Within the framework of the LIFE FLUVIAL E4 action, between May 26 and 29, the associated beneficiary IBADER has carried out technical visits to 4 LIFE projects executed in Ireland, and that are coordinated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH). These visits have facilitated the promotion and exchange of best practices and experiences, as well as collaborative work between the projects and the institutions involved, promoting the replicability and transferability of LIFE FLUVIAL results.
- The exchange with NPWS technicians from the LIFE13 NAT/IE/000144 “LIFE KERRY” project (a project that had already supported LIFE FLUVIAL proposal), framed in fluvial management for the conservation of natural habitats, has produced conclusions very positive, since many common points have been identified between the results of both projects, emphasizing the need to eliminate the threats that hang over the river corridors.
- The intensification of agricultural, livestock and forestry uses that has occurred during the 20th century has been the point of common focus with LIFE18 NAT/IE/000090 “LIFE Atlantic Crex”, which concrete conservation actions have been visited. In this way, the importance of carrying out actions that restore naturalness to Natura 2000 ecosystems and improving the conservation status of its key components has been highlighted.
- The visit to LIFE18 IPE/IE/000002 “LIFE IP PAF-WILD ATLANTIC NATURE”, an integrated project for the conservation of Irish Natura 2000 blanket bogs, was of great interest since the members of IBADER attended the annual monitoring mission and visited the locations of the project, as well as exchanged with the rest of the involved partners of the project: Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM); Bord na Móna; Teagasc; Failté Ireland; Raidio Teilifis Eireann (RTÉ); The Heritage Council; Northern & Western Regional Assembly (NWRA); Coillte Nature. This visit has revealed the need to carry out global restoration strategies, not only acting on ecosystems, but also involving all the stakeholders, an aspect that fully coincides with the strategy carried out by LIFE FLUVIAL.
- Accompanying the NPWS and Coillte Nature technicians, the Irish action sites of LIFE20 NAT/ES/001007 “LIFE INSULAR” have been visited. This project, like LIFE FLUVIAL, is a transnational project, and one of its main strategies is the elimination of old forest plantations (some with invasive species) to increase the area occupied by priority habitats. Aspects related to prior planning and ex_ante evaluation, as well as a correct execution of conservation actions to avoid affecting fragile ecosystems, were some of the common aspects between both projects.
In short, these visits have been an important step for LIFE FLUVIAL in establishing new contacts and networks, incorporating the conclusions of 4 LIFE projects carried out in Ireland, as well as the experiences of competent European organizations for the management and conservation of Natura 2000, and the knowledge of European institutions and researchers related to this subject.
