196: Offshore Wind and Marine Mammals with Stephen Comerford

The image shows an offshore wind farm with multiple white wind turbines arranged in a line across the horizon. The turbines are installed in the sea, with their bases partially submerged in the grey-blue water. The sky above is overcast with a light grey cloud cover, creating a moody atmosphere. Each turbine has three blades and appears to be of significant size, standing tall above the water's surface. The turbines are evenly spaced and extend across the entire width of the frame, demonstrating the scale of the offshore wind energy installation. Image by Julia Schwab from Pixabay

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4w1wJAISQyArnmmUCCOMOX Are offshore wind farms detrimental to marine mammals? What happens when we industrialise our seas with massive turbines? Can we balance the urgent need for renewable energy with protecting marine life? These questions take centre stage in our conversation with marine ecologist Dr Stephen Comerford, who is the ORE Marine Biodiversity Officer at the … Continue reading 196: Offshore Wind and Marine Mammals with Stephen Comerford →

194: Pink Salmon Invasion on Norwegian Rivers with Jude Isabella

A rocky river with small waterfalls flowing through an autumn landscape in Finnmark, Norway. The scene is framed by birch trees with golden-yellow leaves, whilst rugged mountains form the backdrop. The river cascades over dark bedrock, creating white rapids. Photo by Arvid Høidahl on Unsplash.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/42CLzA0rIjVKUvpE27eTPf What happens when Pacific salmon invade Atlantic waters? How does a Soviet-era experiment from the 1950s continue to impact Norwegian rivers today? We’re answering these questions in conversation with Jude Isabella, founder and editor-in-chief of Hakai Magazine, and author of multiple books including Salmon: A Scientific Memoir. This episode was inspired by her three-week … Continue reading 194: Pink Salmon Invasion on Norwegian Rivers with Jude Isabella →

193: Human-Wildlife Conflict – Romanian Bears and African Elephants with Jens Ulrik Høgh

Bear on the side of the road at the Transfagarasan road in Arges county, Romania. Photo by Fermoar.ro on Unsplash

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2OI5ygBsMnCQZUFjNAhnIe Can hunting be an effective way to manage human-wildlife conflict? What happens when well-intentioned wildlife protection measures backfire? I spoke with Jens Ulrik Høgh, a Scandinavian hunting journalist, to find answers to these questions through the lens of Romania's bear management crisis. When hunting was banned in 2016 under pressure from animal rights groups, … Continue reading 193: Human-Wildlife Conflict – Romanian Bears and African Elephants with Jens Ulrik Høgh →

Let’s Talk About Europe’s Wolf Protection Laws

A dramatic digital artwork depicting five snarling wolves with bared teeth, shown in close-up against a dark, moody background. The wolves have detailed fur rendered in golden-brown and white tones. They appear to be confronting each other aggressively, with their paws extended and bodies positioned on what appears to be gnarled tree branches. The lighting creates a theatrical, Renaissance-style atmosphere with golden highlights contrasting against shadowy areas.

As you may have heard, the Standing Committee of the Berne Convention (an international legal instrument for nature conservation) decided to lower the protection status of wolves. This opens the way to lower their protection status across the EU through the Habitats Directive. The move had been on the cards for over a year, and … Continue reading Let’s Talk About Europe’s Wolf Protection Laws →

The Myth of Historic Range in Wolf Conservation

Cover art featuring a stylised, sepia-toned map of a mountainous region with rivers and islands. In the foreground, a detailed illustration of a grey wolf stands prominently. The image is framed by ornate borders with decorative elements in the corners. A parchment-like scroll with indecipherable text is positioned in the upper right corner. The overall aesthetic evokes an old-world, fantasy cartographic style.

As you might know, the European Commission is moving forward with the proposal to lower the protection status of wolves in the EU. This reliably sparks fierce discussions online. Here, I want to focus on a specific element of these discussions: the historic range. The term is used in various contexts, but the underlying argument … Continue reading The Myth of Historic Range in Wolf Conservation →

185: Farmers’ Perspective on Carnivore Reintroductions with Jonny Hanson

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4zglYTuVc3e21c943KDYu0 Can large carnivore conservation coexist with livestock farming? In this episode, environmental social scientist Jonny Hanson and I discuss the complex issue of large carnivore reintroductions in Britain and Ireland. What are farmers' perspectives on sharing landscapes with predators like wolves and lynx? How can we balance conservation goals with the realities of modern … Continue reading 185: Farmers’ Perspective on Carnivore Reintroductions with Jonny Hanson →

179: Sika Deer: Pest or Precious?

A young male Sika deer with antlers stands in a field of tall, brown and green grasses. The deer is looking to the left of the frame. The background is a blurry green field.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4cWzbBrUaEnbe6yNFv2crZ Sika (cervus nippon) is a mid-sized deer that was introduced to Ireland in the 1860s to the Powerscourt Estate. Soon after that, it started spreading across Ireland. Today, the main concentrations of sika are in Kerry, Wicklow, Tyrone and Fermanagh. More recently, it has also been found in Waterford, Galway, Limerick, and Wexford. The … Continue reading 179: Sika Deer: Pest or Precious? →

178: Why Biodiversity Matters with Nigel Dudley

https://open.spotify.com/episode/39hBdOCLxfi9JS8FB2QfWX “Why Biodiversity Matters” is fundamentally a philosophy book. However, the author and our guest, Nigel Dudley, is not a philosopher but an accomplished conservation biologist who has accumulated an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience working on conservation projects across the world. He has worked as a consultant ecologist with international organisations like WWF … Continue reading 178: Why Biodiversity Matters with Nigel Dudley →

176: Invasive Ants Impact Lion Predation on Zebras, with Adam T. Ford

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3mbU23q3H125O4N6d8i51b?si=308ecea0530f4d16 If you are a regular listener to the podcast or you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I read a fair number of scientific papers on subjects of conservation and ecology. Some of them are related to topics I’m investigating for the podcast and some others are just interesting for me. … Continue reading 176: Invasive Ants Impact Lion Predation on Zebras, with Adam T. Ford →

175: SOTKA Wetlands with Veli-Matti Pekkarinen and Heikki Helle

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5HmxkYJTJHmC3Jj5bjWBrO Finnish SOTKA is a large-scale habitat restoration project and a part of a larger Helmi Habitats Programme aimed at restoring Finland’s biodiversity. It is run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of the Environment. SOTKA’s objective is large-scale habitat restoration through wetlands rehabilitation, restoration of mires and catchments, non-native (i.e. … Continue reading 175: SOTKA Wetlands with Veli-Matti Pekkarinen and Heikki Helle →