protecting and enhancing water for sustainable agriculture · protecting and enhancing water for...

Protecting and Enhancing Water for Sustainable

AgricultureWater-related measures for the agri-food, forestry and

marine sectors

March 2017

About the DAFM Water NetworkThe Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) Water Network was established following an internal Water Forum in October 2015, which created an opportunity to collectively share knowledge and expertise from across the water-related work areas of DAFM and its agencies. The purpose of the Water Network is to provide strategic direction and leadership to guide, co-ordinate and communicate the water-related work of DAFM and its agencies, in order to strengthen the parallel delivery of good water quality and safe, sustainable food production.

The Water Network comprises representatives from across the following DAFM divisions and agencies:

DAFM Divisions: Nitrates, Biodiversity & Engineering; Economics & Planning; Climate Change & Bioenergy Policy; Forest Service; Research & CODEX; Pesticide Registration & Control; DAFM Laboratories; Horticulture & Plant Health; Dairy Controls; Integrated Controls; Agricultural Environment & Structures.

DAFM Agencies: Teagasc; Bord Bia; Marine Institute; Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.

March 2017

Contents

Section 1: IntroductionBackground Food Wise 2025 EU Water Policy Document summary

Section 2: WFD: Nitrates, Pesticides and Environmental Impact DirectivesNitrates Directive Nitrates Derogation Agricultural Catchments Programme Farm Waste Management Scheme Plant Protection Products - Regulation and Sustainable Use Environmental Impact Assessment Directive

Section 3: CAP and WaterOverview Cross-Compliance Statutory Management Requirements Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) Greening Payment Provisions Farm Advisory System (FAS) Rural Development Programme

Section 4: Forests and WaterForest Service Land Types for Afforestation Environmental Requirements for Afforestation Support for Native Woodlands Proposed Environmental Enhancement of Forests Scheme Forestry and Freshwater Pearl Mussel

Section 5: Other DAFM Activities Relating to WaterOverview Climate Change Food Safety Research

Section 6: DAFM AgenciesOverview Teagasc Marine Institute Sea Fisheries Protection Authority Bord Bia - Irish Food Board

Contents

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Protecting and Enhancing Water for Sustainable Agriculture

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1. Introduction

BackgroundClean water is a fundamental requirement for the safe production of food and for ensuring consumer safety, and is also a key indicator of a healthy, sustainable environment. Promoting the environmental sustainability of the agri-food, forest and marine sectors is a strategic objective of the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM). In pursuit of this objective, DAFM expends significant resources across many of its divisions and agencies on a range of activities which directly and indirectly protect and enhance water for sustainable agriculture.

An internal Water Forum held in late in 2015 brought together the various DAFM divisions and agencies that work in the area of water quality or whose work has linkages with water issues. The Forum created an opportunity to collectively share knowledge and expertise with a view to maximising the effectiveness of the water-related work of DAFM. The Water Network was subsequently established in order to guide, co-ordinate and communicate this water-related work, and to strengthen the parallel delivery of good water quality and safe, sustainable food production.

In December 2016, a second Water Forum was held, this time involving other Government departments and agencies with a central role in water. This event provided DAFM the opportunity to discuss its water-related activities in realising Food Wise 2025

ambitions along with meeting obligations under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). It also provided other public bodies the opportunity to share their perspective, to identify gaps in the collective knowledge, and to understand how linkages could be improved to maximise the effectiveness of the collective work.

This document, entitled Protecting and Enhancing Water for Sustainable Agriculture, is a first communication from the Water Network and provides a ‘stock-take’ of the water-related activities of DAFM and its agencies within the context of the national Food Wise 2025 strategy and EU water policy.

This document is intended to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for readers to improve understanding of these water-related activities. It is also a first step in informing policy internally and externally.

Food Wise 2025 The industry-led Food Wise 2025 strategy, which is supported by Government, identifies significant growth and employment opportunities for the Irish agri-food, forest and marine sectors, and firmly positions this industry at the heart of Ireland’s journey to continued economic recovery. At the same time, the strategy recognises that a significant increase in

Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine

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food production cannot be considered in isolation from its environmental impact, and that future food production systems must manage and sustain our natural resources, including water. As stated in Food Wise 2025, “environmental sustainability and economic sustainability are equal and complimentary – one cannot be achieved at the expense of the other”.

Ireland’s climate provides for long grass-growing and grazing seasons, which in turn provide for a more sustainable food production system than that used in many other countries. Sustainable food production has become a driving force for business, with food companies recognising that sustainable practices implemented at farm level can increase both economic and environmental efficiency, afford competitive advantage and improve market penetration. Achieving and maintaining good water quality is critically important for Ireland in underpinning the Food Wise 2025 strategy.

EU Water PolicyThe Water Framework Directive is the primary EU water policy driver, and its objectives encompass the multi-sectoral achievement of good water status (quality and quantity) in all EU waters by certain deadlines.

While the quality of Irish water is among the best in Europe, agriculture is nevertheless a key pressure, with the potential to impact on our ability to fully meet stringent environmental objectives. The WFD requires Member States to manage water at the river basin scale, and DAFM is collaborating closely in this regard with the Department of Housing, Planning & Local Government and with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These bodies are leading the development of Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan. This plan will be finalised in 2017 and will form the basis for the implementation of the next phase of the WFD (2017-2021).

Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan must provide details of how Ireland plans to fully implement the following EU water-related legislation:

¾ Nitrates Directive

¾ Plant Production Products Regulation

¾ Environmental Impact Assessment Directive

¾ Habitats and Birds Directives

¾ Drinking Water Directive

¾ Marine Strategy Framework Directive

¾ Bathing Waters Directive

¾ Sewage Sludge Directive

¾ Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive

¾ Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive

¾ Major Accidents Directive.

The plan must also detail any other water-related measures which are considered necessary for Ireland to achieve WFD objectives.

Document summaryA wide range of farm-level measures and other measures currently being facilitated by DAFM divisions and agencies, directly and indirectly protect and enhance water quality. These measures play an important role in striking a balance between agri-economic growth and environmental protection, as set out in Food Wise 2025. Taken as a whole, they also represent the contribution of the agri-food, forest and marine sectors to Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan under the WFD. Figure 1 provides an overview of the various DAFM divisions and agencies which comprise the Water Network, and also provides key word information on the water-related work each have responsibility for.

As set out in this document, the following interactions with water apply:

¾ DAFM has statutory obligations under some EU Directives, that fall directly under the umbrella of the WFD.

¾ DAFM also directly facilitates water-related measures under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including the Direct Payments Regulation, the Rural Development Programme (RDP) and the Forestry Programme.

¾ There are a number of other areas of work that interact with water quality matters, including climate policy and food safety. The DAFM also promotes and supports water-related research through its research funding programmes.


