Should we worry about consuming venison from an animal harvested with lead ammunition? Will cutting out and discarding meat around the impact area solve the problem? And what are the best practices to keep us safe?

Most of us have heard about the negative effects of lead on health. Not only on our health but also on the health of the ecosystems. In this episode, we are answering questions about the scale and severity of these effects from the perspective of lead used in hunting ammunition. To get a full picture I talk with Prof. Fredrik Widemo, a senior researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies. Fredrik is also a hunter so he approaches this topic from a personal perspective.

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How to Get Started in Deer Hunting in Ireland

What is sustainable agriculture? Does regenerative farming mean focusing primarily on the soil biome? Is farming a leading cause of biodiversity loss? …and do we really have only 60 harvests left? To get the answers to those and other questions about farming and biodiversity, join me for a conversation with an agricultural management and policy specialist, an economist, a writer and an advisor, Stuart Meikle.

In this episode, Stuart shares with us the history of his education in farming and later his work in different farming environments across the world. Then we switch gears and talk about issues specific to Irish agriculture, which also has some relevance in the UK context. And so, we discuss the use of nitrogen fertilisers, soil health and whether the cuts to the size of the national cattle herd are inevitable. I also ask Stuart about his thoughts on the recently passed Nature Restoration Law.

After you listen to this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter so as not to miss more farming episodes that are due in the coming weeks. Being a subscriber also gives you an excellent opportunity to send me your feedback and suggestions about past and future episodes. It’s as easy as replying to an email! Finally, newsletter subscribers are first to be informed about live events and can avail themselves of substantial discounts on exclusive content.

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Not long ago I posted a tweet: “Hunters are not good or bad, they just are. Therefore, they must be managed just like, and as a part of, the wildlife they hunt.” It was an attempt to condense my thoughts about our relationship with wildlife and nature. I purposefully used the word “our” because I believe that we are all hunters; it's just that this instinct is dormant in most of us.

The reactions ranged from incredulity to accusations of being anti-hunting. There was also a substantial portion of those who agreed with the sentiment. Most importantly though, the tweet sparked an interesting conversation and led to some interesting points being raised. Since I don’t think that Twitter (X) is a good platform for deeper conversations, I decided to respond to some of the comments in this podcast episode.

It is also a great opportunity to verbalise a substantial amount of thoughts about hunting and nature conservation that I’ve accumulated over the years of both hunting and making this podcast. If you want to respond to my remarks, the best way to do it is in the comments under the YouTube video (for those who are watching this on YouTube). If you’d prefer not to comment in public, you can reply to my newsletter to send an email straight to my inbox. And if you’re not subscribed to the newsletter yet, the link is below.

It is another in the series of solo episodes that I’m going to publish this year. In those I present the views that I have developed after many years of making this podcast which include not only conversations with experts but also attendance at conferences and reading countless books on these subjects. You can treat those as bonus episodes. The episodes where I interview scientists, conservationists and people with a love for nature and the outdoors are still coming on a fortnightly schedule.

If you’re interested in hearing more from me, have a suggestion for future episodes or want to leave feedback, please contact me through the contact form. If you’re an event organiser and would like me to speak at your event, go and check out the following link.

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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 National Biodiversity Data Centre in Ireland lists sika as an invasive species. Despite that, it’s afforded protection under the Wildlife Act. It is prized by hunters as a game species and a source of excellent quality venison on the one hand, and hated by foresters and environmentalists for the damage to forestry and biodiversity on the other.

Sika is present on the entire European continent and, although not as widespread as in Ireland, it is also causing similar problems. This is reflected in the recent move by the European Commission to launch consultations to put sika on the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) list across the Union. This poses the obvious question: what does it mean for the Irish population of sika if the EC makes such a decision? Will or should it be allowed continuous protection with open and closed hunting seasons? Or should it be reduced to the status of vermin and be eradicated across the country?

To discuss the potential future of sika deer in Ireland and present a whole spectrum of views about this species, and invasive species more generally, I spoke with four expert guests presenting different views on the subject. By listening to this episode you will hear from Professor Jaimie T.A. Dick who specialises in Invasion Ecology, Eoghan Daltun an award-winning author who has spent last 15 years regenerating an Irish Atlantic rainforest, Damien Hannigan a Government Appointee to the Irish Deer Management Forum and Public Relations Officer at the Irish Deer Commission, and Professor of Wildlife Restoration Ecology, Adam T. Ford.

