October 23rd, 2019
The Government has launched a public consultation to examine
the use of peat in the horticultural industry that critics say is helping to
drive the exploitation of our carbon-rich bogs.
The consultation is part of a belated review process, long sought after by conservation groups and peatland experts, that was listed as an action in the National Peatland Strategy released in 2015.
A working group made up of the Departments of Heritage and Climate Action and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified key issues that concerned stakeholders and the public are now encouraged to comment on.
Peatlands provide vital ecosystems, acting as the largest
global store of land-based carbon, supporting wide-ranging and
unique biodiversity, as well as filtering water and protecting against
flooding.
Yet, today, the majority of our peatlands are degraded due to historic and ongoing drainage for peat extraction. Drainage has impacted the vast majority of our 1.4 million hectares of bog – almost one-fifth of our entire landmass.
It is estimated that only 10 per cent of our raised bog (310,000ha) and 28 per cent of the blanket bog (774,000ha) resources are suitable for conservation.
Drainage occurs in order to allow extraction for domestic fuel, energy generation, and to make way for agriculture and forestry.
There is also extraction for the horticultural sector, with peat used as a growing medium by gardeners in Ireland and abroad. Two million tonnes of CO2 are released per year due to peat extraction for horticultural uses.
Over 420,000 tonnes of peat exports went to the UK last year, and a further 400,000 tonnes went to mainland Europe and further afield.
There are
currently up to 50 companies mining moss peat in Ireland, including
the semi-state Bord na Mona that
owns seven per cent of Irish bogs.
While the company plans to phase out the harvesting and use of peat for
electricity generation, it will continue to harvest peat for horticulture and announced plans last summer to
increase its production of peat bedding for livestock.
Mushroom industry
The mushroom industry is also a major user of horticultural peat for casing that holds moisture and allows the industry to grow year-round.
Harte Peat, our
largest supplier of mushroom casing, was taken
to court by the EPA last year for the extraction of wet peat up to five
meters deep at an unlicensed Co Westmeath site.
In an affidavit
read
during court proceedings, Monaghan Mushroom Group (MMG) founder Ronald
Wilson said that the industry “relies entirely” on peat for mushroom casings. Any
move to halt the flow of peat, he said, would “devastate the mushroom industry
within days”.
According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the mushroom and soft fruit sectors are actively looking to reduce their peat usage by using wood fibre and coir in their growing medium.
The closing date for consultation submissions is Monday 20 January 2020 and can be sent to peatinhorticulturereview@chg.gov.ie.
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