(For)
Some ecologists are calling for predators such as wolves and lynx to be returned to Ireland
They say this would help control Ireland's expanding deer population and so protect forests and crops
Sheep farmers in particular say they fear attacks on their animals and the threat to rural communities
The animals were hunted to extinction in Ireland in the late 18th Century, but there are increasing calls from ecologists to bring them back, potentially alongside another large predator, the lynx.
The benefits, they argue, range from controlling deer numbers and so protecting forests, to reducing road accidents.
However, the idea of reintroducing large predators is, not surprisingly, unpopular with Ireland's farmers.
Sheep farmers in particular fear attacks on their flocks and the impact on rural communities.
If there's one key reason for the calls to bring back the predators it's the ever expanded deer population in Ireland.
Overgrazing by them has led to damage to forests as well as crops.
Earlier this year, the chair of the Wicklow Deer Management Partnership said there could be more than 100,000 of the animals in that county alone.
Last year, 55,000 deer were culled in Ireland.
Ecologist Padraic Fogarty says that Ireland had pressing targets to meet for climate and biodiversity.
"Among those is restoring elements of our natural ecosystem particularly forests, peatlands and so on," he says.
"You just can’t have natural ecosystems that work without big predators.
"So if we want to re-establish big areas of forest that’s not going to be possible if we’re going to have deer numbers that are totally out of control or we don’t have the balance in those forests so that they can re-generate and perpetuate themselves over the long-term."
Mr McLoughlin adds that culling deer is not working.
"The first year that they culled deer in Ireland they killed 5,000 deer, last year they killed 50,000," he says.
"Every year, it’s cull, cull, cull and the numbers are still increasing."
He says by chasing their prey, wolves ensure they catch "the sick, the diseased, the old and the frail" and create a healthy deer population.
"The diseased ones that they’re taking out of the population are diseases that we really fear, like Lyme disease that affects thousands of people in Ireland," he says.
"They will also take out TB, which farmers dread.
"Crop framers have their crops destroyed by overpopulation of deer – the wolves will actually help the crop farmers, the tillage farmers."
Mr McLoughlin also cites a US study that suggested a 23% in reduction in road accidents involving deer in places with a wolf population.
"Wolves create a landscape of fear that keeps deer moving, it keeps deer away from the roads, it keeps deer up in the highlands where we want them, not down in our fields or in our gardens," he says.
"Despite intensive farming and urban sprawl, all it took for these animals to recover in mainland Europe was for people to stop killing them."
He says the public would have nothing to fear from the prospect of lynx reintroductions.
"There is not a single record of a human attack, let alone mortality from a wild Eurasian lynx anywhere in the world," he says.
(Against)
John Joe Fitzgerald is a sheep farmer from County Kerry and member of the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association.
"We have the domestic dogs in this country, they’re killing anything between 300 and 500, maybe 600 animals a year," he says.
"We can’t control the domestic dogs we have, how are we going to control a wild animal?
"I can’t see any way that they could reintroduce these animals, it wouldn’t be fair on the rural communities, it wouldn’t be fair on farmers and even small towns."
Mr Fitzgerald says across Europe where wolves have returned, thousands of sheep are being killed by them every year.
"Are we going to live in fear now that our animals are going to be slaughtered?" he says.
"The vast tracts of land are not in this country to reintroduce wolves, even if they’re going to be controlled.
"The only known predator to the wolf in Ireland is a gun.
"It’s not nice to reintroduce wolves and then we as farmers or rural communities have to start shooting them – it makes no sense."
(Meeting both halfway)
Padraic Fogarty said an important part of any reintroduction projects would be to pay farmers and local communities.
"We’re not talking about compensation, because that kind of implies damage, but if we start talking about the rewards communities could get from having large predators in their areas then I think the attitude might be different and we might have a different conversation that wouldn't be so vexed," he says.
Josh Twining agrees with this approach.
"Mitigation programmes in countries where people share their landscapes with large carnivores vary substantially, but increasing in popularity is the use of conservation performance payments," he says.
"I think for lynx reintroduction to ever gain any real traction, it needs to be led in collaboration with those who would be most affected, the sheep farmers, the game keepers, the custodians of the land."
