UFU Deputy President John McLenaghan, on his farm near Garvagh. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
Following a large number of wildfires across Northern Ireland in the last few days, the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) is highlighting how devastating fires are for farmers and rural communities and is calling for government to recognise the increasing fire risk created by designated sites.
UFU deputy president John McLenaghan said, “It’s devastating to see so many areas being impacted by wildfires in recent days including the Mourne Mountains, the North West and County Antrim. Habitats have been completely destroyed, and the damage will be felt for years to come. What needs to be recognised is that the areas affected are mainly designated sites that restrict farmers’ from managing the land well. Farmers cannot carry out controlled burning and there are tight controls on grazing and land management. Heather and scrub are left to grow wild with limited management to control them, and as a result, the land is in ideal condition for wildfires. The restrictions placed on farmers when it comes to designated sites, is quite literally adding fuel to the fire.
“Farmers need to be able to manage the land through a combination of grazing livestock, topping and controlled burning. This reduces the fire load and helps to decrease the risk of wildfires. Hill farmers have the knowledge and expertise to manage this complex landscape and this is crucial to reducing the risk of wildfires. An extreme wildfire is not in the best interest of the farmer, the environment or the community, it can be devastating for some farmers as it can take years for the vegetation to grow back.”
The UFU recently slammed the Office for Environmental Protection’s (OEP) recommendation that DAERA should increase the amount of designated land in NI.
“Considering how designated sites increase fire risks in upland areas during periods of dry weather, having more designated sites would put further natural habits in danger and threaten farmers’ livelihoods as they depend on their land to make a living. There is also the potential danger to human life. NI firefighters have to tackle these blazes and hikers and tourists could be in the area. If a wildfire grew strong enough with the right conditions, it could also travel towards rural properties,” added the UFU deputy president.
Reports suggest that some of the recent wildfires in NI have been caused by arson.
“If recent coverage of the wildfires is correct, this arson behaviour is completely unacceptable and must stop. We’re hugely concerned about the potential loss of livestock caught in these fires and to grazing areas for local farmers in addition to the significant environmental damage and threat to property and life that is occurring. We encourage anyone with information to report this to the relevant authorities.
“While the UFU continue to work with the NI Wildfire Stakeholder Group to minimise the risk of wildfires, we’re calling on the DAERA Minister to act sensibly on the matter of designated sites and the rules around land management in upland areas. Farmers have safeguarded the countryside for generations, maintaining habitats without the restrictions of designated sites. They need to be supported to continue this work so we can minimise the risk of wildfires and keep nature and everyone safe,” said Mr McLenaghan.
