Coastal dune conservation on an Irish commonage: Community-based management or tragedy of the commons?

Abstract

In Ireland 'commonage' refers to lands jointly owned by several individuals who have grazing rights. Commonage can provide the low-intensity grazing regime regarded as optimal for habitat conservation, and it is also unlikely to suffer the negative impacts of building development or coastal engineering. Today, however, the traditional control systems of coastal commonage are generally moribund, leading to habitat degradation. The only viable future management model is likely to be one based on local community control. Community management would have the legitimacy to counter the negative perceptions of external authority that generate environmental degradation. © 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation © The Royal Geographical Society.