A landmark new project has been launched to protect Ireland’s most vulnerable group of birds, breeding waders, at Shannon Harbour.

The €25 million Breeding Waders EIP is funded jointly by the National Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, under the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Agri Programme.

The project aims to secure existing wader populations at key sites, and to support population recovery through wider landscape management and policy development.

Populations of breeding waders — which include curlew, dunlin, lapwing and golden plover, among others — have declined by as much as 98% in recent decades in the Irish countryside.

European Innovation Partnership (EIP) projects are locally led schemes which are designed and implemented by collaborative groups involving farmers, scientists, ecologists and other experts to deliver specific goals.

Earlier this year, a consortium led by Irish Rural Link was selected as the Operational Group lead to deliver the Breeding Waders EIP.

Speaking at the launch on Wednesday (22 May), Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue said: “This important initiative under Ireland’s 2023-2027 CAP Strategic Plan, and the funding of €25 million provided, is proof of the Government’s commitment to protect the wader populations that are currently present at important locations and to promote population recovery through broader landscape management and evidence-based policy development.

:The success of this EIP will help secure the future of breeding waders, as it will provide support to farmers that are willing to carry out habitat enhancements above and beyond regulatory standards.”

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan said: “This EIP is a lifeboat that carries our hopes for breeding wader conservation in Ireland. For many years, the NPWS and DAFM have worked together to conserve breeding wader populations, generating valuable expertise and knowledge on what is required to maintain and support these beautiful birds.

“This new approach means that this work will now be expanded, and for the first time, appropriately funded to tackle the decline of overall populations and ranges.”

Minister for Land Use and Biodiversity, Senator Pippa Hackett said: “We know how successful the locally led EIP model can be, with farmers coming together backed by expert advice to take targeted actions for biodiversity enhancement and to bring about meaningful landscape change.

“We are supporting the Breeding Waders EIP with a €25 million budget and a world-class project team, and I am really looking forward to following its progress over the coming years and, all going well, seeing much healthier breeding wader numbers in the Shannon Callows and beyond.”

Seamus Boland, CEO of Irish Rural Link, representing the Operational Group, added: “Irish Rural Link is delighted to be leading on this new and exciting project. This EIP-Agri project presents a unique opportunity for farmers, rural communities and stakeholders to work with the project team and partners in driving conservation efforts for Breeding Waders.”

The project involves a total investment of €25 million, of which NPWS is providing an investment of €17.5 million, with an investment of €7.5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The NPWS has also committed to an additional strategic fund of €5 million for breeding waders.

Boating enthusiasts converged on Shannon Harbour on Saturday (2 March) to view the 16 boats being auctioned by Waterways Ireland after their removal from the inland waterways.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, offers may be submitted until noon on Friday 15 March for each of the vessels which come in variable size, style and condition.

According to RTÉ News, previous offers have ranged from as low as €50 to as much as €8,000.

And with the growth in popularity of boat restoration projects, these unloved vessels may fetch higher prices than expected.

RTÉ News has more on the story HERE.

Waterways Ireland proposes to dispose, by public tender, of a number of vessels removed from the inland waterways under its purview.

Sixteen vessels are presently stored by Waterways Ireland at Shannon Harbour, Co Offaly on the Grand Canal. All vessels may be inspected (externally only) between 11am and 3pm next Saturday 2 March.

All vessels are sold as seen, intended as obsolete items. Lots will be sold as individual items only, to the highest acceptable tender.

The vessel catalogue and tender submission form are available from the Waterways Ireland website.

Sealed tenders should reach the Assistant Inspector of Navigation at the Inspectorate office, Waterways Ireland, Harbour Street, Tullamore, Co Offaly (Tel 057 932 5019) no later than noon on Friday 15 March. Please note only postal submissions will be accepted.

Only successful tenders will be notified by email from the details supplied.

A condition of sale is that vessels be removed from Waterways Ireland property once purchased.

Waterways Ireland will provide a crane to remove vessels from the impound lot. A small sum will be added to each tender to facilitate the crane hire (€100-€150). Bidders must provide their own suitable transport/trailer to remove vessels from the pound.

Waterways Ireland advises masters and owners of vessels that it will be carrying out maintenance works on the waiting jetty on the upstream side of the 35th Lock in Shannon Harbour.

Works will begin on Monday 29 January and will last for four weeks, from 9am to 5pm each day. The jetty will be closed during this time, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways says.

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessel on the Grand Canal that due to the ongoing works at Shannon Harbour, passage through Locks 35 and 36 will only be possible by prior arrangement with the Waterway Patroller.

This system will be in place until Tuesday 21 November, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Operation of the locks will be controlled by the Waterway Patroller and only during working hours, as follows:

• Until 31 October: 9.30am to 4.45pm (lunch break 1-1.30pm).
• 1 November to 15 March: 9.30am to 2pm (lunch break 1-1.30pm).

To arrange passage through Locks 35 and 36, use the following numbers:

• For passage from Monday to Sunday (excluding Friday), call 087 245 6587.
• For passage on a Friday, call 087 245 6609.

Waterways Ireland thanks its customers for their cooperation.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that as part of the Green WIN project (more HERE), new deep well and flow devices are to be installed at Locks 35 and 36 at Shannon Harbour.

These works are due to begin Monday 25 September and will continue for around eight weeks, until mid-to-late November.

The works are land-based and navigation through the locks will not be affected, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that it will be carrying out maintenance works on a damaged section of the north quay wall in Shannon Harbour.

Works will begin on Monday 25 September and will last around seven weeks until mid November, from 9am to 5pm each day.

A section of the harbour wall will be closed off to boat users during this time.

The access road to the north of Shannon Harbour will also be closed to public traffic and only local traffic will be permitted access.

Water levels in Shannon Harbour may have to be lowered for a time to allow these works to be completed, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Grand Canal that it will be carrying out underwater structural inspections of the north and south quay walls in Shannon Harbour this coming week.

Divers will be in the water between Griffith Bridge and the 35th Lock on Wednesday 20 and Thursday 21 September (rescheduled from Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 September) between 9am and 5pm each day. An Alpha Flag (Divers Flag) will be flown to indicate the divers’ presence.

Waterways Ireland says it will be required to move vessels for the inspection and will return boats to their original positions when completed.

Boat owners are advised to check mooring lines of their boats after the work is completed, the cross-border body for Ireland’s inland waterways adds.

A number of vessels seized and removed from Shannon Harbour by Waterways Ireland will be disposed of in a sale this month.

All vessels available will be sold as seen, in individual lots, to the highest acceptable tender price.

Completed tender documents must be returned to Waterways Ireland before 12 noon on Wednesday 16 September.

This year’s Shannon Harbour Canal Boat Rally, which had been scheduled for 19-21 June, has been postponed over the coronavirus pandemic.

Ian Skelton, Hon Sec of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland’s Shannon Harbour branch and who confirmed the news, said it is hoped to have some sort of gathering in the rally’s stead later in the year if the situation improves.

This would have been the 49th edition of the rally, the running of which was taken over by Shannon Harbour IWAI two years ago.

Elsewhere, the Barrow Awards 2020 have been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, as reported by John Dimond of Barrow IWAI.

The award scheme promotes groups all along the River Barrow to focus on and improve their river frontage and acknowledges their efforts.

The awards have been supported by the county councils adjoining the Barrow, chaired by Eileen O’Rourke of Carlow County Council and with the backing of Waterways Ireland.