LIMERICK City and County Council, in partnership with the Heritage Council, is beginning a process to draft a Limerick Biodiversity Action Plan to protect and enhance biodiversity within Limerick.
According to the council, biodiversity plays a vital role in providing essential resources like clean air, water, food, materials, medicines, health benefits, and recreation. It supports pollination and soil fertility, regulates climate, and protects us from extreme weather and other effects of climate change.
However, the local authority says, Limerick’s biodiversity faces significant challenges and needs support.
“The fourth National Biodiversity Plan outlines 30 per cent of our 60 EU-protected species are in unfavourable status. Over half of native Irish plant species have declined in range and/or abundance. More than half of Ireland’s 100 bee species have seen substantial declines since 1980, with 30 per cent of species threatened with extinction, 26 per cent of Ireland’s 211 bird species are considered to have a high conservation concern. 21 per cent of breeding and 52 per cent of key wintering bird species were reported to have short-term declining trends in 2019,” a council representative said.
The council has issued an open call for submissions, views, and observations in developing the plan, which can be submitted via mypoint.limerick.ie; by email to biodiversityactionplan@limerick.ie; in written form to Biodiversity Officer, Environment and Climate Action Team, Limerick City and County Council, Dooradoyle, Limerick; or by attending scheduled information sessions.
