Category: Podcast
Conservation and Science is a podcast about human-wildlife interactions and our relationship with nature. I talk with world-class scientists, members of environmental organisations, practical conservationists, farmers, nature writers, and last but not least, hunters and anglers. My conversations cover biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
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151: Irish Sturgeon with Declan Quigley
One of the three pillars of my podcast is to preserve knowledge about how the natural environment was in the past and to record stories and experiences from many decades ago. One such story, that I have a feeling is slipping away, is the story of the Irish sturgeon. Or to be more precise the story of sturgeon in Irish waters, as it wasn’t a separate species but likely one of two recorded in the north-west European waters: the Atlantic…
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150: Predator Control with Barry McMahon
The topic of lethal predator control has proven to be highly contentious. On one end of the spectrum, there are people who are inherently opposed to killing animals no matter the circumstances. On the other end are people who are eager to get on with reducing numbers, too eager perhaps. However, there are many reasons and scenarios where it might be needed. Today we focus on predator control in relation to ground-nesting birds and their precarious conservation status. When dealing…
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149: Changes to Deer Hunting and Firearms Licensing in Ireland with Liam M. Nolan
There is a lot going on for Irish deer hunters at the moment. First, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine launched a Public Consultation on the Management of Deer in Ireland. There are a lot of questions and worries about the potential outcomes of this consultation. The online survey published as a part of it only confirmed these concerns. There is a common perception that it was constructed to lead to a preconceived outcome rather than to solicit…
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148: Environmental Dialogue with Rob Yorke
Those of you who follow me on social media already know that last week I gave a presentation about the use of podcasting for communicating complex and nuanced ideas to non-experts. The presentation was part of the 7th International Journalism Symposium on Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wildlife Resources. The symposium was moderated by a well-known environmental dialogue broker, Rob Yorke. Having Rob right then and there I couldn’t miss the opportunity to sit down with him for a quick…
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147: Woodcock Research and Hunting with James O’Neill
The woodcock is one of the most interesting birds. It is a wader that adapted to the woodland habitat. It has a range of unique characteristics like 360-degree vision, a flexible bill and white tail feathers that reflect up to 30% more light than the feathers of any other bird. It is also a valued game bird, meaning it is a sought-after quarry for bird hunters. So much so that an entire breed of gun dogs, cocker spaniels, was created…
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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 into the history books together with the abundance of wild game and fish? To discuss this topic I sat down with Richard Prideaux, a wilderness skills and survival instructor, writer,…
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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, that means it’s one of those rare episodes where I meet my guest in person, like in the old days, shake his hand and sit down in the same room…
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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 and ecosystems, with a focus on ecological processes. We often ask the question of whether farming and rewilding can coexist. Today we are going a step further and asking if…
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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 often tend to get irritated and defensive. The epithets like “bunny hugger” or “animal rights brigade” get thrown. The subject, however, is neither simple nor intuitive if you examine it…
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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 like sharks, skates and rays. And as you might expect I did not forget to enquire, albeit briefly, about the bass tagging program too. During our chat, we discuss the…