Press release
Amendments to the Open Seasons Order for Wild Birds
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
New amendments to the Open Seasons Order take effect from 1 September. The Open Seasons Order allows for the hunting of certain bird species in Ireland. It is administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and runs from 1 September until 31 January.
Amendments remove four species of birds from the Open Seasons Order: the Scaup, Goldeneye, Pochard and Pintail. These species have been removed due to a significant decline in their population numbers and the small size of their populations.
Amendments aim to protect wild bird populations and ensure the sustainability of hunting.
Since 2019, the EU Birds Directive requires all Member States, including Ireland, to ensure that the hunting of wild birds is sustainable. An NPWS working group on ‘Birds Directive Annex II Species on the Open Seasons Order’ was established to review the evidence following a commitment from Minister of State Malcolm Noonan in 2021. An external review and a public consultation process was conducted earlier this year.
In addition to stakeholder engagement and data collection, the NPWS continues to progress further activities that meet the obligations of the EU Birds Directive. These include ongoing monitoring and associated conservation measures to support wild birds and their habitat within the SPA network and the wider countryside.
The Open Seasons Order (Birds), the species listed upon it, and the dates of the various Open Seasons are available on the NPWS website.
The EU Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) seeks to conserve all wild birds in the EU by setting out rules for their protection, management, and control. The Directive covers birds, their eggs, nests, and habitats.
Under the Articles of the Birds Directive, Member States are obliged to ensure that the hunting of Annex II species “does not jeopardise conservation efforts in their distribution area”. At the NADEG meetings (EU Expert Group on the Birds and Habitats Directive) and their establishment of the Taskforce for the Recovery of Bird species, the European Commission proposed that, in the short-term, hunting should cease of all Annex II species that are not in a secure status, given the obligations of the Birds Directive.
14 of the 21 (67%) were the subject of national-level concern, on foot of the 2019 EU Article 12 report. They are:
1. Red Grouse
2. Teal
3. Gadwall
4. Wigeon
5. Pintail
6. Shoveler
7. Scaup
8. Tufted Duck
9. Pochard
10. Goldeneye
11. Golden Plover
12. Snipe
13. Jack Snipe
14. Woodcock
6 of the 21 (29%) are identified as high priority in the EU’s process. They are:
1. Red Grouse
2. Wigeon
3. Pintail
4. Scaup
5. Tufted Duck
6. Pochard
15 of the 21 (71%) are listed as Amber or Red on the Bird Watch Ireland Birds of Conservation Concern Ireland (BOCCI) list. They are:
1. Red Grouse
2. Mallard
3. Teal
4. Gadwall
5. Wigeon
6. Pintail
7. Shoveler
8. Scaup
9. Tufted Duck
10. Pochard
11. Goldeneye
12. Golden Plover
13. Snipe
14. Woodcock
15. Greylag Goose