Stormont’s agriculture minister, Andrew Muir, has responded to accusations from the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) regarding the supposed link between protected land designations and an increase in wildfires across Northern Ireland. Muir characterised the claims as “bizarre” during a recent session with his Assembly scrutiny committee, where he addressed a report issued by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).
The report, which called for a larger amount of designated land in Northern Ireland, has drawn criticism from the UFU, particularly in light of a recent spate of wildfires that has left widespread destruction across rural areas. Since Friday, firefighters have been engaged in tackling over 200 fires, with many of these concentrated in upland regions such as the Mourne Mountains. The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) reported a significant gorse fire in Draperstown, Co Derry, as recently as Thursday evening.
The UFU has expressed concerns that environmental protective designations are hampering farmers' abilities to manage the land effectively. They argue that restrictions on practices such as controlled burning and grazing have allowed for uncontrolled growth of heather, gorse, and other scrub, thereby creating conditions conducive to wildfires. John McLenaghan, the UFU's deputy president, highlighted the destruction of habitats and the long-term impact of wildfires, stating, "It’s devastating to see so many areas being impacted by wildfires in recent days including the Mourne Mountains, the north west and County Antrim."
Muir, however, defended the need to protect these designated sites, referring to them as “jewels in our crown.” He described the findings in the OEP report as challenging but expressed a commitment to collaborating with officials to improve upland management. “What we should be doing is we should be protecting those sites, and I would like to see more, not less,” he stated.
The minister further emphasised the importance of enhancing ecological states in these areas, expressing his dismay at the notion that protective measures could be seen negatively. He said, “That’s what we want to do and put these places into a better ecological state, because that’s what we should do.”
The NIFRS has provided updates on firefighting efforts, indicating that as of Thursday, they were managing a major gorse fire at Corrick Road in Draperstown. Multiple fire appliances, supported by a command unit and wildfire specialists, were deployed, involving a total of 54 personnel. The NIFRS requested locals to avoid the area to facilitate firefighting operations.
The ongoing situation underscores the tension between environmental protection and agricultural management, as stakeholders from both sides consider the implications of land designations on fire risk and management practices in Northern Ireland.
Source: Noah Wire Services