§ Mr. PickthallTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of illegal coursing on the population of the Irish hare; and if he will commission research on the size of the population. [138561]
§ Angela SmithNo assessment has been made of the impact of illegal coursing on the population of the Irish hare in Northern Ireland.
The Irish Hare Species Action Plan, published by the Department of the Environment in 2000, identifies the need to carry out regular surveys of the Irish hare population in Northern Ireland. The purpose of these surveys is to estimate the size of the population and make deductions about the causes of any movement in the estimated numbers. A baseline survey was completed in 1997; this was followed by "The Northern Ireland Irish Hare Survey 2002", carried out by Professor Montgomery's research team at The Queen's University of Belfast. The Department will carry out regular, similar research into surveys of the Irish hare population to measure progress against the Species Action Plan targets "to maintain the existing range and to demonstrate a population increase by 2005; and to double the present population by 2010 over as much of the range as possible". The next of the surveys will be commissioned in spring 2004.
Separate research is also under way at Queen's University into the status and population dynamics of the Irish Hare, using DNA techniques, and on the ecology of the Irish hare.
Copies of the documents referred to above have been placed in the Library.