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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
CJS Featured Charity 2018 Everyone who works within the countryside sector knows how important
our charities are. That's one of the reasons why CJS offers free
advertising in CJS Weekly, we'd much rather the charities spent their
hard earned money (your generous donations) on actually conserving
something than on splashy advertising. You're reading CJS, you don't
need to be told how wonderful RSPB or your local Wildlife Trust is to
make you want to work for them - you already know. CJS supports
charities financially too and we've made it possible for you do so by
adding a small donation to your subscription or when you get a job and
no longer need your Weekly edition to donate the value of the remainder
to our charities. Each year CJS choses one Featured Charity giving them the opportunity
to highlight their cause and good works to CJS readers. We try to
select one of the smaller, perhaps less well known organisations.
CJS
is delighted to welcome our new featured charity and for them to
introduce themselves. The Vincent Wildlife Trust Who we are From the groundbreaking national surveys that documented the
catastrophic decline in the otter and water vole populations in the 20th
century, to the recent reintroduction of the pine marten to mid Wales,
The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) has been at the forefront of mammal
conservation in Britain and Ireland for over 40 years. The Trust was
founded in 1975 by the late Vincent Weir, a philanthropist, naturalist
and visionary. The Trust does not have a membership, but does have a
strong ‘Friends of VWT’ supporters group and many loyal and totally
indispensable volunteers. Read on to find out more about what they do and how you can help.
Blue Belt extended to protect rare seabirds -
Defra Government announces two new marine Special Protection Areas and
extensions to four other sites to safeguard rare seabirds.
Nearly 150,000 rare seabirds – including the iconic little tern and
black-throated diver – will be better protected as the UK’s ‘Blue Belt’
of marine protected areas extends by over 650 square miles, Environment
Minister Thérèse Coffey announced on Sunday 3 December.
Sandwich
tern (photo credit: Natural England) A newly classified marine Special Protection Area (SPA) will come
into force along a 24 mile stretch of coast from Falmouth Bay to St
Austell Bay in Cornwall. The area is the UK’s most important site for
the wintering black throated diver. This new protection will help to
minimise disturbance to the feeding areas and marine habitats the birds
rely on, providing a safe haven where they can spend the winter. A
further marine SPA has been announced in the Irish Sea between the Isle
of Man and Anglesey – home to over 12,000 Manx shearwaters – while four
other sites have been extended around the UK, ranging from Liverpool Bay
in the north-west of England, Poole Harbour on the south coast, and the
Outer Thames Estuary near London. The UK is already a world leader in marine conservation, with over 23
per cent of our waters protected, and these new sites will help to
strengthen our Blue Belt and give rare seabirds like the little tern a
brighter future; providing havens for nearly 150,000 birds that breed on
our shores in summer or flock there in autumn and winter, helping them
to thrive into the future. The sites form part of the government’s ongoing commitment to create
a ‘Blue Belt’ of protected areas around the UK’s coast – with over 23
per cent of UK waters already protected and with more than 300 sites
across the UK.
Rare Birds Flock to Surrey Thanks to Trust's Conservation Work Some of Surrey’s rarest birds have been given a major boost following
years of work by Surrey Wildlife Trust to improve their precious
habitats. Populations of nightjars, Dartford warblers and woodlarks have
all seen significant increases in recent species surveys. Carefully planned conservation work on sites including Poors
Allotment, Ash Ranges and Barossa, led by the Trust’s countryside team,
is having a real impact on the numbers of birds spotted on the important
lowland heathland reserves. “This is incredibly encouraging news as we can really see how all our
hard work is making a vital difference to wildlife in the county,” said
Ben Habgood, the Trust’s Grazing Officer. “It represents thousands of volunteer hours cutting and clearing
invasive scrub, grazing by our conservation herd, site patrols and
litter picking, surveying and monitoring target species and occasional
mechanical clearances. It’s been a long, hard slog, but it’s fantastic
to see that some of Surrey’s most iconic birds are benefitting.”