Killian McLaughlin says that there is a "need to start educating people first of all and educating them that they [wolves] don’t kill people and they actually benefit us as well".
He adds: "There’s lots of ways of protecting livestock and our neighbours on the continent have gotten very good at protecting them."
Padraic Fogarty says that technically, these reintroductions would be feasible and that the species themselves could survive and adapt - "but it’s living alongside humans that is the problem".
Mr McLoughlin says it wouldn't take many wolves to balance the ecosystem.
"Top predators never overpopulate because if they do their food source disappears and they disappear," he says.
"We could initially start off with one pack and study them, but we would need a bit of genetic diversity, so you would probably need several pairs."
He adds: "It would really be about giving them the basics that they need to survive and then just leaving them well enough alone and letting nature take its course, because nature survived without us for millions and millions of years."
48 notes
·
View notes
Snippet #6
CW: implied sexual intercourse
Since they found out that [Villain] was a person of few words, [Hero] had learnt to cherish every syllable they said. They savoured the sound of [Villain] speaking almost as if it were a precious delicacy. So when [Villain] initiated a conversation with [Hero], they were dumbfounded.
“You’re crying!?” [Villain] hastily sat up from their comfy lap pillow and tried wiping the other’s wet eyes with their sleeves.
‘Did I hurt them somehow?! Was asking them about their family a landmine? Ah but they seemed pretty happy talking about them before so maybe that’s not it? But they’re crying AAAAA-‘
[Hero] watched [Villain’s] facial expressions change rapidly through their tears and they couldn’t help but chuckle in the midst of a sob- the sound almost scaring [Villain] to death. “W-What’s wrong?!”
[Hero] pulled [Villain] into a tight embrace and took a deep breath, “Do you know how happy you’ve just made me?”
“Happy?!” The [Villain] was stumped.
If making [Hero] happy meant that the other would straight up burst into tears each time…
They didn’t have that sort of a fetish alright?!
[Villain] pulled their head out of the embrace to look at [Hero]. Just as they opened their mouth to retort, they were pulled into a kiss burning with passion.
“Mmph?!?”
[Hero] engaged [Villain’s] mouth until the other was flushed and barely able to breathe, patting [Hero’s] back with their hands urgently. When [Hero] let go, [Villain] glared at them accusingly.
[Hero] saw a smidge of concern mixed in those complex eyes and felt utterly delighted. They gently held the hand bound by a ring matching theirs and began explaining.
“Honey, it’s the first time you have ever asked me anything!” They gave their confused spouse a bitter smile and continued, “Call me pathetic, but I had always wondered if you had any interest in me. After all you never really say anything about how you feel. Even when I asked you out, you simply nodded without saying anything! I even began wondering if you were just going with the flow because this would be the fastest way to stop me ruining your evil schemes!”
[Villain] shook their head violently, horrified that they’d made their love feel so insecure, “I was too surprised that day! It’s not disinterest!” They blushed, lowering their head and voice, “Besides, I… I l-love you too!”
The last few words were said so softly that they were almost inaudible. But even so that’s all it took for the [Hero] to lose control of their suppressed desires and push [Villain] down on their sofa.
“I love you too honey!”
=End=
154 notes
·
View notes
Taiwanese BL (i think one of the HIStory but i can’t find which!!) where they’re jewellery makers and the guy gets a new boss and he eventually ends up with his boss??
Did you mean:
Be Loved In House: I Do
Be Loved in House 約・定~I do
I'm not sure if I would've got this if it weren't for you mentioning the boss thing, as I wouldn't say the fact that they're jewellers/metalwork(?) is integral to the plot, but hey ho! [I hope this is right I literally can't think of anything else rn]
Great series, I actually really enjoyed it, and no its not in the HIStory genre of BLs but a whole NEW BL house (although as far as I'm aware, BLIH haven't made any other shows YET).
I'll do a separate post for this at some point bc I probably have more to say, but its a proper classic 'NO relationships ATALL NOoOOOOOO!!!1!' and then they experience feelings...
Its silly and corny (what did you expect) but lovely and definitely worth the watch, and Aaron Lai is so great n I've seen him in other shows so was v fun to see him in something else, his chemistry w Hank Wang was unmatched.
2 notes
·
View notes