The following Press Release has been received from The Wild Deer Association of Ireland:
Significant Decline in Ireland’s Deer Cull
Information recently released by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS) show a significant decline in the number of wild deer culled by licensed deer hunters. This decline is despite a dramatic increase in the number of licenses issued to hunt deer by Minister Jimmy Deenihan, with over 1,000 new hunting licenses issued in the last 3 years, bringing the national total to 4,501.
Deer hunters, when renewing their deer hunting licenses, are legally required to make a cull return annually to NPWS stating how many deer they culled during the previous hunting season. The most recent returns show a decline in the number of deer culled in all counties and across all deer species, with an overall decrease of 3,000 deer in comparison to the previous hunting season. The cull returns do not include deer killed illegally by poachers, which is believed to be at an unprecedented level nationally.
The Wild Deer Association of Ireland is an organisation representing Ireland’s deer hunters and their spokesperson, Damien Hannigan, commented, “The latest cull returns from NPWS are very worrying and consistent with reports from our members, who say deer numbers have been decimated in many areas from hunting pressures and widespread poaching”.
“We have consistently expressed our concerns to Minister Deenihan over the level of pressure on the deer population from poaching; stating that it was unsustainable and sadly these figures vindicate our concerns. In a further development we have been recently approached by NPWS conservation rangers, claiming that they are actively discouraged by middle management from investigating incidents of deer poaching. We find these claims disturbing, as enforcing our wildlife laws is not optional and the WDAI have written to Minister Deenihan on this matter“.
A further indication of the decline in deer numbers is the significant reduction in the number of permits issued under Section 42 of the Wildlife Act by Minister Deenihan, which allow for the killing of deer outside the designated hunting season (September 1st – February 28th), where genuine crop damage is caused by wild deer. Despite the decline in deer numbers, Minister Deenihan issued 204 of these permits during the months of June, July and August, when female deer have dependant young. The killing of female deer during these months often results in their young suffering a horrendous death from starvation.
For further information, contact:
Damien Hannigan
Secretary
Wild Deer Association of Ireland
PO Box 31 Midleton
Co. Cork
087 2496987
www.wilddeerireland.com
7 March 2013
