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Headlines from week beginning 9 November 2015 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Boost for bees thanks to new projects for pollinators
- defra
Thousands of people are signing up to schemes to create new habitats
for bees and pollinators as part of the government’s National Pollinator
Strategy, George Eustice will announce today (9/11/15). A year on from the launch of the Strategy, which aims to protect
pollinators and promote their vital contribution to the countryside and
our economy, a range of initiatives have been launched by environmental
groups, retailers and schools to help pollinators flourish. The range of initiatives that partners in the National Pollinator
Strategy are delivering is set out in a new implementation plan
published today. Other examples of progress include:
The actions in the Plan come under five key themes:
The National Pollinator Strategy, which was launched last year,
encourages everyone to support pollinators – be they major landowners,
councils, or window-box gardeners – by taking five simple steps to help
pollinators known as the ‘Bees Needs’. The National Pollinator Strategy implementation plan can be found
here.
Bearded tits thriving in the Tay reedbeds -
RSPB Scotland Long-term monitoring of one of the country’s most charismatic little
birds has revealed that the River Tay is possibly their largest
stronghold in the UK.
In 2014 723 of these charismatic birds were ringed at the Tay
reedbeds – more than double the number in 2013. Data from the BTO also showed that the Tay reedbeds were home to 45
per cent of the bearded tits ringed in Britain last year, highlighting
the importance of this site to the country’s population.
Surprisingly, the birds only colonised the reedbeds along the Tay, the
largest continuous area of reedbed in Britain, in the early 1990s. Heather McCallum, RSPB Scotland reserves ecologist: “The Tay reedbeds
are a stronghold for bearded tits in Britain and the work done by the
Tay Ringing Group and Iain during the course of his PhD means that we’re
able to keep track of how the birds are faring here. This data not only
underlines the importance of the Tay reedbeds to the population but also
demonstrates how the careful management of this environment has enabled
these birds to thrive here. Bearded tits are an amber list species
and although 2014 was a good year for them at the Tay they are
vulnerable to severe winters. Numbers can fluctuate year on year so it’s
vital that we continue to manage the reedbeds to maximise the quality of
their habitat”
UK bird populations benefitting from innovative partnerships - BTO New report reveals conservation organisations partnered with farmers,
supermarkets and even the brewing industry has positive impacts on bird
populations.
The State of the UK’s Birds 2015 report (SUKB) [published today
Tuesday 10th November 2015] showcases a range of inspiring examples of
organizations joining forces, from within and outside the conservation
sector, aiming to improve the status of birds both within the UK and
across the UK’s Overseas Territories. National statutory bodies and conservation NGOs have engaged with
private landowners, farmers, supermarkets, the aggregates industry and
even the brewing industry in partnerships to deliver exciting projects
across the UK. The annual SUKB report takes a deeper look at the fortunes of
farmland birds in particular which overall have declined by 54% since
1970. Despite the continued long-term decline seen across farmland
birds, collaborative partnerships and agri-environment schemes have been
shown to have positive impacts on a number of farmland bird species. The report reviews a range of projects; from targeted species
recovery programmes benefiting Cirl Buntings and Stone Curlews, through
to agri-environment schemes for which positive effects have been found
on some, but not all, widespread declining farmland species. More
targeted schemes have been shown to increase or at least maintain local
densities of Grey Partridge, Tree Sparrow and Yellowhammer at the
farm-scale. Wetland birds are another group to have benefitted from partnership
projects, particularly at a landscape scale; Redshank and Lapwing are
responding to habitat restoration and management in Greater Thames,
Bittern in Somerset and Curlew in Northern Ireland. Meanwhile in upland
areas Black Grouse populations have increased on sites in north Wales,
Geltsdale and Scotland as a result of habitat management and
partnerships between game managers and conservationists. David Noble, Principal Ecologist at BTO, said: “The development of
agri-environment schemes has been informed by considerable research into
the requirements of farmland birds and field-based tests of management
options. However, bird responses can vary due to differences in
implementation, as well as other factors; so continued monitoring is
critical to assess their design and modify as needed.”
