CONSERVATION NEWS
CONSERVATION NEWS
The latest national and international news from the conservation world, compiled by Tim Clabon
IRISH NEWS
New Website for Irish Native Rare Breeds Society Apis mellifera mellifera
The Irish Native Rare Breeds Society (INRBS) launched their new website to promote indigenous domestic breeds of farm animals and their use in conservation grazing. Conservation grazing is a tool that can be used to manage semi-natural and natural habitats in sensitive upland and coastal habitats using indigenous native breeds. The aims of conservation grazing in Ireland has three goals: • Increasing the use of traditional Irish breeds among farmers;
• Encouraging the appropriate management of some of Ireland's most vulnerable habitats; • Promoting Sustainable farming practices. Both nationally and internationally there are examples where conservation grazing has been used to manage habitats for the conservation of many threatened species. The website is in its early stages but is in the process of matching Ireland’s traditional breeds with broad habitat types of conservation importance. As work on the website progresses it is hoped to develop a
detailed understanding of how Ireland's traditional breeds can be used to support sustainable farming. Of most importance to conservation grazing is matching the right type of grazing animal to the habitat. This includes species, breed, body size, sex and age of the animals. Stocking density must also be considered where suitable stock densities are dependent upon site specific conditions. The website matches breeds and species to habitats regardless of if there is a native breed suited to the habitat, so the website will also list non-native species of upland, woodland and coastal breeds suitable for these habitats. As well as pages for officially recognised breeds the website hosts information on breeds not yet officially recognised such as the Cladoir sheep or Old Irish goats as there is a potential for them to be recognised on the basis of proven genetic distinctiveness. Not forgotten on the INRBS website is the role of pollinators. In particular the native honeybee Apis mellifera mellifera which, while still a popular bee among beekeepers, is threatened by hybridisation with imported non-native sub-species. As the website develops, information will become available to support farmers with an interest in conservation and keeping alive the past traditions that were once associated with Irish farming practices, passing this heritage on to the next generation of farmers. The aim of the INRBS is to advocate for rare breeds in Ireland with a particular focus on indigenous breeds. They hope to reflect the positions and interests of affiliated breed societies. They also aim to assist those who seek to gain official recognition for currently unrecognised breeds where there is a reasonable basis for the belief that, on the basis of genetic analysis, there is sufficient genetic distinctiveness for the recognition of breeds adhering to a recognisable breed standard. More information and information on Conservation Grazing can be found at https://inrbs.ie/ Irish Wildlife Summer ‘22
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