Pádraic Fogarty

Nitrates derogation Back in the early nineties all across the EU a rule was introduced to protect rivers and streams from agricultural run off. At the last count 7,000 out of 137,000 farms in Ireland had received a derog...

I had the a welcome opportunity to move beyond the standard Punch & Judy media setup to properly look under the derogation hood, & explore why the Government measures are failing our waters & failing our farmers.

www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

Climate Changemakers: ‘It’s unfair how much of the quota is given to a tiny number of larger fishing vessels’ Over the years, Ireland’s environmental and economic interests have been pitched at odds with one another. But this need not be the case, and championing small-scale fisheries is one way positive chan...

"We don’t want all of that traditional knowledge to be lost"

Delighted to see my former @irishwildlifetrust.bsky.social colleague Grace Carr featured in this series where she talks about the need for Marine Protected Areas 🐬

www.independent.ie/life/climate...

A ‘national embarrassment’: Ireland in breach of multiple water quality rules, court finds European Court of Justice ruling raises questions about Government’s system of water charges

A ‘national embarrassment’: Ireland in breach of multiple water quality rules, court finds

www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

Exactly!

Half of Cork farms inspected by Council failed water quality protection regulations Half of the farms inspected by Cork County Council under the National Agriculture Inspection Programme (NAIP) this year have failed to comply with the government’s Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) reg...

We're constantly being told that pollution prevention measures are working and more time is needed to show results. But the rivers don't lie.

www.independent.ie/regionals/co...

Landmark EU water ruling shows systemic and abject failure of Irish government to protect water - Sustainable Water Network The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), a network of 25 environmental organisations, has welcomed yesterday’s European Court of Justice ruling [1] that Ireland is in breach of its obligations under the ...

Two years ago it was the Habitats Directive, now the European Court of Justice has found that Ireland hasn't bothered implementing the Water Framework Directive either!

swanireland.ie/2025/11/land...

It's great to see Wild Nephin National Park among these protected landscapes in Europe, as part of the new Wilder Parks programme

rewildingeurope.com/news/wilder-...

Our Rewilding in Europe event next week is sold-out, but as before we will record it & share on our YouTube channel ▶️

📢 We are delighted to announce that @whittledaway.bsky.social + @miseanja.bsky.social, will join @jcsvenning.bsky.social for a panel discussion.

www.youtube.com/@irishwildli...

Moral duty ‘to act now’ on climate change for future generations, says Catherine Connolly Figures of possible fines of between €8bn and €26bn for breaching emissions targets ‘incredible’, President says

It says a lot about our new President that one of her first public events was with @antaisce.bsky.social to highlight our climate challenge and the need for climate justice 👏

www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

At the Kilurane end,rewetting continues to transform the previous commercial extraction area 👏🙂 @jamierohu.bsky.social @npwsireland.bsky.social @tocharstories.bsky.social @peatlands.bsky.social @whittledaway.bsky.social

Irish fishing industry targets sector watchdog after dismissal of court case on improper weighing Ireland’s fishing industry is calling for an overhaul of the country’s Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.

I am quoted in this report on the full frontal attack by the fishing industry on the Sea Fishing Protection Authority (SFPA). The SFPA is a critical public body for the protection of the marine environment and must be given the political support to do its work.
www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-...

Study measures how much plastic is lethal for marine life Marine animals inevitably eat what we toss in the ocean, including pervasive plastics - but how much is too much?

Will be talking about this study later this morning on East Coast FM.

Remember that a 2019 study found that most of the deadly plastic is the sea is from abandoned or lost fishing gear.

www.rte.ie/news/2025/11...

Lapwing and curlews had a successful season on Upper Lough Erne Efforts by conservationists and farmers pay off as breeding waders have a good summer in Fermanagh.

Good news for ground nesting birds in Co Fermanagh!

www.bbc.com/news/article...

exa.mn/t7z
‣ Hibernating hedgehogs
‣ Why female mammals live longer but female birds don't
‣ Safeguarding Atlantic salmon migration
‣ Phosphate resources
‣ Misplaced fishing regulations objections
‣ #birdsofireland Peregrine
📷 Flooded Lee Fields #Cork
@whittledaway.bsky.social @miseanja.bsky.social

The AI bubble may be about to bust.

Peter Thiel has sold all of his Nvidia stock.