Surveys
on Ash Ranges near Woking found more than 150 pairs of Dartford warblers
- the highest level since 2008, when populations were all but wiped out
by cold winters. Woodlarks were at record levels, with over 40
territories recorded and nightjar numbers were also nearly at record
levels, with around 70 pairs. Other species such as tree pipit,
stonechat and redstart were also at their highest levels for several
years. Nightjars are ground nesting birds. (credit:
Robert Solomon.) On Poors Allotment near Bagshot, a recent Natural England survey
found the habitat to be much improved and in a ‘favourable’ condition,
following years of work by the Trust alongside The Heathland
Conservation Society volunteers. Nightjars and woodlarks are moving into
new breeding grounds and the number of Dartford warblers has nearly
doubled.
GWCT receives funding for new Avon Valley project The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has received funding
for an exciting new project in the Avon Valley. As well as carrying out vitally-important work on Waders for Real, a
team of ecologists from GWCT have started research on Ellingham
Floodplain Restoration Project, which consists of species in rich-wet
grassland and rush-pasture such as breeding waders, wintering wildfowls,
otters and water voles.
Water
vole in a hole (image: GWCT) Based in Somerley Estate and funded by Tarmac Landfill Communities
Fund, the project, like Waders for Real, aims to reverse the decline in
breeding lapwing and redshank, by the creation of hotspot sites with
ideal habitat and management over the next 12 months. The numbers of breeding waders in the Avon Valley have declined
dramatically, with declines of 64% in lapwing, 75% in redshank and 97%
in snipe between 1982-2002. Similar declines have been seen across many
other lowland wet grassland sites throughout Britain. Falls have
also been seen within aquatic communities and for species including
salmon, roach, perch and eel. Due to these alarming figures, breeding waders have become a priority
species in the valley, and GWCT ecologists aim to further enhance
habitat in and around the favoured nesting fields by creating six
scrapes to hold water into spring and through selective pollarding of
trees and scrub removal to open-up the landscape. The management of these fields should also make them more attractive
to snipe, teal and wigeon in winter. A relict oxbow has been reinstated
which lies 800m from a Tarmac aggregates site, to benefit fish,
particularly roach, and aquatic invertebrates.
Unique collection of pears to be planted Volunteers at a popular Pershore nature reserve are planting a unique
collection of Worcestershire pear trees.
Worcester
Black Pear (©Wade Muggleton via Worcestershire Wildlife Trust) Research and DNA testing by Worcestershire orchard expert Wade
Muggleton and Paul Labous of Shuttleworth Agricultural College in
Bedfordshire has shown that not all Worcester black pear trees are what
they seem. The two collaborated in 2015 and 2016 to try to
discover whether the historic Bedford warden and the Worcester black
were actually the same variety; some historic records suggested that
this could be the case. Harry Green, trustee of Worcestershire Wildlife Trust and volunteer
reserve manager of Tiddesley Wood nature reserve on the outskirts of
Pershore offered to start a collection of Worcester black and other
warden pears in the orchard on the edge of the woodland. Harry Green
explained “The research undertaken by Wade and Paul has been
fascinating. It appears likely that what we know as a Worcester black
pear is but one of what were once a wider range of these cooking pears
known as wardens. DNA testing has shown that not all the trees
that we believe to be Worcester black pear trees actually are and their
story is hidden in the mists of time. The orchard at Tiddesley
already has a number of important trees in it. The Pershore yellow or
egg plum, for example, was discovered in Tiddesley Wood itself in 1833
and we have several of them in the orchard. Creating a collecting
of these different pear varieties we believe is unique and it will be
interesting to have them growing side by side. We’re delighted that Wade
is donating four of the trees that he has grown/grafted personally and
would like to thank the County Orchard Project for paying for the
others. It is hoped in future that other culinary pears will be
added to the collection.” Find out more about the importance of orchard
habitats in this article by PTES in the current CJS Focus which looks at
Forestry & Arboriculture
ORCA launches The State of European Cetaceans 2017
ORCA
have today (Tuesday 5 December) released the latest in their The State
of European Cetaceans reports, with the 2017 edition including some
fascinating insights into whales, dolphins and porpoises in UK &
European waters. Image: ORCA The State of European Cetaceans is a series of reports based on
ORCA’s citizen science, documenting the results of its survey findings,
and drawing conclusions about what the results mean for whales, dolphins
and porpoises in the wild. With significant and emerging threats
continuing to adversely impact these animals and their habitats, ORCA's
findings are crucial in providing evidence to conserve these animals in
the future. ORCA's second report in the series, ‘The State of European Cetaceans
2017’, builds on the work of the first edition by exploring new data
alongside a more detailed analysis of specific habitats and species
observations from across ORCA’s dataset. The report adds data from ORCA’s 2016 surveys into its analysis,
giving a richer picture of how population and distribution of European
cetaceans might be changing. It also explores the key threats facing
cetaceans in Europe, as well as conducting a detailed analysis of ORCA’s
data on common dolphin in the Celtic Seas, Bay of Biscay and English
Channel. The State of European Cetaceans 2017 is the culmination of a huge
amount of hard work and dedication from ORCA volunteers and supporters,
and we want to thank everyone who have contributed to making it a
reality. To find out more and download the report, visit the SOEC page here.