A modern legal framework for protecting and managing wildlife – Law
Commission In a report published on Tuesday 10 November the Law Commission
recommends reforms to modernise and simplify the law regulating wildlife
and create a flexible legal framework for the future. The current law regulating wildlife is spread over a collection of
Acts dating back to 1831. The original purpose of much of the law was to
govern activities such as hunting and fishing, including poaching. Over
the years it has expanded to conserve species, ensure the welfare of
wildlife and protect local biodiversity. Much of the older legislation
is out of step with modern requirements, and there is duplication
between the principal modern Act – the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
– and Regulations made with a view to implementing EU law obligations.
The result is a legal landscape that is out of date, confused and
sometimes contradictory. In its report, the Commission is recommending that the patchwork of
existing legislation be replaced by a single statute. The new statute
brings together the law governing the protection, control and management
of wildlife to make it more consistent, easier to understand and simpler
to use. Reflecting relevant EU directives and international conventions
as well as national wildlife policy, the statute provides a regulatory
framework organised around schedules listing protected and controlled
species and prohibited conduct. Existing protections for wild animals, birds and plants are
maintained but a statutory procedure for amending the schedules is
introduced, allowing for more strategic management of species. The
existing requirement for protected species lists to be reviewed every
five years is extended to include all relevant lists. Ministers retain
the power to make changes between reviews but they will be required to
publish their reasons if they do not follow expert advice. Access the report here
Islay Sustainable Goose Management Strategy – Scottish Natural
Heritage We have received a number of complaints because of an article in the
media which included a number of inaccuracies. Below is an explanation
of the Islay goose management strategy and some corrected statistics and
facts. Eileen Stuart, head of policy and advice at SNH, said: “We’re
confident the Islay goose management project is robust and protects both
the goose populations on Islay and the needs of farmers to protect their
crops. The project will secure the long-term future of the large geese
populations on Islay, and the geese will continue to be a wildlife
spectacle we can all enjoy. The project will reduce crop damage
significantly by decreasing the number of barnacle geese, improving
habitat for rare Greenland white-fronted geese, and helping farmers
manage their land more effectively. It will support large numbers of
barnacle and white-fronted geese on the island, as well as help local
farmers whose land and crops are affected by the geese. More than 70% of
the island will remain as undisturbed feeding areas for geese. Barnacle
geese numbers have increased steadily on Islay over the past 20 years or
so, and farmers have played a crucial role in this conservation success
story. But with more geese, there has been increased pressure on both
farmers and the public purse. We believe this new, long-term strategy
strikes the right balance between conservation, making sure Islay
farmers can use their lands profitably, and responsible use of public
money. Local stakeholders have been vital in the development of this
project."
Toxic Tastes - Ireland's Bees and Non-Native Rhododendron Nectar -
Trinity College Dublin Botanists from Trinity College Dublin's School of Natural
Sciences have discovered that the nectar from a common, non-native
plant, is toxic to some Irish bees. These effects vary based on the
species of bee consuming the nectar, but they are lethal to some. Common
rhododendron is one of the most invasive plants in the United Kingdom
and is also notorious in Ireland for threatening native forest habitats. In the study just published in Functional Ecology, research led by
the Trinity botanists with UK collaborators at Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, University of Greenwich, Royal Holloway University of London and
Newcastle University shows that its nectar is extremely toxic to native
honeybees.
The nectar from Common Rhododendron flowers has
toxic effects on native Irish honeybees (Trinity College Dublin) The study, funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish
Research Council, was led by Research Fellow, Dr Erin Jo Tiedeken, and
Professor in Botany, Jane Stout, of the School of Natural Sciences in
Trinity, with the collaborators from the UK. The team fed artificial nectar containing realistic concentrations of
grayanotoxins, isolated from the Rhododendron flowers by scientists at
Kew, to three economically and ecologically important pollinating bee
species to investigate how these nectar toxins impacted native bees.