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ACHIEVINGgoodwaterquality

ANDsafesustainablefood

Nitrates,Biodiversity

&Engineering

DAFMLaboratories

PesDcideRegistraDon&Control

FoodSafetyControls

Research&CODEX

ClimateChange&BioenergyPolicy

AnimalBy-Products

Economics&Planning

ForestService

Teagasc

MarineInsDtute

SeaFisheriesProtecDonAuthority

BordBia

AgriculturalEnvironment&Structures

IntegratedControls

MarineStrategyFrameworkDirec3ve

AgriculturalCatchmentsProgramme/Water-relatedresearch

Foodsafety/Shellfishwaters

OriginGreenQualityAssuranceSchemes

Environmentalsustainability

FoodWise2025

Promo3ngsustainable

forestmanagement

Researchfunds:RSF,

FIRM,CoFoRD,

Horizon2020

Animalby-productsdisposal

DairyControls&Cer3fica3on/

Hor3culture&PlantHealth/

VeterinaryPublicHealth&

Inspec3onService

SustainableUseofPes3cides

Broad-ranginglaboratorycapability

WFD/NitratesDeroga3on/EIA

CAPPillar2:RuralDevelopment

CAPPillar1:Directpayments

Figure 1 Overview of the DAFM Water Network.


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Agencies under the aegis of DAFM include Teagasc, the Marine Institute, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and Bord Bia. The water-related activities of these agencies are included under monitoring, research, food safety regulation and marketing measures. All of these activities contribute to further strengthening the compatibility between increased food production in accordance with Food Wise 2025, and achieving and maintaining good water quality under the WFD.

This document describes the water-related activities across the Department and throughout its associated agencies, under the following headings:

¾ WFD: Nitrates, Pesticides and Environmental Impact Directives

¾ CAP and Water

¾ Forests and Water

¾ Other DAFM Activities Relating to Water

¾ DAFM Agencies.


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Nitrates DirectiveThe EU Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) is the primary and most important agricultural measure included in Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan (RBMP), developed under the WFD. Its aim is to protect water against pollution caused by nitrates (and phosphates) from agricultural sources. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government (DHPCLG) operates the EU Nitrates Directive on a whole-territory basis through the implementation of the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014 (S.I.31 of 2014) and the European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 (S.I.134 of 2014). DAFM is an important stakeholder in the operation of these Regulations, which are commonly referred to as the ‘Nitrates Regulations’. The Nitrates Regulations give legal effect to Ireland’s National Action Programme under the EU Nitrates Directive and must be reviewed regularly. The next review of Ireland’s National Action Programme will take place in 2017.

Measures under the Nitrates Regulations that directly protect water include:

¾ a prohibition on the spreading of livestock manure and slurry containing more than 170 kg of nitrogen per hectare per year;

¾ a complete prohibition on the spreading of any fertiliser (either organic or chemical) on land during certain times of the year, when the risk of nutrient loss to water is greatest;

¾ a requirement that sufficient manure storage capacity is in place to meet minimum storage needs, and that all storage facilities are kept leak-proof and structurally sound;

¾ a requirement that the application of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers (including sewage sludge) is kept within overall maximum fertilisation rates based on crop requirements;

¾ a requirement to maintain buffer strips adjacent to watercourses, within which fertilisers cannot be spread or ploughing take place;

¾ a requirement to ensure winter green cover and to adhere to rules regarding ploughing and the application of non-selective herbicides;

¾ a requirement to provide non-spreading buffers in the vicinity of drinking water abstraction points;

¾ a requirement to keeping the amount of soiled water produced on the farm to a minimum and to divert all clean water from roofs to a clean water outfall; and

¾ a requirement to keep various records regarding area farmed, cropping regime, types of livestock

2. WFD: Nitrates, Pesticides and Environmental Impact Directives

Photo Teagasc, Agricultural Catchments Programme


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and numbers, storage facilities, and fertilisers brought onto the farm or sent out from it.

Hence, the Nitrates Regulations provide a considerable environmental baseline which all Irish farmers must achieve. By doing so, Irish farmers are contributing to the sector’s WFD obligations to protect and improve water quality.

Nitrates DerogationIn 2007, the EU Commission (EC) first approved a derogation (2007/697/EC) from the Nitrates Directive for Ireland. This allows individual farms to operate above the statutory livestock manure limit and up to a maximum limit of 250 kg nitrogen per hectare per year. The Nitrates Derogation is particularly important to intensive dairy farmers in facilitating the achievement of Food Wise 2025 growth targets. The Nitrates Derogation is operated by DAFM and is only available to grassland farms on an individual basis. It is subject to strict conditions, along with those listed above under the Nitrates Regulations. These additional measures that directly protect water include:

¾ the carrying out of soil sampling and analysis on each five hectares of farmland at least once every four years, to inform that farm’s fertilisation plan;

¾ the provision of a fertilisation plan to describe the crop rotation of the farmland and the planned

application of manure and other fertilisers; and

¾ the provision of fertiliser accounts, including information related to the management of nitrogen and phosphorus inputs and the management of soiled water.

DAFM is responsible for undertaking administrative checks on 100%, and field inspections on 5%, of derogation applications annually. The number of approved derogations has grown from 4,133 in 2007 to 6,800 in 2016.

Agricultural Catchments Programme As set out under Article 5(6) of the EU Nitrates Directive, EU Member States are required to monitor the effectiveness of their Nitrates Regulations. In Ireland, monitoring of the Nitrates Regulations is undertaken primarily through the EPA’s annual national water quality monitoring programme.

In 2008, however, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in accordance with the Nitrates Regulations, established the Teagasc-operated Agricultural Catchments Programme (ACP), for the purpose of monitoring progress in predominately agricultural catchments, and disentangling the effectiveness of agricultural measures from overall multi-sectoral impacts. The ACP is a multi-million euro project funded by DAFM and has been monitoring

Our grass-based system is a key element of Ireland’s agricultural sustainability. (Photo Teagasc)


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the effectiveness of Ireland’s Nitrates Regulations in 4-year phases since 2008 (Phase One 2008-2011; Phase Two 2012-2015; Phase Three 2016-2019).

The ACP has amassed a unique environmental, agronomic and socio-economic dataset that is unrivalled internationally. It comprises the same experiment applied within six agricultural catchments covering a range of landscape / soil / intensive farming combinations (Figure 2). A key success of the programme is the voluntary participation of over 320 farmers across these catchments. The combination of datasets – soils, groundwater, surface water, weather, ecology, farm practice, farmer attitudes, topography and economic returns – over successive years renders the ACP archives invaluable in the context of meeting the sustainable food production challenges that have been set in Food Wise 2025.

Following eight years of rigorous monitoring by the ACP, results indicate a positive response to the measures in the Nitrates Regulations. Scientific knowledge generated by the ACP helps fulfil Ireland’s monitoring and reporting requirements under the EU Nitrates Directive (including the Nitrates Derogation) and the WFD, and provides the basis for technology transfer to stakeholders. These credible research findings verify that Irish farmers are producing milk, meat and crops in an environmentally and economically sustainable manner. This scientific verification, in turn, bolsters Ireland’s green credentials in the context of anticipated environmental pressures under Food Wise 2025.