Unsustainable food systems threaten wild crop and dolphin species
– IUCN Red List Tokyo, Japan, 5 December 2017 (IUCN) – Species of wild rice, wheat
and yam are threatened by overly intensive agricultural production and
urban expansion, whilst poor fishing practices have caused steep
declines in the Irrawaddy Dolphin and Finless Porpoise, according to the
latest
update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Today’s Red List
update also reveals that a drying climate is pushing the Ringtail Possum
to the brink of extinction. Wild Wheat: Triticum turgidum (Barbara Ender
Jone) Three reptile species found only on an Australian island – the
Christmas Island Whiptail-skink, the Blue-tailed Skink (Cryptoblepharus
egeriae) and the Lister’s Gecko – have gone extinct, according to
the update. But in New Zealand, conservation efforts have improved the
situation for two species of Kiwi. “Healthy, species-rich ecosystems are fundamental to our ability to
feed the world’s growing population and achieve the UN Sustainable
Development Goal 2 – to end hunger by 2030,” says IUCN Director General
Inger Andersen. “Wild crop species, for example, maintain genetic
diversity of agricultural crops that can adapt to a changing climate and
ensure food and nutritional security. Today’s IUCN Red List update
raises the alarm about their decline and stresses the urgency to address
it – for the sake of our own future.” Unsustainable agriculture and urbanisation threaten wild crop species
Medium-sized carnivores most at risk from environmental change
– Imperial College London In a surprise ecological finding, researchers discover medium-sized
carnivores spend the most time looking for food, making them vulnerable
to change. Mammalian predators (commonly called carnivores) spend a significant
part of their day foraging for food, and the more time they spend, the
more energy they use. This makes predators that spend a long time
foraging more vulnerable to changes in the environment that affect their
primary resource: their prey. It had been thought that foraging time decreases as animal size
increases, but new research by Imperial College London and the ZSL (Zoological
Society of London) shows this is not the case. The team used data on land predators worldwide, from small predators
such as weasels to some of the largest such as tigers, to demonstrate
that among all species, medium-sized ones (between about one to ten
kilograms in weight) spent the greatest part of their day foraging.
Examples of such medium-sized carnivores include the Malay civet,
Iriomote cat, Leopard cat and Crab-eating fox. The results, published today (Monday 4 December) in the journal Nature
Ecology & Evolution, provide methods based on a new mathematical
model for predicting the vulnerability of animals to environmental
changes resulting from habitat loss and climate change.
Spider survey at Delamere reveals two rare species
– Cheshire Wildlife Trust Cheshire Wildlife Trust were delighted to hear the results of a
recent spider survey, carried out by the Tanyptera Trust in Delamere,
which
has
revealed two rare spiders. Image: Cheshire Wildlife Trust The nationally rare jumping spider, Sitticus floricola, was found at
two new sites, bringing the total number of sites where this species has
been recorded in Cheshire to ten. Measuring between 3.5mm and 7.5mm
across this small day hunting spider uses its big eyes to judge its
impressive jumps. Another spectacular find was the rare money spider, Glyphesis
cottonae, which was found at four new Delamere sites. The survey results
revealed that the number of sites where this species has been recorded
in Cheshire has almost doubled. Both species live on sphagnum found in the boggy areas of Delamere
Forest. The extensive restoration work carried out over the last four
years, through a partnership between Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the
Forestry Commission, has involved re-wetting areas of the forest to
bring them back to their natural state.
