Majority of respondents to deer consultation support expansion of Irish venison industry

A significant number of people who participated in a consultation on the impact of the Irish deer population believe the venison industry should be expanded. 

Sixty nine percent of over 1,500 respondents to the first major public consultation on the Irish deer herd are in favour of expanding and developing a domestic venison industry in Ireland. 

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, along with Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, launched the public consultation late last year to inform the next phase of the development of the Deer Management Strategy Group. 

Dspite the large number of respondents in favour of expanding the venison market, consumption of venison in Ireland has dropped sharply in the last number of years. 

According to the Irish Farmers Journal, a continuous decline has been noted since 2016 with just 185 deer slaughtered for meat production in 2018. 

The public consultation received submissions from people all over the country from a wide variety of backgrounds, with the vast majority (86%) agreeing that culling is needed. 

However, a record number of deer were culled last year despite a lack of exact population figures. 

According to the Irish Deer Commission (IDC), data released by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) shows over 55,000 wild deer were culled in the 12-month period up to February 2022. 

The cull shows an increase of 24% from the previous record set in 2019 when 44,381 deer were culled. 

Main concerns highlighted as a result of the consultation include biodiversity loss/damage (82%), damage to agricultural crops/ grazing (81%), road safety issues (80%), preventing the establishment of new forests (71%) and a role in the epidemiology of TB in cattle (67%). 

However, the IDC and the Hunter Competence Assessment Programme (HCAP) have highlighted concerns regarding the consultation process and stated it is designed in a manner that has "a predetermined outcome". 

The IDC stated on their website: "The survey ignores the positive contribution wild deer make to the wider ecosystem, and will be used as a stick to vilify deer and force through changes that are not in the best interests of deer management or conservation." 

The Deer Management Strategy Group will now host a series of stakeholder working groups to develop recommendations on managing the deer population effectively. 

The groups will focus on development of the venison market, encouraging collaboration among stakeholders, necessary legislative changes, training and education initiatives and land management solutions. 

The group, chaired by Teddy Cashman, hopes to publish the final report in early autumn. 

Commenting on the work of the group, Minister McConalogue said, "For agriculture as well as our nature ecosystems, it is important that we aware of the need for the sustainable management of our national deer population. These include the protection of biodiversity, newly planted forestry, pasture and crops, road safety, animal health, public health, and not least the health and welfare of the deer themselves.

"I am delighted to see the Deer Management Strategy group, chaired by Teddy Cashman, progress this important work with officials from my department, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Coillte."