Figure 2 Location and overview of the six agricultural catchments included in the Agricultural Catchments Programme.


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Farm Waste Management SchemeIn addition to the Nitrates Regulations, Ireland’s National Action Programme under the Nitrates Directive included a commitment to invest in farm facilities to assist farmers in complying with the Regulations. In 2006, a Farm Waste Management Scheme (FWMS) was established by DAFM following a survey of farm facilities carried out by Teagasc. The FWMS provided up to 60% support for approved farm building works. Total expenditure on such works under the scheme was in excess of €2 billion, of which grant expenditure comprised approximately €1.2 billion. Approximately 43,000 farmers received approval for grant-aided farm building works under the FWMS, and storage capacity of over six million cubic metres created. To put this in context, this is equivalent to the storage requirement of 25% of the national bovine herd.

Plant Protection Products - Regulation and Sustainable UseThe EU Plant Protection Products Regulation (1107/2009) is another important agricultural measure in place to protect water quality and consumer safety. It controls the approval and placing on the market of plant protection products. While this EU Regulation is directly applicable to all Member States, further

statutory standing has been provided in Ireland through the Plant Protection Products Regulations (S.I.159 of 2012). The regulatory evaluation process conducted before a plant protection product or biocidal product can be placed on the market considers the potential for exposure of groundwater and surface water bodies that could result from the intended uses. Products can only be authorised: (i) if the predicted exposure of groundwater is estimated to be less than or equal to 0.1 parts per billion (ppb) for each active substance contained in the product; and (ii) if a surface water risk assessment shows that the predicted exposure results in an acceptable margin of safety for sensitive aquatic species.

A national monitoring programme conducted on behalf of the EPA assesses compliance with defined EU and national water quality objectives for various parameters, including pesticides. In addition, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive has been transposed into Irish law through the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulations (S.I.155 of 2012), in order to ensure the correct management of pesticides by users. These regulations introduce compulsory registration and training of pesticide advisors, distributors and professional users, sprayer testing, and safeguard zones surrounding drinking water abstraction points, where pesticides must not be applied. These actions all contribute to delivering good water quality in Ireland.

The correct management of pesticides by users is governed by the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive, transposed into Irish law through the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulations (S.I.155 of 2012).


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The need to observe safeguard zones and to follow best practice when using any pesticide product in the vicinity of a drinking water source is highlighted by the fact that a single drop of product is enough to cause an exceedance of the regulatory drinking water standard for pesticides (i.e. 0.1 ppb) along 30 km of a typically-sized stream. A series of information leaflets have been prepared to raise awareness and to give advice on best practice measures.

Environmental Impact Assessment DirectiveThe Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government (DHPCLG) is the lead Department with responsibility for the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (85/337/EEC), as amended by Directive 97/11/EC. However, following consultation with DAFM, it was agreed that certain typical agricultural activities under the Directive would be more appropriately regulated by DAFM. Consequently, the Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture) Regulations (S.I.456 of 2011) came into force on 8th September 2011. These regulations provide for an EIA screening and consent process for farmers. Where a farmer intends to undertake certain farming activities (as summarised below), and the proposed works exceed the area threshold for screening set out in the Regulations, s/he must make an application to DAFM for screening, giving details of the proposed works. DAFM subsequently assesses the potential for significant environmental impact (including water quality impact) prior to approving consent.

Restructuring of rural land holdingsRestructuring and re-contouring of rural land holdings involve changing the layout of the farm. This activity may have a significant impact on habitats, wildlife and the landscape. It can also impact the pathways by which nutrients and sediment move from agricultural land to waterbodies.

Commencing to use uncultivated land or semi-natural areas for intensive agricultureUncultivated or semi-natural areas encompass some very vulnerable wildlife habitats, some of which are already protected by legislation, e.g. the Habitats Directive, Wildlife Act, Environmental Liability

Regulations. Many of these habitats are dependent on having good water quality. The Regulations apply to works conducted within uncultivated or semi-natural areas that would enhance or intensify the agricultural productivity of such areas, but which might also impact on the habitats involved.

Land drainage works on lands used for agricultureLand drainage works on lands (other than wetlands) used for agriculture is covered by the Regulations and is controlled by DAFM, to ensure minimum impact on the water environment, biodiversity and soil carbon pools.


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3. CAP and Water

OverviewThe farm-level measures included in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) demonstrate the ongoing integration of EU environmental policy into EU agricultural policy. Many CAP measures directly and indirectly protect and enhance water quality. The CAP is shaped around two policy ‘pillars’, Pillar 1 and Pillar 2.

Pillar 1 deals with direct payments to farmers, and includes:

¾ a Basic Payment, which is conditional on numerous requirements being met, surrounding the eligibility of land for payment, environmental protection, food safety, plant health, and animal health and welfare;

¾ a Greening Payment, which is a payment for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment.

Pillar 2 deals with payments for voluntary measures under the Rural Development Programme (RDP), which farmers can avail of.

Cross-ComplianceIn order to receive the Basic Payment, farmers must comply with 13 Statutory Management Requirements

(SMRs), as well as seven requirements to maintain land in Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC). A number of these SMRs and GAECs are related to water, biodiversity and carbon. In addition, participating farmers must also comply with the Greening Payment requirements. Agriculture accounts for over 60% of Ireland’s land area and there are approximately 135,000 applicants who apply annually for direct CAP payments.

Farmer compliance with these SMR, GAEC and Greening requirements is checked annually by DAFM through the cross-compliance inspection process, based on a 1% sample selection. This equates to c.1,370 farms in total. The SMR, GAEC and Greening requirements are described in more detail below.

Statutory Management Requirements

SMR 1: Compliance with the Nitrates DirectiveUnder SMR 1, farmers must farm in accordance with the Nitrates Regulations (S.I.31 of 2014), in order to directly protect water against pollution caused by nitrates (and phosphates) from agricultural sources. SMR 1 is subject to the cross-compliance process referred to above. Also, in accordance with a high-level agreement with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government, DAFM


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carries out inspections on an additional 1,650 farms, focused specifically on compliance with the Nitrates Regulations, including the Nitrates Derogation.

SMR 2: Compliance with the Birds Directive The aim of SMR 2 is the conservation of wild birds. Farmers must comply with general standards that are applicable to all land, as well as additional requirements that apply on land (including wetland) designated as Special Protection Areas (SPA). The Birds Directive is a key measure of the WFD, with aquatic-based sites given Protected Area status.

SMR 3: Compliance with the Habitats DirectiveThe aim of SMR 3 is to promote the maintenance of biodiversity in a sustainable way, thus ensuring the preservation of protected natural habitats (including water-dependent habitats) and protected wild fauna and flora throughout the country. The Habitats Directive is a key measure of the WFD, with aquatic-based sites given Protected Area status.