Building protected cycle lanes can prevent premature deaths from air
pollution – Sustrans Building traffic free routes and protected cycle lanes in towns and
cities across Scotland can help to prevent premature deaths from air
pollution, according to new research released today (Monday 4 December). Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, has released a model,
which can, for the first time, monetise the contribution of walking and
cycling to improving air quality and the subsequent benefits to public
health.
Developed
in partnership with environmental consultancy Eunomia, the Air Quality
Benefits of Active Travel report carried out modelling that analysed a
number of cycling and walking infrastructure schemes run by Sustrans
across Scotland and England and looked at the effects of possible city
wide interventions. Image: Sustrans It found the UK economy could save £931m annually from improved air
quality, by meeting the stated goals to increase walking and cycling in
Scotland and England. That’s more than £9 billion over 10 years. Of this, savings of £364 million would be realised annually from
improved air quality in Scotland, if the modal share of 10% of all
journeys by bike, set out in Scotland’s Cycling Action Plan, was
achieved. It would also mean nearly 4,000 premature deaths would be
avoided over a decade. This was echoed in England, where doubling cycling and increasing
walking set out in the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment
Strategy could save £5.67 billion over 10 years. This is five times more
in financial savings from air quality improvements than Westminster’s
planned Clean Air Zones.
Report reveals the effect of a changing climate on the UK’s birds
– BTO
The distribution, numbers and behaviour of birds in the UK are
changing because of a changing climate according to a new report.
Study sheds new light on how animals and plants respond to changes in
the environment – University of Sheffield Scientists discover new insight into how living creatures adapt to
changes in their environment
Study
is first to show that the responsiveness of populations to environmental
change depends on the conditions they experienced in the past Image: Water flea (University of Sheffield) University of Sheffield research strengthens our understanding of how
animals and plants can respond to natural and man-made changes to the
environment Scientists at the University of Sheffield have discovered that living
creatures’ responsiveness to changes in the environment can evolve and
depends on the conditions they experienced in their past. The study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, is the first to
show that the ability of a living creature to change its characteristics
in response to changes in its environment, can itself evolve. Such
flexibility in how organisms develop has fascinated scientists for
generations. This flexibility has emerged as a crucial factor in the study of how
animals and plants respond to natural and man-made changes to their
environment, which include predators, disease and changes in
temperature. The University of Sheffield study, led by Dr Andrew Beckerman from
Sheffield’s Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, in collaboration
with researchers from across Europe, investigated changes to the
characteristics of water fleas. Water fleas are an iconic example of how the flexibility of a living
creature’s ability to develop in response to changes in their
environment can evolve. They can grow helmets or spikes on their necks
in response to smells emitted by their predators, which signal a risk of
mortality.
Plastic Free Coastlines Approved Penzance!!! –
Surfers Against Sewage
Congratulations
to Penzance! We are extremely proud to announce that Penzance in Cornwall is the
UK’s first ever community to achieve ‘Plastic Free Coastlines
Approved’ status! Our volunteers in the area have been working
tirelessly to raise local awareness about the marine environmental
issues that can be caused by our society’s current reliance on
single-use plastics. Image: Surfers Against Sewage As a result of their work, the presence of this single-use material
within Penzance has been massively reduced. The community of Penzance, led by our SAS Regional Rep Rachel Yates
and our SAS Community Leader Oliver Nixon have completed five objectives
set out by Surfers Against Sewage which can be used to guide any area to
reduce their reliance on single-use plastic items. These are
plastic items that are designed to be used for a brief period of time,
but when discarded will end up in our environment indefinitely.
Examples of single use plastics include, plastic straws, plastic
cutlery, plastic water bottles, coffee cups, coffee cup lids etc.