Study suggesting neonicotinoids are safe is severely flawed says
scientists - Buglife A paper
published last week in Environmental Sciences Europe has criticised
a study funded by pesticide manufactures. The study by agrochemical
giant, Syngenta claims to show that one of the insecticides which they
produce is safe for honeybees, however an analysis by an independent
group of scientists shows that these claims are unfounded. The
study was published in scientific journal PLOS ONE and was based on the
use of thiamethoxam when used as a treatment for maize and oilseed rape
seeds. Thiamethoxam is one of three chemicals known as neonicotinoids
which have been identified as being harmful to wildlife including
honeybees and bumblebees and have now been restricted by the European
Commission. A group of scientists from across the world have analysed the study
and concluded that there are serious flaws and also controversy in how
the study was published. However, Syngenta had concluded that the
residues of the chemical in the pollen and nectar of the crops were a
“low risk” for honeybee colonies. The paper identified a number of issues with the study One of the authors and Pesticides Officer for Buglife, Vanessa
Amaral-Rogers said “Given all these issues, it was surprising that the
study had been published. It’s also concerning that there are these
close ties between the pesticide regulators and the agrochemical
companies. The regulators are supposed to be independent but it appears
that this has certainly not been the case in this instance.” Dave Goulson, Professor at the University of Sussex and another of the authors said “The European Commission is currently reviewing the neonicotinoid restriction and will be taking into account any new data. As publications in refereed journals are likely to be taken seriously in political debates and policy-making, they must be based on valid experimental designs and analyses, otherwise they are potentially misleading.”
Report shows mixed picture on harbour seal numbers around Scotland
- Scottish Natural Heritage There continues to be an east – west divide when it comes to the
numbers of harbour seals around the coast of Scotland, according to a
new report published today (11 November) by Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH). The results of survey work from 2014 show that numbers of harbour
seals are at an all-time high on the west coast of Scotland since
surveys started in the late 1980s, but have continued to decline in the
east. Over the past 15 years the surveys, carried out by the Sea
Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at the University of St Andrews, have
documented a decline in numbers of harbour seals on the east and north
coasts and the Northern Isles. In that time numbers have dropped by over
90% in the Firth of Tay and Eden Estuary and 75% around Orkney. Last year only 29 seals were counted in the Firth of Tay and Eden
Estuary Special Area of Conservation (SAC), set up to protect habitats
and wildlife including harbour seal, compared with 88 counted in 2012
and 773 in 1992. Drops in numbers were also recorded in other protected
wildlife sites along the east coast including in the Moray Firth and
Dornoch Firth. In contrast, numbers have gone up by 60% or more in some
parts of the west coast over the last six years, with some of the
highest area counts recorded to date.
John Baxter, Principle Marine Adviser with Scottish Natural Heritage
said: “It’s great to hear that harbour seal numbers on the west coast
are doing so well but it’s of real concern that numbers on the east
coast continue to drop so dramatically. It’s still not clear what’s
causing the decline but we’re continuing to work with colleagues at
Marine Scotland and SMRU to try to get a better understanding of what is
going on. These surveys are important to help monitor seal numbers so we
can work together to take action if necessary - this year we have funded
further surveys of Shetland and the south-west and south-east coasts.”
Access the report in full here.
RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts criticise decision to cut funding for
environment by up to 40% Following Monday’s announcement regarding severe cuts across DEFRA,
the RSPB and The Wildlife Trusts have come together to highlight what it
could mean for the environment.
Mike Clarke continued: “This seems to us to be a truly perverse
decision. A lack of resource is already damaging the UK Government’s
ability to meet basic statutory obligations. These obligations aren’t
‘nice to haves’ – a healthy natural environment underpins our
prosperity. Investing in environmental protection is an essential part
of any plan for a better future"
National Trust calls for urgent action to manage threats to
our coastline The National Trust is calling for urgent action from Government and
agencies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure all coastal
areas are ready for the enormous challenges presented by severe storms
and rising sea levels. Twelve and a half thousand new homes and businesses have been built in coastal areas at risk of significant erosion or flooding over the last decade despite a range of national guidance strongly advising against such developments, a report for the conservation charity has found. Only one in three coastal planning authorities in England have the most up-to-date planning policy in place to deal with rising sea levels and more frequent storms. In 2013 and 2014, the coastline was battered by a series of storms and high tides which resulted in levels of erosion and flooding experts would usually expect to see every five to 15 years. And, in the coming years extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent, affecting people and natural habitats putting coastal wildlife at risk.