SMR 10: Compliance with the Plant Protection Products DirectiveAll farmers using plant protection products and biocides must ensure that they use approved products only, and that they store and handle these products properly. Furthermore, they must keep records of the acquisition, use and disposal of such material, and these records must be available on inspection by DAFM officials. As previously described, the Plant Protection Products Directive is a key measure of the WFD, as it aims to protect water and to ensure consumer safety.

Remaining SMRsThe remaining SMRs controlled by DAFM through cross-compliance checks are concerned with ensuring food traceability and safety, consumer safety, plant health, and animal health and welfare.

Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC)

GAEC 1: Establishment of buffer strips along watercoursesCompliance with the buffer limits included in the Nitrates Regulations meet this requirement and serves to protect rivers and streams from losses of farm nutrients.

GAEC 3: Protection of groundwater against pollution In order to protect groundwater, farmers are not permitted to discharge chemical fertiliser, agri-chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, detergents), hydrocarbons or waste oils to groundwater. Similarly, the unauthorised burial of animals on-farm is not permitted.

GAEC 5: Minimum land management reflecting site specific conditions to limit soil erosion Soil erosion can cause sediment loss to rivers and streams and potentially pose a risk to water quality. Therefore, farm practices must not cause soil erosion. For example, permanent pasture and sand dunes must not be overgrazed or eroded. Additionally, permanent pasture must be managed to avoid rutting or poaching damage by machinery or animals. Supplementary feeding points and sacrifice paddocks must be managed to prevent severe poaching and soil erosion. Tillage practices and the disposal of soiled water must be carried out in such a way to prevent soil erosion and the depletion / degradation of soil carbon pools.

Greening Payment ProvisionsIn order to receive the Greening Payment, farmers must put in place agricultural practices that safeguard water quality, biodiversity and soil carbon, including:

¾ ensuring crop diversification;

¾ maintaining areas with an ecological focus; and

¾ protecting permanent grassland and environmentally-sensitive grassland.


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Farm Advisory System (FAS) EU Regulations governing the Direct Payment Schemes requires that DAFM operates a Farm Advisory System (FAS). The purpose of FAS is to aid farmers in meeting their Cross Compliance obligations and to help farmers avoid financial reductions under Cross Compliance, in respect of SMRs and GAEC.

The existence of FAS ensures that each farmer can seek and receive advice on Cross Compliance. While farmers avail of this facility on a voluntary basis, they are nevertheless encouraged to participate in it.

In 2016, all new and existing farm advisors, including Knowledge Transfer Facilitators, completed Farm Advisory System (FAS) training provided by DAFM under CAP. This included training by the EPA on WFD requirements to ensure good water quality.

Rural Development ProgrammeImproved farming practices resulting from the implementation by farmers of the Nitrates Regulations, the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulations and regulatory measures under Pillar 1 of CAP, have contributed to reductions in sources of pollutants from the agriculture sector (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) that impact on water quality. National water quality monitoring by the EPA indicates that pollution inputs to rivers, particularly from the agriculture sector, have seen 18.7% and 37.7% reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus sources, respectively. Furthermore, levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in groundwater and rivers have been mostly decreasing or stable since 2007 (EPA, 2015). Nevertheless, implementation of these regulatory baseline measures by farmers may not be enough to protect water quality in Ireland’s most vulnerable rivers, lakes and marine waters.

Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 includes further optional farm level measures which farmers can undertake if they wish to build on progress made under the regulatory baseline. In general, RDP measures are designed to protect and enhance natural resources and the landscapes in rural areas, and to contribute to the EU’s environmental priority areas of biodiversity, climate change and water quality. RDP measures include:

¾ the Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS);

¾ the Knowledge Transfer Programme;

¾ outputs-based agri-environmental schemes;

¾ the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS); and

¾ the Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP).

Green Low Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS)GLAS is a targeted agri-environment scheme with a budget of €1.3 billion over the course of the RDP 2014-2020, making it the largest scheme within the RDP. DAFM expects that there will be between 45,000 and 50,000 participants within the GLAS, once all three tranches are fully subscribed. Maximum annual payments to farmers are generally €5,000. However, there is potential for some farmers to increase their annual payment to a maximum of €7,000 by making an exceptional environmental commitment. GLAS is built on the previous and very successful Rural Environment Protection and Agri-Environmental Options Schemes, which operated up until recently, and ties in with the green vision for Irish agriculture contained in Food Wise 2025.

GLAS identifies key Priority Environmental Assets, including high status water areas and other vulnerable water areas, as well as farmland habitat, commonage land, protected birds and rare livestock breeds. Farmers in these areas receive priority access into GLAS, and must put in place appropriate measures under the scheme.

Measures to protect and enhance water quality include: the provision of arable grass margins and riparian margins; the protection of watercourses from bovines through fencing; the establishment of low-input permanent pasture and traditional hay meadows; and observing minimum tillage operations. As well as protecting water, many of these actions also provide biodiversity and climate benefits. Irish farmers have made a significant commitment under the first two tranches of GLAS, as set out in Table 1.


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Knowledge Transfer Programme

A suite of knowledge transfer measures are included in the RDP 2014-2020, comprising support for knowledge transfer groups across the beef, sheep, dairy, poultry, tillage and equine sectors. The programme is based on the discussion group model and is designed to ensure that the farmer and advisor engage in one-to-one discussion on key aspects of the farmer’s business. Such areas include profitability and financial management, farm health and safety, breeding, herd health and environmental sustainability (including water). The key focus of the Knowledge Transfer

Programme is fostering environmental and economic efficiencies at farm level. Independent research carried out by Teagasc shows that farmers in discussion groups achieve higher profits as well as higher environmental efficiencies.

In excess of 700 Knowledge Transfer Facilitators have been approved to date by DAFM. These facilitators must undertake compulsory Facilitator Training and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Training provided by DAFM.

Outputs-based agri-environmental schemesA total of €70 million is available under the RDP 2014-2020 for outputs-based schemes. These include the Burren Programme, the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Scheme; and Locally-Led Agri-Environmental Schemes.

Burren Programme The Burren Programme is a locally-targeted conservation programme that invests in Burren farmers and their land and livestock. It works closely with them to optimise their farming systems so that they can continue to produce high quality agricultural goods from an outstanding environment. DAFM provides €1 million annually to Burren farmers.

The Burren Programme has its origins in the BurrenLIFE

Table1CommitmentmadebyIrishfarmersfollowingTranche1andTranche2ofGLAS.

Measuredescription Numberofunits

Arablegrassmargins 357km

Low-inputpermanentpasture

238,569ha

Minimumtillage 6,385ha

Protectionofwatercoursesfrombovines

12,753km

Riparianmargins 62km

Traditionalhaymeadow 45,731ha

The objectives of the Burren Programme include (inter alia)contributing to improvements in water quality and water usage efficiency in the Burren region. (Photo Dr Brendan Dunford)


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Project (2005-2009), the findings of which became the foundations for the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme (BFCP), which commenced in 2010. Under the RDP, co-financed by the EU and DAFM and with support from the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), this locally-led scheme, now named the Burren Programme, will run for six years. In 2016, 200 farmers successfully applied to be part of the Burren Programme, as part of the first tranche of applicants. It is envisaged that up to 500 farms will be included by the year 2020. The objectives of the programme include (inter alia)contributing to improvements in water quality and water usage efficiency in the Burren region.