Faulty drains threaten Thames water quality Londoners urged to check plumbing as signs of contamination found in
almost one-third of outfalls across capital Raw sewage and other pollutants are being inadvertently dumped into
the Thames by homes and businesses across London due to misconnected
plumbing, according to the most comprehensive survey of London’s rivers
undertaken in recent years, led by international conservation charity
ZSL (Zoological Society of London). The study, conducted in collaboration with partners including the
Environment Agency, Thames Water, Thames21, Catchment Partnerships in
London (CPiL) and over 100 trained volunteers, assessed 1,177 outfalls
(drains that send surface water into rivers). Signs of
contamination including sewage fungus were found in 356 of these
locations, along with definite pollution problems in 269 cases –
equating to an average of 2-3 polluting outfalls for every kilometre of
river surveyed. The resulting data indicates that a large number of properties across
London are sending foul waste from toilets, sinks and washing machines
into rivers via the surface water drainage system, rather than to sewage
treatment works. This pollution is degrading the ecological health of
rivers, restricting the amount of wildlife they can support. Joe Pecorelli, project manager for ZSL’s Estuaries and Freshwater
team, said: “Based on our comprehensive ‘citizen science’ survey of
London’s surface water outfalls, we hope the sobering findings of this
report will encourage positive change for the capital’s waterways.
Alongside our partners, we’re calling for significant increase in
investment to address misconnections in household and commercial
plumbing systems across London." The data for this report was collected via an innovative, citizen
science-based approach dubbed ‘Outfall Safari’, whereby teams of
volunteers were able to survey river banks and use a specially-created
app to geotag, photograph and assess outfalls for evidence of pollution.
This invaluable data was then sent back for analysis by ZSL, and
reporting to the Environment Agency and Thames Water. To access the full report, Tackling Pollution in London’s Rivers,
please visit:
www.zsl.org/londonsrivers
Global agreement on ocean plastic pollution -
Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust WWT is delighted global governments have agreed the world should stop
putting plastic waste into our oceans. At a United Nations conference in Kenya, international environment
ministers agreed the wording to a Resolution which, while not legally
binding, will set a direction for countries to follow. The UN will set
up an international task force to maintain momentum. The agreement is
due to be ratified and published tomorrow. Alongside the environment ministers, non-governmental organisations
including WWT are attending in order to advise and provide background
evidence. Among them is WWT’s Head of Ecosystem Health Dr Ruth Cromie: Speaking outside the conference in Nairobi, Dr Cromie said:“There are
estimates that by 2050 there is going to be more plastics in the sea
than fish. This Resolution calls for more government action but the
important thing is it clearly encourages people to do the right thing. I
think it’s down to all of us to minimise the plastics we’re using – like
refill the water bottle you’re using – we just don’t need to use quite
as much.”
Visitor behaviour & connection to nature: a study tour in European
Protected Areas - Europarc by Bryony Slaymaker, Community Involvement Ranger, Peak District
National Park, One of the winners of the Alfred Toepfer Natural Heritage
Scholarship in 2016 Does connection to nature lead to pro-environmental behaviour? The objective of the study was to explore visitor services in
European protected areas and methods of visitor behaviour management for
the purposes of nature conservation. Additionally, a visitor survey
explored the connection to nature and attitudes to pro-environmental
behaviour amongst visitors to protected areas. I visited six protected areas across Estonia, Finland, Germany and
Switzerland, in addition to my local site (and place of work) in
England, during the busy summer period, spending time with frontline
staff and meeting visitors. The scope of this study was relatively narrow and further research in
this area is essential to widen our understanding of visitor behaviour.
Additionally, comparative studies with non-visitors could help staff
managing protected areas to better understand how to widen participation
and which methods are most effective to promote connection to nature and
facilitate pro-environmental behaviour both within protected areas and
beyond.