In its new report – “Shifting Shores – playing our part at the
coast” the Trust calls for a bold and imaginative approach to coastline
management, involving an understanding of how nature works, moving
towards adaptation and away from maintaining engineered defences, where
appropriate, while being sensitive to community needs. This
includes ending the ineffective cycle of continually rebuilding concrete
sea defences and instead relocating buildings, infrastructure and
habitats to safe areas further inland at some at risk locations. The Trust, which cares for 775 miles of coastline for the nation,
will be putting this approach into practice with its commitment to have
plans in place for 80 of the coastal areas it cares for by 2020. Peter Nixon, Director of Land, Landscape and Nature at the National
Trust says: “The harsh truth is that our natural environment is in poor
health – wildlife is in decline, over-worked soils are being washed out
to sea and climate change is becoming an increasing threat. The Trust
has always been about much more than simply looking after the place it
manages. The complex and ever-changing challenges we face on the
coastline can only be addressed by working in partnership with others.
We can’t and won’t ever succeed on our own. Above all we need to
understand the forces of nature at work, so that we can all make
well-informed choices about whether and where to continue maintaining
hard defences or to adapt to and work with natural processes.”
High Court refuses permission to challenge UK Government’s bee-harming
pesticide decision - Friends of the Earth Friends of the Earth expressed disappointment and concern after the
High Court today (12/11/15) refused its application for a judicial
review of the Government’s decision to allow banned bee-harming
neonicotinoid pesticides to be used on oil-seed rape seeds in some parts
of England this autumn. The environment group is now considering taking
the case to the Court of Appeal. The High Court ruled that the evidence and advice provided to the
Secretary of State for the Environment was sufficient for her to legally
take a decision lawfully to grant the authorisations and that Friends of
the Earth could not challenge this decision. But the judgment did not
decide whether she had taken the right decision.
Shooting boosts conservation - BASC The importance of shooting’s contribution to conservation is
highlighted by the reduction in government spending announced this week. The shooting community, which influences the management of some 14
million hectares – two-thirds of the total rural land area – is already
helping government reach its targets and conserve key species. Shooting
provides the equivalent of 16,000 full-time jobs in conservation and
spends £250 million a year on conservation, eight times more than the
RSPB spends on managing its reserves. It is widely acknowledged that improving habitat for game enhances
its value for many other species and can effectively reinforce
agri-environment schemes. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s
Allerton project showed that the number of songbirds on a farm doubled
when game management practices were introduced. BASC believes that the 30 per cent economies to be achieved by Defra
emphasise the need for private landowners, land managers and those who
shoot to continue improving habitat and encouraging wildlife. Through its work on mink control BASC has achieved a remarkable
improvement in the status of water voles, which are a priority
biodiversity target species. BASC’s director of conservation, Tim
Russell, said: “Shoots make an immense contribution to the UK’s
biodiversity and have the potential for even more. Often a small effort
can reap big rewards for wildlife. There is a huge amount of
conservation advice on the BASC website and the team at BASC is always
ready to advise and help shoots realise their full potential.” BASC chairman Alan Jarrett said: “We’ve never shirked from our role as guardians of the countryside but now it’s more important than ever. I can think of few other groups that cherish the countryside and take such positive steps to conserve it as those who shoot; the reduction in government funding should act as a spur to shooters to ensure that their land continues to be a haven for wildlife.”
