The resumption of peat harvesting, by way of derogation of emergency legislation, was the focus of a second meeting of a working group on horticulture peat.
Peat producers and vegetable, mushroom, and nursery growers are being forced to import peat from the Baltic States, Canada, Russia, and the UK after the High Court ruled that milling peat on bogs over 30ha requires planning permission from An Bord Pleanala and an EPA license. A working group was established to examine the issues identified during the Review on the Use of Peat Moss in the Horticultural Industry, comprised of representatives from the Department of Housing, state agencies, industry stakeholders, and environmental non-government organisations. The working group has been warned that 17,000 jobs are at risk due to the 2019 High Court ruling. Calls are now being made for a derogation or legislative amendment to save the 2021 harvest.
John Neenan of Growing Media Ireland (GMI) which represents most of Ireland’s horticultural peat producers has said, “The Department officials appear to definitely rule out a derogation and are not over positive on emergency legislation,” and went onto say “As far as I am aware, there is no legislative proposal available from the members to deal with this at present. However, GMI is working with their legal advisers and hopefully will have proposals available shortly.”
Bord na Móna suspended peat harvesting operations last year following the landmark High Court decision. It then formally ended all peat harvesting on its lands in January of this year. It is understood the closure of BNM’s peat division means CO2 emissions from peatlands in Ireland will reduce by over 97%. Just 0.12% of total Irish bogland has been developed for horticultural peat harvesting. The annual CO2 emissions from this area is 0.15% of total Irish emissions.
Speaking to The Irish Times, Just Transition Commissioner, Kieran Mulvey said: “Importing peat is nonsense. We’re importing the same product from another European country that doesn’t seem to have the same directives applied to them as are being applied to us on the same bogs.”
Without Bord na Móna, many Irish horticultural peat producers and vegetable, mushroom and nursery growers have had to import peat from across the globe. John Neenan commented, “Collectively, what the industry wants is a return to horticultural peat harvesting in 2021 – whether this is by way of emergency legislation or a temporary derogation (short term) and an amendment in the current legislation to allow peat harvesting continue, subject to an EPA license, and based on a phased reduction on peat use in line with the development of responsibly sourced peat alternatives. Neenan added: “Harvesting should be carried out in a responsible way and in line with good practice and under an EPA license.” A third meeting of the horticulture peat working group will take place shortly. ✽
