Conservation and Science

Episode 200 is here! Two things that need to be noted: 1. Thank you, my audience, for being with me, some of you since episode 1. It might sound like a cliché, but this show wouldn't be possible without your support and feedback. So, thank you! And 2. I need to pat myself on the back as getting this far on this journey wasn't a given, and I'm proud of my hard work and consistency in producing this podcast since 2016.

As promised in episode 100, Ashley Glover is back on the show. Although we had the best intentions to recap the previous 100 episodes, we ended up talking about deer hunting, deer management in Ireland, the upcoming changes to deer management strategy and a few other related things.

In this newsletter, I also share a quite popular YouTube video about the inaction of the Irish government and unsustainable (to put it very lightly) fishing practices. Please leave a comment if this topic resonates with you.

Deer Management in Ireland with Ashley Glover

Is Ireland ready to tackle its growing deer management challenges? How will the new national deer management programme impact hunters, landowners, and conservation efforts? What role do thermal imaging technologies play in modern wildlife management? In this milestone 200th episode of Conservation and Science, we welcome back Ashley Glover, a conservationist, master huntsman, and long-time friend of the podcast. Recording from Wicklow Wolf Brewery, we celebrate this special occasion by diving into the significant changes coming to Irish deer management. From there, we discuss many more Irish conservation and nature restoration-related topics.

Ashley shares valuable insights on the recently introduced national deer management strategy, including the establishment of 15 deer management units across Ireland. We explore the complexities surrounding implementation, from landowner engagement to data collection methods and hunter integration. The conversation highlights ongoing policy conflicts, such as how to manage deer on state lands, and addresses critical issues like deer-vehicle collisions and the humane dispatch programme. Ashley explains how thermal imaging has revolutionised deer counting and tracking, making wildlife management more effective and evidence-based.

Beyond deer, we discuss other pressing conservation matters in Ireland, including invasive American mink control and the challenges of predator management for protecting ground-nesting birds. Ashley offers valuable perspectives on balancing conservation needs with hunting traditions and the importance of mentoring new hunters. In our conversation, we examine Ireland's conservation landscape, highlighting both the progress made and the significant work still needed to address policy conflicts in biodiversity management, peatland restoration, and sustainable land use.

200: Deer Management in Ireland with Ashley Glover

This Madness Has To Stop

In this commentary, we examine how large commercial fishing operations devastate Ireland's vital forage fish populations in West Cork's coastal waters. Despite overwhelming public support for fishing restrictions, government inaction threatens the entire marine ecosystem. We highlight how short-term profit is being prioritised over long-term sustainability, with potentially irreversible consequences for endemic fish species like herring and sprat that form the foundation of our ocean's food chain. Learn why these "bottom of the food chain" species matter so critically for all marine life, from seabirds to whales, and what must change before it's too late.

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Join the conversation about sustainable fishing practices and marine conservation in Ireland. If you care about the future of our oceans, please like, comment and share this video to raise awareness.

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