Sir, - With regard to your article on the Shannon Callows (August 13th), I would like to highlight some points which I feel were not fully addressed. The Corncrake Grant Scheme referred to in the article is operated in the Shannon Callows by Bird-Watch Ireland, a non-governmental conservation charity, with funding from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. This scheme, which is entirely voluntary, has paid out over £200,000 to farmers with corncrakes on their land since 1993.
The popularity of the scheme can be seen from the fact that over 80 per cent of farmers eligible to apply for the grant in 1997 chose to take part this year.
Bird-Watch Ireland's payment of £100 a hectare (£40 an acre) is not intended as a compensation payment - the scheme operates on an incentive basis. In normal circumstances, most farmers have harvested their hay crops successfully, in addition to receiving this payment.
Bird-Watch Ireland recognises the importance of this area to farmers and knows that the fate of the corncrake depends entirely on the farmers of the area. If the callows were not actively farmed, the habitat would quickly become too rank to be useful to corncrakes for shelter and as a nesting area. Our understanding of the intimate relationship between farming and corncrake conservation has been a guiding principle in the design and operation of the scheme.
We feel that this approach is understood and appreciated by the farmers with whom we deal. In fact, Mr MacConnell said that he was "amazed" at the positive feeling towards both the Corncrake and Bird-Watch Ireland's scheme from the farmers he spoke to in the area. Despite the setbacks both to farmers and to the corncrake project caused by this year's severe weather, we look forward to continuing to work closely with the farming community in the Shannon Callows both this year and in the future. - Yours, etc.,
Catherine Casey
Irish Wildbird Conservancy, Monkstown, Co. Dublin.