patterns when they get to the ocean? Find out what scientists from the Compass Project have learned about these fascinating fish from my conversation with Dr Richard Kennedy.

Salmonids are fascinating fish and that’s not only because of their life history strategy. They also have huge importance for the health of ecosystems. And, albeit to their detriment, they are also important for the economy. Of course, I cannot omit the fact that they are prized by anglers as sport fish. Even though we already had a general discussion about salmon in episode 63 and a talk with men facing the dangers of fighting with salmon poachers in episode 51, today we offer a different perspective with more of a focus on sea trout.

This is another episode dedicated to research conducted during the COMPASS project and as the title suggests we focus on salmonid studies. Our guest today is Dr Richard Kennedy who is a Senior Science Officer at AFBI (Agri Food and Bioscience Institute). During our conversation, we talk about the differences between salmon and sea trout, and their conservation status as well as dedicate a significant chunk of our discussion to the aims and achievements of the COMPASS project study.

And if after listening to this episode you still want a deeper dive you can check the scientific papers on Richard’s Research Gate profile.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Richard-Kennedy-7

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In this episode, our guest is Ariel Brunner, Head of EU Policy at the environmental NGO BirdLife International. During our conversation, we hit on three areas that are most interesting from the perspective of nature restoration: farming, hunting and the marine.

Successful nature restoration, species conservation and even access to hunting grounds depends on land management policies. They are the foundation of everything we do in nature and to nature. Unfortunately, this means politics. No matter how much time conservationists spend in the field, planting trees, rewetting bogs or rewiggling rivers and streams, without solid backing from policymakers the effects of these efforts will not be long-lasting. 

In this episode, our guest is Ariel Brunner, Head of EU Policy at the environmental NGO BirdLife International, who walks the corridors in Brussels lobbying for nature restoration and biodiversity. During our conversation, we hit on three areas that are most interesting from the perspective of conservation and stopping biodiversity loss: farming, hunting and the marine.

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Let's talk about bison in the UK, shall we? In this episode, I chat with Paul Whitfield, the Director General of Wildwood Trust, about the Wilder Blean project. We discuss the aims, the criticism, the current status and the future of the project.

The Wilder Bleen project is a cooperation between Wildwood Trust and Kent Wildlife Trust. It received an immense amount of coverage in the press worldwide, not only in nature magazines like National Geographic and Mongabay but also in the mainstream media. The goal of the project is to promote natural habitat recovery by restoring the natural processes that sustain it. The crown jewel of the project is the introduction of European bison in the UK in place of the now-extinct steppe bison. Enter the controversy!

Along with a very positive reception, the project also received a fair amount of criticism. Most of it hinged around the fact that the European bison was never native to the British Isles. Also, out of necessity, the animals are in a 200-hectare enclosure. This was not overlooked by the critics who called it a zoo and a vanity project. 

What you think about such an initiative is often determined by the opinion of people who you hang out with and from whom you first heard about it. So my first impressions were not too positive. However, it’s important to read, listen and hear from people directly involved and develop our own opinions. And that’s exactly what I did. The more I learned the more I saw the project in a positive light.

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