Freshwater Pearl Mussel SchemeIn 2017, DAFM expects to introduce a locally-led scheme targeted at priority Freshwater Pearl Mussel (FPM) catchments, as identified by NPWS, to contribute to the conservation of this endangered freshwater species. This scheme will be delivered through the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) framework under the RDP 2014-2020.

This commitment builds on the involvement of DAFM as a project partner of the EU KerryLIFE FPM project, which runs from 2014 to 2019. The DAFM contribution to KerryLIFE is in excess of €240,000. The project has developed farm plans for a number of farms within the Kerry Blackwater and Caragh FPM catchments.

These plans include targeted site-specific farm-level measures aimed at the conservation of the species and its aquatic environment. The experience gained from KerryLIFE will be integrated into the upcoming RDP FPM Scheme.

Targeted Agricultural Modernisation SchemeA number of schemes are included in the RDP 2014-2020 under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), which provides farmers with a level of support to meet the considerable capital costs associated with establishing their enterprise and ensuring that they have the most up-to-date technology available to compete in the modern sector. The level of funding available under these schemes is €395 million. Specific schemes under TAMS that are relevant to the protection and enhancement of water are described below.

Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment SchemeThe principle objective of this scheme is to assist farmers in purchasing low emission slurry spreading equipment (trailing shoe) to increase the uptake of farm nutrients by the crop and therefore to reduce losses to air and water. Following the first two tranches of intake, in excess of 400 applications have been received.

The Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment Scheme provides

support for investment in technology which reduces nutrient

loss to air and water. (Photo Teagasc, Kildalton)


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Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage SchemeThis scheme assists tillage farmers in the storage of animal excreta, soiled water and other farmyard manures and related facilities. A total of 1,532 applications have been received to date under the first two tranches of intake.

Tillage SchemeThis scheme assists tillage farmers with rainwater harvesting and with GPS-assisted precision farming in relation to the application of fertilisers and pesticide sprays. Precision farming is a key measure in targeting fertilisers and sprays on farmland and achieving economic and environmental efficiencies.

Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP)The BDGP is targeted at the climate emissions of beef farmers. The objective of the programme is to lower the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions by improving the quality and efficiency of the national beef herd. The programme is worth €300 million over the RDP 2014-2020, and is aimed at fostering improved economic and environmental efficiencies.

A more efficient beef herd means that more inputs will leave the farm as food product and therefore less of those inputs will be lost to the air. This improved efficiency will have a knock-on effect on reducing losses of valuable nutrient inputs to water. To date there have been almost 30,000 applications under this scheme.


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4. Forests and Water

Forest ServiceForests now account for 10.8% of Ireland’s land area and support a vibrant export-oriented forest products sector. In 2010, the overall forest sector supported an estimated 12,000 jobs, the majority rural-based, and contributed c.€2.2 billion to the economy. Non-timber benefits are also significant and wide-ranging, from biodiversity and carbon sequestration to the provision of amenity and recreation. Inappropriately sited forests and poorly managed forest operations can create a risk to the environment, including water. However, woodlands and forests that are suitably located and managed can have a significant role in protecting and enhancing water quality and aquatic habitats and species.

As the national forest authority, the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (FS-DAFM) has numerous responsibilities in relation to forestry in Ireland. These primarily revolve around the statutory regulation of key forest activities (afforestation, forest roading, thinning, felling and replanting, and aerial fertilisation). Under the State-aided 2014-2020 Forestry Programme, the Forest Service also promotes forestry development through various support schemes, including the Afforestation Scheme, the Woodland Improvement Scheme, the Forest Road Scheme and the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme.

As the consenting authority, FS-DAFM has key responsibilities under the WFD (as set out in transposing legislation) regarding its assessment of any application for approval to undertake a forest activity, principally to “exercise its functions in a manner which is consistent with the provisions of the [WFD] Directive and which achieves or promotes compliance with the requirements of the Directive”.

In the years 2014 to 2015, the following were carried out under the FS-DAFM assessment procedures: 12,449 ha of new forests were planted on 1,981 sites, comprising 21% broadleaves and 79% conifers. As per the required standards, each site includes 15% open space and retained habitat (include water setbacks) and a minimum of 10% broadleaves. A total of 4,908 Felling Licences were issued, covering 32,929 ha of thinning and 23,595 ha of clearfell. A total of 326 km of new forest roads were also constructed.

As part of its assessment process, FS-DAFM applies various procedures to ensure that any activity approved is in keeping with the principles of sustainable forest management and the protection of the environment, including water. Elements of this process include referral to other bodies (e.g. NPWS, Inland Fisheries Ireland, County Councils), AA and EIA screening, site inspections, and adherence to various standards and requirements, including the Environmental Requirements for Afforestation (see below).


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In addition to the above and tying in with forest research under DAFM’s Competitive Forestry programme for Research and Development (CoFoRD), there are a number of initiatives implemented by FS-DAFM that have a direct and indirect relevance regarding the protection of water. These are described below.

Land Types for AfforestationThe FS-DAFM Land Types for Afforestation document (released in March 2016) excludes a range of sites from the Afforestation Grant & Premium Scheme, due to infertile conditions (as indicated by vegetation) and / or other inhibiting site factors. This overlaps with many habitats (including Annex I habitats, particularly wet and dry heath, and blanket and raised bog) and landscapes that are highly sensitive from a water perspective, and with the catchment areas of many sensitive waterbodies. This effectively excludes afforestation as a landuse change from these areas.

Environmental Requirements for AfforestationThe FS-DAFM Environmental Requirements for Afforestation document, released in December 2016, outlines mandatory requirements for all afforestation, whether grant-aided or not. The requirements update and consolidate existing environmental guidelines and contain various additional safeguards regarding water protection. These include greater water setbacks for sites on peat soil and sites within the catchment area of high status objective waterbodies, the introduction of setbacks along sub-order ‘relevant watercourses’ and water-related ‘hotspots’, and the incorporation of a Potential Water Risk Scenario table and a template Water Management Plan, for use where particular concerns exist regarding water. The document also integrates requirements under the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulations (S.I.155 of 2012), in relation to, for example, herbicide application exclusion zones around different types of water abstraction points.

Support for Native Woodlands The Native Woodland Scheme provides support to undertake potentially significant works in relation to the delivery of water-related ecosystem services. This FS-DAFM package, developed and implemented in partnership with Woodlands of Ireland, NPWS, Inland Fisheries Ireland and other native woodland stakeholders, comprises two separate schemes:

¾ The Native Woodland Establishment Scheme (NWS Establishment), available as part of the overarching Afforestation Grant & Premium Scheme, funds the establishment of new native woodland on open greenfield sites. NWS Est. can be used to create ‘standalone’ native woodlands or to incorporate a native woodland component into a convention afforestation project, to address a specific environmental sensitivity.

