It's not too late to save UK nature but we must act now -
that is the conclusion from a coalition of more than 50 leading wildlife and
research organisations behind the State of Nature 2016 report.
Following on from the groundbreaking State of Nature report
in 2013, leading professionals from 53 wildlife organisations have pooled
expertise and knowledge to present the clearest picture to date of the status of our
native species across land and sea. The report reveals that over half (56 per cent) of
UK species studied have declined since 1970, while 15 per cent (1,199 of the nearly
8,000 species assessed in the UK) are under threat of disappearing from our shores
altogether.
Harry Barton, chief executive of the Devon Wildlife Trust,
said: "This report provides the most detailed picture of the state of our
wildlife ever. There are some successes to be proud of here in Devon, beavers, otters and
little egrets among them, but overall the tide continues to move rapidly in the
wrong direction. More than half the world's wildlife has disappeared since 1970.
It is still within our gift to turn this around and recover much of that loss. But
if we want to avoid a similar disastrous decline over the next generation, all of
us are going to have to do much more, think a lot more radically, and be far
braver."
There are many inspiring examples of conservation action
that is helping to turn the tide. From pioneering science that has revealed for the
first time the reasons why nature is changing in the UK, to conservation work - such as
the recovery of the cirl bunting in Devon, and its reintroduction to Cornwall,
the return of beavers to Devon for the first time in centuries, and the
reintroduction of cranes in Somerset and the large blue butterfly, also in Somerset - and the
restoration of areas of our uplands, meadows and coastal habitats. But more is needed to
put nature back where it belongs.
Nick Bruce-White, regional director of the RSPB in the South
West, said: "Whilst the State of Nature report clearly shows the challenges we face
in terms of winning the war on biodiversity loss, where we are working together to
exert sustained effort we are winning battles.
"The recovery of the cirl bunting, a small, colourful
farmland bird, which suffered catastrophic decline in the Twentieth Century because of
changes to agriculture, is a great example of this, an example of 'total conservation':
a problem was identified; solutions trialled and developed using sound
science; an urgency to address the problem was established; and commitment was
shown - from farmers, government agencies, conservationists, businesses and
communities - to take action. We need to use this State of Nature report as a warning
siren and take action now, before we lose all hope of passing on a healthier natural
environment to the next generation."
Andrew Whitehouse, South West manager at Buglife said:
"Cornwall and Devon support incredible wildlife riches, but the counties are not immune
from the pressures that have affected our wildlife elsewhere. Our South West Bees Project has shown that many of our bee species are struggling to survive in an
increasingly degraded countryside. But there are some good news stories, Devon and
Cornwall are national hotspots for oil beetles which can be seen around our coast
in the spring, and there is enormous potential to help our wildlife recover."
Liam Creedon, of Butterfly Conservation, said: "The
wild and windswept expanses of Exmoor and Dartmoor are not only amongst the most evocative
places in the UK but they are also strongholds to some of our rarest butterflies.
Butterfly Conservation's Two Moors Threatened Butterfly Project is
improving habitat for the marsh fritillary, high brown fritillary and heath fritillary
on these moors, to help restore and reconnect suitable habitat to provide
sustainable populations for the future."
Dr Trevor Dines, of Plantlife, said: "An ancient
wildflower meadow can be destroyed within a single morning and this quiet catastrophe has
befallen more than 97 percent of our wildflower meadows and grasslands since the
Second World War. Where there were once flowers at our feet there is now a factory
floor, little more than green concrete. Ask any member of the public and I bet
they'd want more of a balance, wildlife and production, not one instead of the
other. For all the doom and gloom of these shocking statistics, our wildlife is
resilient. If we provide plants and animals the right conditions they will come back from
the brink, we just have to give them a chance."
Alex Raeder, of the National Trust in the South West, said:
"This report is wake up call to everybody who loves nature and values the natural
environment. We cannot sit on our hands and let our natural heritage slip away. Whilst
some of our most important sites remain in reasonable condition it is clear
that in the wider countryside, where most of us live, wildlife that was once
common is being lost. We must create opportunities to bring the South West's birds,
bees, butterflies and flowers back to our countryside, by working in partnership
to create landscapes rich in nature."
As the UK Government and devolved administrations move
forward in the light of the EU Referendum result, there is an opportunity to secure
world leading protection for our species and restoration of our nature. Now is the time
to make ambitious decisions and significant investment in nature to ensure
year-on-year improvement to the health and protection of the UK's nature and environment
for future generations.
The State of Nature 2016 UK report was launched by Sir
David Attenborough and UK conservation and research organisations at the Royal Society
in London on Wednesday, September 14, while separate events were
held in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
Sir David Attenborough said: "The future of nature is
under threat and we must work together; Governments, conservationists, businesses and
individuals, to help it. Millions of people in the UK care very passionately about
nature and the environment and I believe that we can work together to turn around the
fortunes of wildlife."
In order to reduce the impact we are having on our wildlife,
and to help struggling species, we needed to understand what's causing these
declines. Using evidence from the last 50 years, experts have identified that significant
and ongoing changes in agricultural practices are having the single biggest impact
on nature.
The widespread decline of nature in the UK remains a serious
problem to this day. For the first time scientists have uncovered how wildlife
has fared in recent years. The report reveals that since 2002 more than half (53 per
cent) of UK species studied have declined and there is little evidence to
suggest that the rate of loss is slowing down.
An iconic Devon landscape: Devon Wildlife Trust's Volehouse Moor nature reserve, North Devon. Photo copyright David Chamberlain (All rights reserved)
