
Seal Cull in Ireland
This is something I would like to share with you after recently attending the SeaMonitor-STRAITS conference. I’m predicting that in the coming months, or years perhaps, we’ll see a sanctioned seal cull in Ireland. Mark my words! The listeners who have been with me for some time might remember that…
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145: The Future of Hunting with Richard Prideaux
With declining wildlife populations, expanding urbanisation and dwindling social acceptance of hunting I often question whether this activity has a future. Add to the list the ageing population of hunters and the minimal recruitment of new hunters from young generations and the picture doesn’t look pretty. So is hunting fading…
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SeaMonitor-STRAITS Conference
Regular listeners might remember that two years ago I published a series of episodes about the SeaMonitor project and related research. So it was my great pleasure to accept an invitation to the two-day long SeaMonitor-STRAITS Conference, which marked the close of the SeaMonitor project and the launch of the…
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144: How to Cut All Chemical Nitrogen on a Farm with James Foley
I always enjoy speaking with farmers, whether on my podcast or when I’m out in the fields hunting and fishing. Therefore, I welcomed an opportunity to not only talk with James Foley, a dairy farmer from Co. Waterford, but to visit him and spend the day on his farm. Yes,…
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143: Emergent with Miriam Kate McDonald
In conversations about nature and wildlife, we often observe an ideological divide between two groups: farmers and rewilders. This divide can be seen in their different approaches to conservation and land management. Farmers tend to prioritise the production of food and other resources, while rewilders focus on restoring natural habitats…
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The NARGC Seminar on The Open Seasons Order and Sustainable Hunting
When I received the invitation to attend the National Association of Regional Game Councils (NARGC) seminar on the Open Seasons Order and Sustainable Hunting, I accepted without hesitation. The seminar featured an outstanding lineup of guests and speakers from Ireland and mainland Europe. The timing of the seminar was not…
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How do you feel when you squeeze the trigger?
On several occasions, I have been asked by non-hunters how I feel when I squeeze the trigger. Obviously, this question is meant to ascertain how I feel about taking an animal’s life. When I get these questions I often refer back to the very first animal I harvested. A female…
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142: Treated Like Animals with Alick Simmons
The subject of the humane treatment of animals is not an easy one. As hunters, anglers, conservationists, farmers and pet owners we like to think that we instinctively know which interactions with animals are humane and okay, and which are not. And when someone questions our actions or intentions we…
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141: Atlantic Bluefin Tuna with William Roche
Join me for the conversation with Dr William Roche, a senior research officer at Inland Fisheries Ireland, about angler-driven fish tagging programmes. We put a particular focus on the Tuna CHART programme but we also talk about the Marine Sportfish Tagging Programme which is aimed at elasmobranch species of fish…
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The Demise and Recovery of The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin tuna is one of the iconic species of big game fish. It is a large-bodied fast swimming fish that feeds on small fish and invertebrates. It can grow up to 1500lb (800kg) although some official bodies like the Smithsonian or the U. S. National Marine Fisheries Service estimate that…
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