Incoming president of the Irish Natura & Hill Farmers Association (INHFA), Pheilim Molloy, has called for immediate suspension of the Nature Restoration Laws (NRL) implementation, in light of evidence presented by Ulster University at a joint Teagasc/CAFRE conference held in Glenwherry last week.
Speaking on this Molloy stated how “it is totally unacceptable that peatland farmers are being dictated to by the European Union on drained peatland releases of carbon when the Ulster University research shows that drained peatland on the CAFRE farm actually sequesters an average of 2.53t CO2 eq/ha/year.”
While the NRL details the need to protect and improve habitats, a primary focus of this law is to reduce carbon emissions from peatland,s and this Molloy added “is why we want to pause any implementation of the law now until we can determine what level of carbon, if any, is being lost from our peatlands.”
With this in mind it is he added, “critical that the Irish State, through Teagasc or the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, now commission our own research on both our drained and upland peatland areas, which was a call made at last year’s AGM of the association.”
Molloy concluded by stressing the need for accurate research, especially on our peatlands and hills, stating that “if we continue to leave this research to those outside the Republic, we are destined to be rule takers on controversial science rather than rule makers, based on good science.