News From ABGN

13/12/2025

🌍 Why Hunting Still Matters Today 🌿
In today’s human-dominated landscapes, hunting is not a relic of the past — it is a modern wildlife management tool.
🦌 Wildlife populations need active management
Europe’s ecosystems are shaped by people, infrastructure and land use. While large predators are returning in some regions, their presence also creates new ecological, social and safety challenges and does not automatically replace the need for human-led management.
🌱 Hunters are partners in conservation
Hunters invest in habitat restoration, biodiversity projects, wildlife monitoring and long-term data collection — work that supports both prey and predator species.
📊 Science-based regulation
Modern hunting operates under strict rules, seasons and quotas based on scientific assessments, population monitoring and adaptive management.
🌾 Supporting rural communities and coexistence
Hunting helps maintain viable rural livelihoods and contributes to practical coexistence between people, wildlife and recovering predator populations.
🍽️ Responsible use of natural resources
Hunting provides local, traceable wild food and reinforces responsibility for nature — rather than shifting that responsibility elsewhere.
At FACE, we stand for balanced, science-based wildlife management, where hunting plays a responsible and essential role.

12/12/2025

The National Party remains fully committed to protecting Irish hunting, angling, and other traditional countryside pursuits.

We recognise the vital role that ordinary hunters, trappers, terriermen and women play in animal conservation, propagation, and maintaining a healthy ecosystem.

We strongly oppose the misrepresentation of individual hunters in the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill, brought forward by Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy, which seeks to vilify and cast the work of ordinary rural people in a negative light.

12/12/2025

🇮🇪 𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 — 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍’𝐓 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐋𝐃

There’s a lot of emotion online about hunting.
But here are the facts backed by Irish and European wildlife research — and they completely change the conversation.

☘️ 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐱 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 — 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞

Ireland eliminated wolves, lynx and bears long ago. With no predators left, fox numbers rise beyond what the land can support.

As a result, foxes now live at unnaturally high densities, confirmed by NPWS & DAFM.

High-density fox populations mean:
✔ More disease (especially mange)
✔ Starvation and slow death
✔ More roadkill
✔ More pressure on endangered wildlife

𝑫𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 “𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆” 𝒇𝒐𝒙𝒆𝒔 — 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈.

🐶 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝 &
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬:

Hunting with hounds is the only fox-control method that 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫, natural and selective.

𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤, 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝.

Healthy foxes are the most likely to escape — just as they are designed to, as they would from wolves in a natural ecosystem.

This means:
✔ The weakest foxes (mange, injury, illness) are removed quickly
✔ Prevents slow deaths from infection, exposure or starvation
✔ Disease spread is reduced
✔ Strong, healthy foxes remain
✔ The overall population stays fitter and healthier

No other method — can guarantee this natural selective effect. This is wildlife management at its most natural.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐱 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐨𝐮𝐬
𝐕𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬.

No suffering.
No lingering wounds.
Nothing like starvation, poisoning, snares or untreated disease.

This is why VAWM - Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management consider it one of the most humane control methods available

🦊 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞: 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 ‘𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬’

This is the uncomfortable truth:

❌ 𝐈𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 — 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬
• Shooting
• Emergency culls when bird populations collapse

Meanwhile:
✅ 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲.

🔄 A ban simply shifts control from selective, natural predation to other alternatives

🌿 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲: 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 🐤

NPWS, Teagasc and BirdWatch Ireland all identify predation as the #1 cause of breeding failure in: curlew, lapwing, snipe, hen harrier and other endangered ground-nesting birds.

When predator pressure is reduced, results are dramatic:
📈 Areas with management such as predator control and fencing saw curlew fledging increase 221% in a single season.

Predator management isn’t optional — it’s essential for saving these species.

This is what real conservation looks like.

🌍 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨
UCD-led research found 74% of Europe’s ground-nesting birds are declining, and predator pressure is a major factor.
Across Europe, conservation bodies and governments work with hunters to protect vulnerable species.

Many countries still regulate hunting with hounds because:
✔ It is selective
✔ It benefits wider ecosystems
✔ It mirrors natural predator behaviour

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 (𝐔𝐊), 𝐟𝐨𝐱 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 — it simply switched to alternative, less selective methods.

🐄 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝
• Supports rural businesses
• Retains hedgerows and habitats
• Monitors wildlife disease
• Connects communities and generations
• Operates under strict regulation and welfare oversight

This is a functioning rural ecosystem — social, economic and ecological.

🔥 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 🔥

𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐞 — 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲-𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬.

𝐈𝐟 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐞 — 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐬.