¾ The Native Woodland Conservation Scheme (NWS Conservation) funds the appropriate restoration of existing native woodlands (including the conversion of non-native forests).

In addition to native woodland biodiversity and wider habitat connectivity, these schemes are designed to deliver various ecosystem services in relation to (inter alia) the protection of water quality and aquatic habitats and species. These include:

¾ reduction in sediment mobilisation and runoff into watercourses;

¾ interception of nutrient runoff into watercourses;

¾ bank stabilisation;

¾ food input into the aquatic ecosystem;

¾ shading / cooling;

¾ regulation of floodwater; and

¾ mitigating acidification.

The targeted application of NWS Establishment to deliver these ecosystem services is set out in the FS-DAFM document Woodland for Water: Creating new native woodlands to protect and enhance Ireland’s waters (September 2016). Similarly, NWS Conservation incorporates specific eligibility criteria to focus available funding on (inter alia) sites with particular sensitivities regarding water and aquatic habitats and species, such as Freshwater Pearl Mussel.


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Proposed Environmental Enhancement of Forests SchemeThe Forestry Programme 2014-2020 includes provision for the Environmental Enhancement of Forests Scheme. Under the scheme, a fixed grant will be available to forest owners to achieve structural changes within existing forests and during current rotations, to improve the environmental ‘footprint’ of those forests regarding impacts on water quality, habitats and species, archaeological sites, landscape and other environmental sensitivities.

A clear example in relation to water is the retro-fitting of a water setback and associated forest drain blocking or slow-flow damming, within a wind-firm plantation adjoining a watercourse. This would introduce a protective buffer during the rotation itself, which will be fully established and functioning whenever future thinning and clearfell take place.

The scheme is currently in development stage, and once released, will be of relevance to existing forests adjoining sensitive waterbodies.

Forestry and Freshwater Pearl Mussel FS-DAFM is currently developing a Plan for Forestry and Freshwater Pearl Mussel in Ireland, which will have a direct application regarding the protection of water within relevant catchments. This proposed Plan will set out how forestry activity will be undertaken within all 27 Freshwater Pearl Mussel catchments (including the Priority 8 Catchments) to ensure compatibility. The Plan is not yet finalised but is undergoing SEA and AA.

FS-DAFM is also a co-beneficiary in the EU KerryLIFE project, alongside NPWS, DAFM, Coillte, Teagasc, the community-based South Kerry Development Partnership, and others. KerryLIFE (LIFE13 NAT/IE/000144) is focused on sustainable land use management for the conservation of FPM. The project is based on the Caragh and Kerry Blackwater catchments in the southwest, which together host the two largest populations of FPM in Ireland, but where recruitment is insufficient to maintain adult populations. KerryLIFE is trailing a wide range of approaches under both agriculture and forestry, and the outcome of the latter will have the potential for much wider application. The project will run to December 2019.

Joint FS-DAFM / Woodlands of Ireland training of foresters and

ecologists in the use of the Native Woodland Scheme to deliver

ecosystem services, including the protection of water.


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OverviewA wide range of other activities undertaken within DAFM has a high degree of relevance regarding the protection of water quality. These can be grouped under headings relating to climate change, food safety and research.

Climate Change Climate change poses a major challenge to the sustainability of the agriculture sector, and this includes managing water. Global warming means more evapotranspiration, resulting in the atmosphere carrying more moisture. As a temperate climate, Ireland will most likely receive more rainfall. Climate policy focus is on an approach to carbon neutrality within the agriculture and land-use sector, including forestry, which does not compromise the capacity for sustainable food production. The continuation of measures to improve productivity, resource efficiency and good carbon land management practices will be essential in order to maximise the mitigation potential of the land sector and to ensure that the sector is climate resilient. The CAP and Rural Development Programme support these multiple objectives.

To date, many of the requirements and measures under CAP and the RDP have focused on improving water

5. Other DAFM Activities Relating to Water

quality, biodiversity and soil quality. From a broader perspective, many of these actions are also essential to climate action. For example, the establishment and maintenance of landscape features, such as functioning hedgerows, assist in objectives relating to water quality and biodiversity management, and also contribute to carbon sequestration benefits. Similarly, the Nitrates Regulations and the Nitrates Derogation promote the efficient use of nitrogen in relation to the protection of water, as previously described. This also reduces the emission of nitrous oxide and ammonia, thereby contributing to climate change and air quality objectives.

An adaptation plan is being developed for the agri-food, forest and marine sectors. This plan will include an analysis of the vulnerabilities of the sector to observed climate changes, extreme weather events and to future climatic conditions that it will have to adapt to, including issues related to water quality and supply, conservation and flooding.

DAFM consults widely, both internally and externally, to ensure consistency between agriculture, environment and climate change policy objectives. It also engages with research on potential climate change projects that have synergies with water protection. Examples include:

¾ AGRI-I (Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Initiative for Ireland);


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¾ CForRep (Additions and Refinements to the Irish Forest Carbon Accounting and Reporting Tool);

¾ AnimalChange;

¾ SQUARE (Soil Quality Assessment & Research Project);

¾ DrainMap;

¾ CONTROL (regarding waterways); and

¾ Sat-Grass (grassland intensification).

An Environmental Sustainability Committee is operating under the High Level Implementation Committee of Food Wise 2025. The role of this committee is to monitor and drive the implementation of the sustainability actions in the Food Wise 2025 Implementation Plan. A number of these actions relate to water quality.

Food SafetyWater is a well-known vehicle for the transmission of harmful micro-organisms to humans, either directly (through water for drinking or recreation) or indirectly (by contaminating food, e.g. by irrigating crops or washing animal carcasses with unclean water). Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) and Cryptosporidium are the main microbial hazards related to water-borne disease in Ireland. Livestock carry these microorganisms in their intestinal tracts, leading to the potential contamination of public and private water supplies. The risk posed by these pathogens to all sectors of the agri-food industry was illustrated by the 2011 VTEC outbreak in Germany and France related to sprouted seed, which resulted in more than 50 deaths. Consequently, the microbiological contamination of food products by water-borne micro-organisms represents a serious threat to Ireland’s reputation as a producer of safe, sustainable food.

Water is used in a multitude of ways by food business operators (FBOs) in the agri-food industry, for example:

¾ to wash premises using detergents and disinfectants (sanitizers);

¾ to wash carcases as allowed by law (to remove blood clots and bone dust, to wash poultry carcases);

¾ as an ingredient in meat preparations and meat products (e.g. crushed ice in sausage manufacturing);

¾ use in the dairying industry with direct product contact, e.g. washing of curd in cheese production, creation of culinary steam, etc.;

¾ to wash field crops before sale;

¾ to irrigate crops, both in the field and in protected cropping systems (e.g. glasshouses); and

¾ as a growing medium for plants (e.g. sprouted seed).

A general obligation is placed on all FBOs to ensure that all stages regarding the production, processing and distribution of food under their control satisfy the relevant hygiene requirements laid down in Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs and to have procedures based on HACCP principles.

