Minister of State for nature, heritage and biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan and Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW Kevin Moran have launched a new strategy to protect the rare and endangered hen harrier on Scattery Island in the Shannon estuary.

Scattery Island supports a significant proportion of the national breeding population of hen harrier, a rare bird of prey.

The strategy includes actions to protect breeding activity, fledging and maintaining suitable habitats for nesting, foraging and roosting on the island.

ADVERTISEMENT

These actions are being undertaken by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the National Monuments Service (NMS) and the Office of Public Works (OPW).

Scattery Island lies on the Lower River Shannon special area of conservation and is surrounded by the River Shannon and the River Fergus estuaries special protected area.

Learning

Launching the strategy on Scattery Island, Minister O’Sullivan said the strategy will mean learning more about the hen harrier – also known as skydancer – and the conditions that allow then to breed successfully.

“We must do more to protect the skydancer and this strategy complements and enhances our efforts at national level, including the hen harrier threat response plan and the nature restoration plan,” he said.

Speaking at the launch, Minister Moran said the strategy focuses on protecting history, culture and natural wildlife.

“The strategy will help ensure the hen harrier continues to have the right conditions to breed and thrive on the island for generations to come,” he concluded.