Download the full report: Visitors in European protected areas (PDF)
Biggest-ever influx of one of our smallest garden birds
- BTO This November, Coal Tits were seen in over 70% of gardens, according
to figures from the British Trust for Ornithology's (BTO) Garden
BirdWatch (GBW). Cold weather or a lack of tree seeds in the wider
countryside may be behind the rise in sightings. Participants in the BTO’s Garden BirdWatch survey have been keeping
weekly records of the birds seen in their gardens over the last 20
years, an incredible citizen science project that enables us
understand how birds use human habitats such as gardens. Coal Tits are
among our smallest garden birds, and are often driven away from bird
feeders by the larger, more aggressive Great Tits and Blue Tits. They
have a habit of darting to a feeder, quickly taking a seed and hiding it
in moss or a crevice to eat later. Coal Tits can be recognised by their
striking black-and-white striped heads, and by their overall brown and
grey plumage, with none of the yellow or blue colour seen in Great Tits
and Blue Tits. Over 11,000 Garden BirdWatchers will be watching and recording their
garden birds this winter and into the future. This allows us to
understand patterns of garden use and see long-term changes and trends.
Gilwell Oak has been crowned UK Tree of the Year 2017!
– Woodland Trust This year’s winner with 1792 votes is a marvellous oak tree located in the heart of Gilwell Park in Essex. The British public casted their vote to not only celebrate the
visuals of the tree but the fantastic story it tells. The Gilwell Oak
has overseen the growth of a local scout group since early 20th century
and is still regarded as a tribute to the scouting movement today. Tree of the Year 2017 has been won by the Gilwell
Oak (Photo: WTML)
The tree will represent the UK at the European Tree of the Year in
2018.
Environment Secretary backs release of Beavers in Forest of Dean
- Defra, Natural England & Forestry Commission Forestry Commission plans to release four beavers in the Forest of
Dean have been approved by Natural England and are backed by
Michael Gove.
(image:
defra) Beavers are set to be released in the Forest of Dean in plans
confirmed by the Environment Secretary and the Forestry Commission. The project will see two adult beavers and two kits released into a
6.5 hectare secure enclosure to help improve biodiversity and build dams
and ponds from next year. This could be the first of many such schemes. Government guidance
published today sets out a new framework for assessing applications for
further trial releases across England. Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: "The beaver has a special
place in English heritage and the Forest of Dean proposal is a fantastic
opportunity to help bring this iconic species back to the countryside
400 years after it was driven to extinction. The community of Lydbrook
has shown tremendous support for this proposal and the beavers are
widely believed to be a welcome addition to local wildlife. The
project is an example of the wider approach we are taking to enhance
biodiversity, become the first generation to leave the environment in a
better state for future generations and deliver on our plans for a Green
Brexit." Scientists believe the beavers may be able to hold back enough water
to help with flood alleviation for Lydbrook by quickly constructing
natural dam structures and creating new habitat.
£2million National Lottery boost to innovate and improve public parks
- Heritage Lottery Fund £2million of National Lottery funding available to test innovations
in managing UK parks. Groups and organisations are being sought to test innovative ways of
managing the UK’s public parks following a £2m National Lottery funding
boost for the Rethinking Parks programme.
Rethinking Parks – a partnership between Big Lottery Fund, Heritage
Lottery Fund (HLF) and Nesta - has today announced a £2m grant fund,
matched by more than £300,000 in support from innovation foundation
Nesta, which will learn from and share the most innovative and promising
new business models for parks. The new funding will build on learning from the first Rethinking
Parks programme, which ran from 2014 to 2016 and involved a £1m
investment into 11 park schemes across the UK.
Rare bats discovered at Whitlingham Country Park
- Broads Authority A rare bat species, known as the Nathusius’ pipistrelle, has been
discovered at Whitlingham Country Park. The results of surveys carried
out by Norwich Bat Group showed the site to be one of the most important
in The Broads for this uncommon and little-known bat species. 2017 is the first year that Norwich Bat Group has joined the National
Nathusius’ Pipistrelle Project run by The Bat Conservation Trust. The
project has already revealed important information about this species by
trapping and ringing to identify individuals. It has been discovered
that, as well as being a resident species in the UK, Nathusius’
pipistrelle also migrates between north east European countries such as
Latvia and Lithuania and the UK. The bats migrate south during the
autumn months to escape the harsh winters and return in the spring,
crossing the North Sea on their journey to and from Europe. This summer, Norwich Bat Group trapped and ringed Nathusius’
pipistrelle at eight separate locations across the Broads National Park
and two other sites in North Norfolk. The numbers of this rare bat
discovered in the Broads, and particularly at Whitlingham, supports the
staggering statistic that although the Broads National Park only covers
0.1% of the country, it is home to over a quarter of our rarest and most
significant wildlife.