As set out in Regulation (EC) 853/2004, additional

Water testing for faecal enterococci, using the membrane

filtration method.


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requirements exist for certain foods of animal origin. These include an obligation for FBOs to have a Food Safety Management System (FSMS), in which they describe how they verify that the water they use is safe for the use they put it to. This is regardless of whether the water used is sourced from a public supply or from a private well, both vulnerable to surface water influences.

Also, Regulation (EC) 853/2004 sets out a pre-treatment process for waste water produced at premises handling animal by-products, such as knackeries and rendering plants.

One of the main requirements of the FSMS is that water has to be potable at all stages, i.e. it must meet specific parameters set in the European Union (Drinking Water) Regulations 2014 (given effect in Ireland by S.I.122 of 2014). In order to demonstrate this, FBOs must test water at a set frequency for microbiological, physico-chemical and quality parameters. DAFM staff carry out official sampling and testing of the water used by FBOs to verify that it meets the minimum standards required. Remedial action must be taken to correct non-compliant water supplies in order to prevent public health issues arising.

The obligations for primary producers of food (of animal and non-animal origin) are to comply with the general hygiene provisions laid down in the Annex I of Regulation (EC) 852/2004, which require the use of ‘potable water, or clean water, whenever necessary to prevent contamination’. Horticultural producers are significant users of water, both for irrigation and the washing of crops. Groundwater, surface water or recycled water is used to irrigate crops. Such water can be contaminated as a result of run-off from land where animals have been grazing, where organic manures have been applied, where soil has been eroded or where the integrity of a well has been diminished.

DAFM laboratories play a key role in the oversight of food safety and animal health. These laboratories have the capability to detect a broad range of chemical and microbiological contaminants in food and water. Every year, approximately 800 water samples taken by DAFM officials at dairy, meat and horticulture establishments regulated by DAFM are tested at DAFM laboratories for a range of bacteria, including: E. coli, coliforms, faecal enterococci and, in the case of some DAFM laboratories, Clostridium perfringens.

ResearchDAFM leads and implements three competitive research funding programmes: the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM); the Research Stimulus Fund (RSF); and the Competitive Forestry programme for Research and Development (CoFoRD). DAFM’s Strategic Research Agendas, developed with significant stakeholder input, identify and prioritise a number of research thematic areas and a range of research topics, which are then used to inform the content of DAFM’s calls for research proposals.

The FIRM and RSF funds have scope to support water research activities, as this area is included within the scope of ‘Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, Climate Change & Trans-boundary Gases’, which represents one of the eight key research and innovation thematic areas identified in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda Sustainable Healthy Agri-Food Research Plan (SHARP).

The following are examples of recent and ongoing research work supported through the RSF Programmes and FIRM Programmes and relevant to water.

¾ HARMONY: High status waterbodies: Managing and optimising nutrients (see under Teagasc section, p.26);

¾ Development of a water use and waste management framework for the dairy processing industry; and

¾ The comparative public and animal health risks associated with spreading anaerobic digestate, animal manure and slurry on land: Science, policy and practice.

Similarly, the CoFoRD fund has the scope to support forests and water-related research, as described under Theme 3.6 Ecosystem Services in the Strategic Research Agenda ‘Forest Research Ireland – Meeting the Needs of Ireland’s Forest Sector to 2017 through Research and Innovation (FORI)’. Many of the key research needs identified have direct relevance to water, including high status waterbodies. Recently completed forestry and water research includes the following:

¾ FORMMAR: Forestry Management for the Freshwater Pearl Mussel. This research project studied forest management appropriate


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for Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera).

¾ CROW: Combined Research on Riparian Woodland. This 4-year project studied various aspects regarding aquatic buffer zones (ABZs), a feature of all new forests since 1991.

¾ HYDROFOR: Assessment of the impacts of forest operations on the ecological quality of water. This 7-year project, jointly funded by the EPA and DAFM, investigated the relationships between conifer forests, forestry operations and surface water quality and ecology in Irish rivers and lakes.

At the European level, a relevant research initiative which DAFM is supporting through its RSF programme, is the WaterWorks2015 European Research Area Network (ERA-Net) Cofund, a collaboration of the EU Water Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) and the Agriculture, Food Security & Climate Change JPI (FACCE-JPI). This research initiative aims to achieve more sustainable water use in agriculture, in order to increase water use efficiency and to reduce soil and water pollution. This is a common theme of the Strategic Research Agendas of the two collaborating JPIs.

Horizon 2020Horizon 2020 is the EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation, with a budget of nearly €80 billion over the period 2014–2020. DAFM facilitates Irish involvement in Horizon 2020 Societal Challenge by providing a National Delegate and the National Contact Point, with a view to increasing Irish participation and success in the programme. DAFM and the Marine Institute have principal national responsibility for Societal Challenge 2, which addresses agri-food, marine and inland waters, rural development and the bio-economy. The main thematic areas that influence the management of water are: sustainable food security; blue growth (which focuses on marine and inland waters); and rural renaissance, with one of its focus areas being natural capital. In addition, agri-food and water-related opportunities can also arise in other parts of the Horizon 2020 programme (e.g. within Societal Challenges related to Energy, Health and the Environment).


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OverviewVarious agencies operating under the auspices of DAFM undertake a wide range of water-related activities as part of their remit. These include Teagasc, the Marine Institute, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, and Bord Bia - Irish Food Board.

TeagascTeagasc is Ireland’s agriculture and food development authority. Its mission is to support science-based innovation in the agri-food sector and the broader bio-economy that will underpin profitability, competitiveness and sustainability. Teagasc is responsible for meeting the knowledge and technology needs of the entire food chain, and for integrating research, advice and education services to deliver the innovation support necessary to add value to Ireland’s agri-food sector.

The Teagasc-operated Agricultural Catchments Programme has been previously described. Some of the other water-related research projects currently being undertaken are listed below.

¾ COSAINT: Cattle exclusion from watercourses: Environmental and socio-economic implications. This project will assess the environmental, ecological and socio-economic impact of cattle

6. DAFM Agencies

exclusion measures on freshwater ecosystems.

¾ Sustainable land use management for the conservation of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel: Sediment flux and provenance. This study will assess sediment flux and provenance throughout two internationally important Freshwater Pearl Mussel (FPM) catchments in the southwest of Ireland (i.e. the Caragh catchment and the Kerry Blackwater catchment) and to assess the impact of implemented mitigation measures on sediment dynamics and consequent physical condition of the key FPM substrate environments.

¾ The impact of acute and chronic hydrochemical disturbances on stream ecology: Implications for agricultural policy. This study will help identify how stream ecological communities react to agricultural and non-agricultural acute and chronic stressors at different times of the year.

¾ Characterisation of drainage systems on a range of poorly drained sites. This study will assess the effectiveness, consistency and long-term usefulness of different agricultural drainage systems. This will allow a full evaluation of the benefits accruing to the landowners after artificial drainage systems are installed, and will also facilitate a full nutrient balance to facilitate a better understanding of soil fertility.


