South Wexford becoming ‘ecological desert’ with buzzards ruling the skies

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

Large swathes of countryside in south Wexford has become an “ecological desert” with the only activity coming from the “buzzards hovering overhead”.

Requesting that the National Park and Wildlife Services (NPWS) attend a meeting to discuss the dwindling numbers of birds in the county, Councillor Jim Codd said the natural habitat of many species was fast disappearing.

“Anyone who lives in rural Wexford can see the green plovers are no longer making their way up from the coast, the curlews are very scarce, there’s whole swathes of land which has become an ecological desert with nothing living in them except buzzards hovering overhead,” he said at the monthly meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD). “There has been a chronic drop in the number of our water fowl, and we have a big problem with our songbirds and waders. Those living in the countryside are wondering where the birds have disappeared to.

“Wexford is famous for its birdlife but their habitat is disappearing, if these birds go they don’t come back. I’d like to see the NPWS in here to discuss this with us.”

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Agreeing with her colleague, Cllr Lisa McDonald suggested that a full report on the biodiversity of this mostly rural district be issued to discover why so many species were becoming depleted.

District manager Noirín Cummins said she would contact NPWS to arrange its attendance at a future meeting.