The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) says it is investigating a “significant fire incident” at Barley Cove, on the Mizen Head peninsula, Co Cork.
The fire reported on Sunday evening affected about 150 hectares (1.5 square km) of land within a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) on the peninsula, it says.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity Christopher O’Sullivan said that “illegal and uncontrolled fires cause irreparable damage to wildlife, habitats and the environment, puts our communities at risk and also causes unnecessary pressure on our emergency services”.
“Our Special Areas of Conservation protect nature and wildlife in those places where our most treasured and vulnerable species live and make their homes,”he said in a statement.
“Aerial surveillance carried out by the NPWS at the scene indicates extensive damage within the SAC to the upland and heathland habitats, and to areas that support the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly,”he said.
“An investigation is now underway and I’m appealing to the public to come forward with any information that may be of assistance,”he said.
The NPWS says it is conducting “extensive surveying and mapping of damage to the area using aerial and ground surveillance”.
“NPWS is also gathering evidence from the damage and conducting door to door enquiries as part of an investigation for a possible prosecution,”it says.
“As with any such investigation, NPWS will cross-report any identified breach of the law to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and a sanction may be applied under conditionality to affected farmer(s) area based payments,”it says.
NPWS director general Niall Ó Donnchú said that “these incidents pose a serious threat to our biodiversity and we have invested in our capacity to respond quickly when they occur”.
“We are working closely with the Gardaí on this investigation and are collaborating with them to tackle wildlife crime throughout the country,”he said.
“We appeal to landowners to be aware of their responsibilities in relation to Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas where consent to undertake burning at any time is often a requirement, and to their obligations under Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts and burning generally – which is prohibited from 1st March to 31st August,”he said.
Members of the public can contact NPWS in confidence at [email protected]