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¾ HARMONY: High status waterbodies: Managing and optimising nutrients: This project will integrate agri-environmental research with socio-economic tools, to provide evidence-based measures for nutrient management that are both cost-effective and acceptable to the farming community. This project will characterise the catchment characteristics of high status sites and assess current nutrient management practices in case-study catchments.

¾ Water foot printing of Irish ruminant source food production: This project will develop and demonstrate new models based on data collected from farms, to compute the total water footprint (including green and blue water) of Irish milk, beef and sheep meat production. These models will be integrated into national sustainability schemes and will allow policy makers to quantify agricultural related water abstractions. The results of this project will place Ireland in a unique position to validate the sustainability of its food production from a water consumption perspective.

Marine InstituteThe Marine Institute carries out environmental, fisheries, food safety and aquaculture monitoring to meet Ireland’s national and international commitments, and provides scientific and technical advice to Government to help inform policy and to support the sustainable development of Ireland’s marine resource. Furthermore, the Marine Institute promotes, funds and coordinates marine research and innovation in Ireland.

The Marine Institute’s role in relation to the WFD is primarily in providing monitoring services, research and scientific advice. Specifically, the Marine Institute implements monitoring for certain elements of the WFD in transitional and coastal waters on behalf of the EPA, namely:

¾ priority substances and other relevant pollutants;

¾ benthic invertebrate fauna;

¾ phytoplankton; and

¾ physico-chemical parameters such as oxygen, chlorophyll and nutrients.

The Marine Institute monitors water quality in shellfish areas under the Shellfish Waters Directive, now subsumed into the WFD. There are also strong links with other core monitoring activities undertaken by the Marine Institute, e.g. monitoring harmful algal blooms / shellfish biotoxins, human bacterial and viral pathogens in shellfish, Natura 2000 assessments of aquaculture activities, and fish health monitoring.

The Marine Institute also implements monitoring under the OSPAR Convention and contributes to monitoring required by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (MSFD). This directive establishes a framework to maintain or achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) in the marine environment by 2020. Its overarching aim is to protect marine waters by applying an ecosystem-based approach to the management of human activities while enabling the sustainable use of the marine environment for current and future generations. The MSFD is closely linked with the WFD and overlaps in coastal waters.

The Marine Institute has an active applied research programme including many projects in the broad areas of environmental health, food safety, aquaculture and climate change. The Marine Institute also runs a research station in the Burrishoole catchment in


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Co. Mayo. Since 1959, this research station has been focussed on monitoring diadromous fish movements between the marine and freshwater habitats, and is the only catchment in Ireland that allows a complete census of migrating salmon, trout and eel. The long-term ecological research data being collected are used in a wide range of national and international projects researching climate change, carbon cycling, sensor networks, land use change, forestry and water interactions, the evolution of diadromous fish, and water management.

The Marine Institute provides scientific advice to Government departments and agencies in relation to marine environmental issues. This includes the following.

¾ Advice to DAFM in relation to Aquaculture Licence applications. In compliance with the Birds and Habitats Directives, the Marine Institute actively participates in the Appropriate Assessment of the impacts of aquaculture activities on Natura 2000 sites by preparing supporting reports and by evaluating applications.

¾ Advice to the Department of Housing, Planning, Community & Local Government (DHPCLG) and DAFM in relation to applications for Foreshore Leases & Licence, by providing expertise to the Marine Licence Vetting Committee (MLVC).

¾ Advice in relation to applications for Dumping at

Sea Permits, by providing advice to Port Companies on sediment sampling and analysis for Dumping at Sea Permit applications of dredged material, and the assessment of sediment chemistry for the EPA.

¾ As advisors to the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment (DCCAE), the Marine Institute provides technical assessment for the permitting of chemicals used and discharged by offshore industry.

Marine and freshwater aquaculture licensing does not come under the auspices of the Marine Institute. These activities, along with foreshore licensing in the six Fishery Harbour Centres, are the sole responsibility of DAFM. The Department is also responsible for the control of dangerous substances in aquaculture under S.I.466 of 2008.

Benthic infauna sampling undertaken from the Celtic Voyager.


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Sea Fisheries Protection AuthorityThe Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is Ireland’s competent authority for seafood safety and sea-fisheries protection and comes under the aegis of DAFM.

One of the roles of the SFPA of relevance to the WFD is the classification of live bivalve mollusc production areas. Mollusc production for food purposes is subject to a specific regulatory regime designed to manage particular food-borne risks, notably algal biotoxins and viral contamination arising from human faecal pollution. Bivalve molluscs may only be harvested from production areas that have been classified by competent authorities.

Each production area is assigned to Class A, Class B or Class C, and this dictates the subsequent marketing channels open to those molluscs. Class A areas are the only areas from where molluscs may be collected for direct human consumption. Molluscs from Class B and Class C areas require relaying, purification or thermal processing prior to being placed on the market, in order to manage microbial risks within these food products.

SFPA Sea Fishery Protection Officers visit every classified production area monthly to obtain official samples of molluscs for analysis of the E. coli level in their flesh. Thereafter, three years of data from every production area are assessed on an annual basis prior

to classification (as Class A, B or C) for the subsequent year. Additionally, all out-of-class results (e.g. a Class B result from a Class A area) are followed up on by a SFPA investigation, with the potential for harvesting to be subject to a cessation order.

The SFPA sanitary surveys consider animal and human sources of faeces, and E. coli monitoring results are likely to represent both. As such, this work provides a useful index of the extent of faecal run-off and discharge into Irish estuarine and coastal waters.

One of the roles of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority of relevance to the WFD, is the classification of live bivalve mollusc production areas, to produce seafood safe for human consumption.


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Under Food Wise 2025, sustainable food production systems must manage and protect our natural resources, including water. (Photo Teagasc)

Bord Bia - Irish Food BoardThe Bord Bia Quality Division is involved in the writing and auditing of standards that are based on established best practice, as determined by technical experts, industry representatives and other experts. They provide a best practice roadmap for food producers and processers. A major objective of the Bord Bia Quality Assurance Schemes is to assist members to implement sustainable food production systems on and within their farms and processing plants. All food producers are assessed for compliance to the Bord Bia criteria, which includes several control points associated with the management and protection of water for the purpose of producing safe food and protecting the environment.

Origin Green is the sustainability programme run by Bord Bia. The programme is designed to enable farmers, producers and manufacturers to set and achieve measurable sustainability targets – reducing environmental impact, serving local communities and protecting natural resources. At farm level, Bord Bia collects information on water use and management and nutrient use and management. At manufacturer level, water conservation, management and protection is regarded as one of the key target areas in the Origin Green Charter. Manufacturer members are required to compile a comprehensive 5-year sustainability plan that is independently verified by a third party agency and monitored on an annual basis.


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protecting and enhancing water for sustainable agriculture · protecting and enhancing water for...

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