Annual wildlife crime report - Scottish
Government Offence numbers down on previous year. Recorded wildlife crime has fallen by 8%, according to the latest
official figures. The annual wildlife crime report, published today, shows reported
offences have dropped from 284 in 2014/15 to 261 the following year. Fish poaching, which remains the most prolific wildlife crime, was
down by 26% on the year before. The report shows an increase in hunting with dogs offences to 44 - up
24 offences on the previous year and the highest number over the
five-year recording period. The report brings together data from the Scottish Government, the
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Police Scotland and other
sources - all members of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife
Crime Scotland (PAW Scotland). The data in the report refers to recorded wildlife crime. It does
not, for example, include satellite-tagged tagged birds which may have
disappeared in suspicious circumstances, as without a carcass or other
hard evidence of criminal activity, Police Scotland are not able to
record these incidents as crimes. The full report can be read on the Scottish Government website. Draft Welsh National Marine Plan - Welsh Government We want your views on proposals for a Welsh National Marine Plan to
guide the future use of our seas. Consultation description This is the first marine plan for Welsh seas. It covers the inshore
and offshore marine plan areas for which Welsh Ministers are the marine
planning authority.
Consultation End Date: 29 March 2018 Responses from RSPB & WWF Welsh Government Marine Plan supports Tidal Lagoons despite risk of serious damage to nature - RSPB The Welsh Government released their draft for the first ever Wales
National Marine Plan (WNMP). Although the draft plan sets a positive
vision for our seas, some of its policies threaten to undo the Welsh
Governments own commitments to nature and sustainable development. Katie-jo Luxton, Director of RSPB Cymru said “We believe that the
draft’s tidal lagoon policy is the worst example of this. The Welsh
Government’s own assessment show that their tidal lagoon policy is
extremely high risk for nature and could damage some of our most
important wildlife sites, including over 50 protected sites for birds,
yet the policy supports lagoons with very limited caveats. It is clear
Wales needs to find renewable energy solutions, but this should not be
to the detriment of the natural environment we depend on, and RSPB
research shows that it doesn’t have to be. Despite the Welsh
Government talking a lot about mainstreaming nature into policy-making
and looking for win-win scenarios, we are becoming increasingly worried
that they are failing to apply the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act
and continue to prioritise development at the expense of nature. It is
deeply worrying that the Marine Plan appears to fail to protect our
biggest and most important coastal and marine wildlife sites. As one of
the first plans published since the Act, we are shocked by this
approach.” The RSPB will be undertaking a detailed review of the plan to prepare
our response to this consultation. We will be calling on the Welsh
Government to consider alternative policies that align with Wales’s
Well-being of Future Generations Act.
Welsh National Marine Plan - WWF The arrival of the first ever marine plan for Wales is a significant
moment in the history of our maritime nation. Alec Taylor, Programme Manager - Marine Governance, UK and EU Advocacy, WWF UK says: “This plan is the biggest and most complex exercise ever to take place in Welsh seas, trying to guide how our coast and marine space should be used into the next generation. Decisions we take now, through this plan, will have long-lasting consequences for the whole of Wales. Although we welcome this plan, we have concerns about the Government placing too much emphasis on extracting maximum economic benefit from Welsh seas, without sufficiently assessing how that will affect the resilience of our marine ecosystems. To address this the marine plan must put maintaining and enhancing resilient ecosystems at the heart of how sea space is used. This will ensure that the seas continue to provide for our children and grandchildren and that nature and people thrive together.”
Scientific Publications Berny, P.J., Mas, E. & Vey, D. Embedded lead shots in birds of prey: the hidden threat Eur J Wildl Res (2017) 63: 101. doi: 0.1007/s10344-017-1160-z Robertson, P.A., Mill, A.C., Rushton, S.P. et al.
Pheasant release in Great Britain: long-term and large-scale changes in
the survival of a managed bird
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