Fairness In Wild Bird Licensing As Keeper Wins Landmark Legal Battle
- National Gamekeepers Organisation A gamekeeper from Northumberland has today (13/11/15) won a landmark
legal battle after a Judicial Review at the High Court in London quashed
the decision of Natural England – the Government’s conservation advisor
– to refuse to issue him with a licence to control a small number of
buzzards that were causing serious damage to young pheasants in his care
during the summer of 2014. The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) said the court’s
judgment had established that in order to be lawful, “wildlife licensing
decisions must, in future, be made by Natural England (NE) fairly and on
the facts, without NE exceeding its powers”. The NGO, which represents
keepers in England and Wales, supported the gamekeeper’s court battle. The gamekeeper, Ricky McMorn, who is self-employed, lost his
livelihood earlier this year as a result of buzzard attacks on his young
gamebirds. The scale of the losses over several years had eventually
made his modest gameshooting enterprise financially unviable. Mr McMorn first applied to Natural England for a buzzard control
licence way back in 2011 and had done so again each year since. But NE
consistently refused to grant him a licence, despite acknowledging that
serious damage was being caused by buzzard attacks taking place on his
game shoot. The licensing system, administered by NE, became law in 1981
for the specific purpose of solving such exceptional and genuine cases
of wildlife conflict. The case was heard over three days at the Royal Courts of Justice in
London in June this year, but Mr Justice Ouseley reserved his judgment
to give greater consideration to the case. Handing down judgment today,
he quashed NE’s refusal to grant Mr McMorn a buzzard licence on four
grounds. Mr Justice Ouseley concluded that NE had taken public opinion into
account, which was unlawful when judging a wildlife licence application;
that NE had failed to consider properly a licence to live-trap the
buzzards rather than shooting them; that NE’s decision was “Wednesbury
unreasonable”; and that it had been made according to an undisclosed
policy which went beyond NE’s and Defra’s powers in law. Defra (the
Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) is the part of
Government for which NE runs the wildlife licensing system under
contract. Mr Justice Ouseley’s judgment of the case can be read in full by
clicking
here You can read more about the background to the case by clicking
here A report published by the European Commission today has found that
the EU’s Nature Directives, the backbone of European conservation
action, are ‘fit for purpose’. The draft findings of a study on the EU
Birds and Habitats Directives show that the legislation, where
implemented appropriately, has been effective in protecting some of
Europe’s most threatened species and habitats, especially within the
Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Overall, the Directives are
deemed to have made a ‘major contribution’ to the goal of halting
biodiversity loss in the EU, the target agreed by all EU member states
in the EU’s 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. These findings will inform the European Commission’s evaluation
(fitness check) of the Nature Directives, whose objective is to conclude
if the legislation is adequate for helping the EU reach its 2020
targets. The study also calls for sustained and urgent EU action on
conservation and restoration, and the political will to enforce the full
and effective implementation of the Directives, the lack of which was
identified as the key obstacle for delivering the full biodiversity
benefits. It points to major economic benefits of adequate
implementation, from enhanced ecosystem services and tourism. However, the report also found that the Directives alone cannot
deliver the goals of halting biodiversity loss, but that urgent
complementary action was required in other policy areas, notably
agriculture. IUCN has welcomed the findings of the study. “The report confirms our
view that the EU Birds and Habitats Directives are fit for delivering on
the biodiversity targets, but it also clearly shows that solid means of
implementation is lagging behind. ‘Business as usual’ is not an option,
but urgent action is needed both at EU and national level to step up
efforts to put the legislation to work ‘on the ground’. This will
require smart and consistent funding – but it has to be made clear that
this is an investment in our future, rather than a cost to society,”
said Luc Bas, Director of the IUCN European Regional Office.
Scientific publications Mills, M. et al (2015)
Reconciling development and conservation under coastal squeeze from
rising sea-level. Conservation Letters. DOI: 10.1111/conl.12213 Russell, D. J. F., Wanless, S., Collingham, Y. C., Huntley, B. &
Hamer, K. C. (2015)
Predicting Future European Breeding Distributions of British Seabird
Species under Climate Change and Unlimited/No Dispersal Scenarios.
Diversity DOI:10.3390/d7040342
Crees, Jennifer J. et al
A comparative approach to assess drivers of success in mammalian
conservation recovery programs. Conservation Biology DOI:
10.1111/cobi.12652 Geijzendorffer, I. R., et al (2015), How much would it cost to monitor farmland biodiversity in Europe?. Journal of Applied Ecology. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12552
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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Environment
Minister George Eustice speaks at Bee Summit about range of pollinators
initiatives
Male
bearded tit feeding in Phragmites reedbed
Yellowhammer
by Jill Pakenham / BTO
The
nectar contains grayanotoxins, natural plant produced chemicals, which
occur in leaves and help rhododendrons avoid being eaten by insects and
mammals.
Freshwater
West, Pembrokeshire. Credit Joe Cornish
