A collapse in species is evident throughout the world including Ireland but pointing the finger of blame at farmers is not the way to address the crisis, according to the leading conservationist Inger Andersen. If we invest in nature, it will bounce back – unless we have caused it to go into extinction,” she added. Of the 3,000 species of plants and animals that have undergone a “red-list conservation assessment” in Ireland, one in every four species is threatened with extinction. In Europe, freshwater fish were threatened, while 24 per cent of Irish species in this category were endangered. “At this critical time for the planet and for humankind, environmental stewardship has never been more important,” the Danish environmentalist tweeted.

Source: The Irish Times February 21, 2019 01:18 UTC