If you care about wildlife welfare, you should care about doing what actually works. Not basing opinions on uninformed emotions, or click bait, rage materials. 📢

𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬
BirdWatch Ireland (2019–2023) Breeding Bird Survey Reports. BirdWatch Ireland, Wicklow.
BirdWatch Ireland (2021) Curlew & Wader Conservation Status Summary. BirdWatch Ireland, Wicklow.
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2019) Wildlife Unit Annual Ecology Summary. DAFM, Dublin.
Environmental Protection Agency (2020) State of the Environment Report: Biodiversity and Habitat Fragmentation. EPA, Wexford.
FACE – Federation for Hunting and Conservation Europe (2020) Biodiversity, Rural Communities and Hunting: Policy Position. FACE, Brussels.
FACE – Federation for Hunting and Conservation Europe (2021) The Socio-Economic Contribution of Hunting in the EU. FACE, Brussels.
FACE – Federation for Hunting and Conservation Europe (2022) Hunting for Conservation: Overview of 430+ Hunter-Led Conservation Projects Across Europe. FACE, Brussels.
McCarthy, T. (2022) The Role of Predation and Habitat Fragmentation in Irish Upland Ecosystems. PhD thesis, University College Cork.
McMahon, B., Bolger, T., Irwin, S. & Sweeney, O. (2020) ‘Generalist predators and biodiversity decline in fragmented European landscapes’, Journal of Applied Ecology, 57(4), pp. 743–756.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2018) Conservation Evidence Review: Ground-Nesting Birds. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2019) Curlew Task Force Report. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2021) Red List for Birds of Ireland. NPWS, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service & Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2017–2023) Curlew Conservation Programme: Annual Reports. NPWS/DAFM, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service & Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (2017–2022) Hen Harrier Programme: Ecology and Conservation Reports. NPWS/DAFM, Dublin.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (2019) Wildlife Disease Surveillance Reports. NPWS, Dublin.
Teagasc & National Parks and Wildlife Service (2020) Agri-Ecology Report: Causes of Wader Breeding Failure. Teagasc, Carlow.
UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science (2020) Carnivore Ecology & Predator–Prey Dynamics: Field Notes. University College Dublin.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management (2011) Understanding Life in the Wild. VAWM, London.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management(2018) Hunting, Wildlife Management and the Moral Issue. VAWM, London.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management (2020) The Natural Chase. VAWM, London.
Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management (2025) Position Statement on Hunting with Dogs. VAWM, London.

11/12/2025

11/12/2025

🦊 5 Facts About Foxes – Nature’s Adaptable Survivors
Foxes are one of Europe’s most successful wild predators — intelligent, adaptable and present in almost every landscape. But alongside their ecological role, they also carry important challenges for wildlife management and public health. Here are five key facts:
1️⃣ Foxes are extreme survivors
They thrive in forests, farmland and even cities. Their ability to adapt to human-altered landscapes makes them one of the most widespread predators in Europe.
2️⃣ A single fox family can expand rapidly
With high reproductive capacity and few natural enemies in many regions, local populations can grow quickly without active management.
3️⃣ Foxes are key carriers of serious diseases
They play a major role in spreading rabies, sarcoptic mange, echinococcosis (fox tapeworm) and other zoonotic diseases that threaten wildlife, livestock, pets and even humans.
4️⃣ They strongly impact ground-nesting species
Fox predation is a major pressure on vulnerable species such as ground-nesting birds, hares and amphibians — especially in fragmented agricultural landscapes.
5️⃣ Hunting is a vital management tool
Regulated fox hunting helps control disease spread, balance ecosystems and protect vulnerable species, while supporting biodiversity and animal welfare at the population level.
✅ Sustainable hunting is not about removing predators — it is about keeping nature in balance where natural regulation alone is no longer sufficient.
Photo: Linda Dombrovska

26/09/2025

25/07/2025

🦌 Myth: Hunters are just old, grumpy men with no education who like to kill.
✅ Fact: Actually, hunters come from all kinds of backgrounds — doctors, teachers, students, IT folks, farmers, even a priest or two! It’s a shared passion that unites people who care about nature, wildlife, and conservation.
😄 And yep, we’ll admit it — there are a few old, grumpy ones among us. But hey, name one profession where there aren’t! Gotta know how to laugh at yourself too.
Have a great day, folks – and don’t believe everything you hear 😉
👉 How hunters conserve Europe’s biodiversity: https://www.biodiversitymanifesto.com/

24/07/2025

🟢 Hunting is more than a tradition — it’s a way of life.
For millions across Europe, hunting is not just a seasonal activity or a weekend pastime. It’s a lifelong connection to nature, to local culture, to food, and to responsibility.
✅ It teaches patience, discipline, and respect for wildlife.
✅ It fosters community — bringing generations together in the field.
✅ It contributes to biodiversity, habitat restoration, and species management.
✅ It connects us directly to the origins of our food and the rhythms of the natural world.
🌿 In a time when many are increasingly disconnected from nature, hunters remain among the few who truly live it.
Learn more about how hunters contribute to conservation: https://www.biodiversitymanifesto.com/