Sika Deer in Ireland: Invasive Status and Its Impact - A Three-Episode Exclusive

Access here: https://conservationlens.com/products/sika-deer-ias

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“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 International, IUCN and UNESCO. He is a co-founder of Equilibrium Research and Industry Fellow in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is the author and editor of numerous titles, including being a co-author of Leaving Space for Nature (Routledge, 2020), Arguments for Protected Areas (Routledge, 2010) and Authenticity in Nature (Routledge, 2011).

The book is an interesting and thoughtful discussion on the subject of “rights” applied to different entities. The author analyses the overlaps, synergies and also contradictions between concepts like ecosystem rights, biodiversity rights, animal rights and, last but not least, human rights. While reading the book I was impressed by the deep analysis which at the same time was presented in simple and easy to understand language. Everything is illustrated with stories and examples taken from the author's vast experience in places like Vietnam, Bhutan, Africa, Tanzania, the UK, and South America.

I found this book to be insightful, balanced and thought-provoking. Especially since it deals head-on with widely discussed hot-button topics like human-made ecosystems, invasive species, predator control, trophy hunting and the disproportionate attention given to charismatic megafauna at the expense of wildlife that is “more important” from the ecological point of view. Whoever tried their hand at discussing these topics at any length is well aware of how nuanced and difficult such discussions can be. So, more kudos to the author for concisely and competently dealing with them in his book.

I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the different concepts of rights as they relate to the environment as well as the wildlife and humans inhabiting it. As always, you can purchase the book using the link below and by doing so, you will support my work as I’ll get a small commission from each sale.

Get "Why Biodiversity Matters": https://amzn.to/4bF4MLW

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Join me for a conversation with Saoirse McHugh who is running as an independent candidate for the European Parliament to represent the Midlands-North-West constituency. During our discussion, we delve into a wide array of topics such as the connection between agriculture and environmentalism, sustainable land management practices and agricultural subsidies within the EU. We also talk about politics in general and why being politically active is important if you care about nature and the environment. Saoirse talks about her experiences in politics and her decision to re-enter the political arena. She speaks about the complexities of political landscapes and discusses the different motivations that drive individuals towards or away from politics.

Another big issue we dedicated a substantial portion of the podcast to is the EU’s Nature Restoration Law. It looked like it was approved by the majority of votes in the European Parliament, when unexpectedly the final vote that was meant to be a mere formality was postponed. So we talked about the current situation of this landmark law and whether there are still any hopes for it to pass. That led us to discuss changing political norms and the threats to democracy it brings. We finish by chatting about Saoirse’s hopes and plans for when she gets elected.

Remember to confirm that you’ve registered to vote by the 22nd of May and go ahead and exercise your democratic powers on the 7th of June.

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The paper that we discuss in this episode describes how an invasive species of ants disrupts lion hunting behaviour. There are also acacia trees, elephants, zebras and buffalos involved in the whole chain of interactions between species. To talk about this incredibly interesting research I invited an Associate Professor, Adam Ford, Canada Research Chair in Wildlife Restoration Ecology at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna, Canada who has a lab of graduate and undergraduate students who work on large mammal ecology. As for the paper that we will discuss today, it was led by Douglas N. Kamaru, a PhD student at the University of Wyoming, in the Goheen lab (Professor Jake Goheen). The other leads are Todd M. Palmer, University of Florida and Corinna Riginos, University of Wyoming. To see the full list of contributors (a total of 20 scientists) I refer you to the paper, which is linked below.

As always, you will get more links and articles to dive even deeper into topics we discuss on the podcast in my newsletter. So make sure you subscribe to not miss out on any nerdy, ecological goodness.

Further reading:

• Invasive ants leave lions scrambling for prey on the savannah in an ecological chain reaction | Popular Science
• Disruption of an ant-plant mutualism shapes interactions between lions and their primary prey | Science
• Tiny ant species disrupts lion's hunting behavior | ScienceDaily

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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. invasive) predator control and building a network of resting areas for waterfowl.

It is also a great example of cooperation between hunting and non-hunting organisations for the benefit of nature. This type of cooperation is something I’ve always been a strong advocate of. So it was my great pleasure to invite to the podcast: Veli-Matti Pekkarinen, the Waterfowl Habitat Specialist from the Finnish Hunters’ Association and Heikki Helle, the Wetland Specialist at BirdLife Finland.

Listen to our conversation to learn more about SOTKA and Helmi projects. We also discuss the details of cooperation and specific actions that are undertaken to meet project objectives. I also enquired about the social perception in Finland of actions like predator control. Overall it was interesting to compare mindsets and attitudes in Finland with those in Ireland or the UK. Also, big shoutouts to Padraig Breen from NARGC who was instrumental in making this podcast episode happen.

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