We all need to say this very clearly:

NO BAILOUTS FOR THEFT-TECH!

Expropriate their asses instead.

They stole from all of us and fully plan to burn the planet.

They owe us - not the other way around. 1/3

yes, in fact may fishermen would welcome more management for lobster as its effectively the last species left that is economically viable

The SFPA are due to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Tuesday. Expect a lot of performative anger directed at them from populist politicians who will ignore a. the reason why regulation needed to be beefed up & b. that the SFPA operates under legislation passed by the Dáil itself.

Ireland faces sanctions over fishy goings-on with quotas EU is losing patience with apparent lawbreaking — and it could cost Ireland millions of euro in cash and quotas

The industry doesn't like the inspection and enforcement regime, but this is in place for a very good reason. Not long ago, the EU did not trust Ireland to weigh fish amid massive overfishing and tampering with scales.

www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-40...

Objections to enforcement of vital sea fishing regulations are terribly misplaced Complaints from the fishing industry come at time of multiple stresses for the sector and with greater levels of EU-wide control and monitoring of fishing activities beginning to come into force in 20...

I'm writing today about the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and why it is under attack by the fishing industry and certain politicians.

Not since the assault on the EPA in 2023 have we seen a public regulatory body come under such pressure.

www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ou...

Tralee Oyster Fishery The Tralee Oyster Fishery was founded in 1979, after the near collapse of the native oyster stock. The local fishers came together to restore the population and today, they’re a cooperative of 200 fis...

Some good news from Tralee Bay where local fishermen have agreed to stop bottom trawling across 4,000 hectares 👏

www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

Marine protected areas Irish scientist Mark John Costello, based at Nord University in Norway, looked at the evidence of economic benefits on 50 existing marine protected areas in 31 countries. Can protecting parts of our o...

This is great - the bottom line is that strict marine protected areas work not only for marine life but for small scale fishermen. Why are fishing organisations not clamouring for these?

www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

After spending years preparing a bill for the creation of Marine Protected Areas the government has decided to go back to the drawing board, wasting more time as marine life continued to circle the plug hole

www.gov.ie/en/departmen...

Ministers O'Brien and Dooley "drive forward" legislation by taking us back to square one on Marine Protected Areas. Sure what's the hurry!

‘Myth is becoming a reality’: Puffins make a comeback at Isle of Muck after 25 years Recovery project at Co Antrim reserve saw removal of invasive brown rats, the biggest threat to seabird eggs and chicks

"while a handful of puffins on a tiny island may seem small, this moment is huge – it proves that seabird restoration works"

A fantastic success story for puffins in Antrim!

www.irishtimes.com/environment/...

Very much looking forward to this conversation with @whittledaway.bsky.social around THE LIE OF THE LAND this Sunday from 2pm in @booksupstairs.bsky.social in Dublin City centre.

Do come along if you’re free.

The hidden deforestation beneath the waves | Euractiv Tackling the carbon emissions of bottom trawling is a fast and effective way to forestall climate change while protecting our precious marine ecosystems. But despite the minimal returns, governments across Europe keep subsidising the practice

"every year, bottom trawling releases 370 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere"

www.euractiv.com/opinion/the-...

Hoping to see lots of people on the streets of Dublin this Saturday!

Area of Donegal the size of Monaco purchased as Glenveagh National Park expands An area of Donegal the equivalent of the size of Monaco has been purchased by the National Parks and Wildlife Service at Glenveagh.

Good news, but does NPWS have the capability to manage all this land?

Its current (excellent) rewilding initiative is only a small fraction of the existing National Park

www.derryjournal.com/heritage-and...

Governments can protect marine environments by supporting small-scale fishing Nearly 30 per cent of the world’s population lives in coastal areas. A changing climate and biodiversity loss represent an unprecedented threat to these ecosystems.

"Industrial fishing can extract in a day what a small boat might take in a year"

Coastal fishing now involves very few fish and very few young people. If this is to change we need to say goodbye to industrial fishing.

theconversation.com/governments-...

Social Democrats 'dangerously clueless' about Nitrates Derogation, says MEP Fianna Fáil MEP, Billy Kelleher claims the Social Democrats are actively seeking to sabotage the national effort to retain the derogation.

The Social Democrats seem to be the only politicians willing to speak out in defence of our right to clean water. What happened the rest of them?

www.agriland.ie/farming-news...