Peat extraction, conservation and the rural economy in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has a tradition of peat cutting; 78 per cent by area of remaining lowland bogs and 46 per cent of blanket bogs have been cut in the past. Since the early 1980s, machine peat extraction for fuel and horticulture has increased, against a background of changing economic support for agriculture, high rural unemployment and agricultural underemployment. Cutting fuel peat can reduce household fuel costs and some peat fuel is sold to gain income. Horticultural peat is cut mainly for sale. Expansion of machine extraction, with possible environmental impacts, occurred as interest in peatland conservation increased. Potential conflict arises between local economic needs and conservation. Machine cutting for fuel is widespread, but affects only 2.6 per cent of the blanket peat area; horticultural extraction is more localized and is only one-fifth of the extent of fuel extraction. Altitude, distance from roads, land ownership and rights, turbary, religious affiliation, local economic needs and the role of government departments all contribute to explaining the distribution and extent of extraction.