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Behemoth
Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds
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 Posted: Fri Dec 30, 05 10:05 am Post subject: Defra: A good year for Biodiversity |
 
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Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)
END-YEAR STOCKTAKE SHOWS A GOOD YEAR FOR BIODIVERSITY
2005 has been a positive year for England's wildlife and habitats, according to the annual Biodiversity Stocktake released by Defra today.
Biodiversity Minister Jim Knight said the stocktake, compiled by the England Biodiversity Group, showed encouraging process towards meeting the goals set in the England Biodiversity Strategy.
The England Biodiversity Group is made up of major stakeholders from the public, voluntary and private sectors who oversee the implementation of the Strategy.
"This stocktake, taken alongside the most recent scientific data, indicates that our policies and programmes are having an encouraging effect on biodiversity in England," Mr Knight said.
"We have made some really important progress this year - we now have more than 1 million hectares of land covered by Environmental Stewardship agreements, which means that more and more farmers are being rewarded for farm management that conserves and enhances wildlife and landscapes.
"Farmers in my own constituency of South Dorset have told me of the real, positive difference they have seen in wildlife and the countryside since Environmental Stewardship was introduced. They are particularly seeing more farmland birds, and a greater variety of bird life.
"Our new policy and action plan on ancient and native woodlands will give the best possible future to the forests and woods that provide a home for so many of our animals and birds. We've also been working to further integrate biodiversity conservation into planning decisions through a new Planning Policy Statement."
Mr Knight said that despite improvements and positive trends in many important areas, there was no room for complacency.
"We have a lot of work still ahead of us. We haven't yet reached our targets in any of these areas, and we can't afford to relax our efforts to make sure that England's wildlife is safeguarded and improved for people now and in the future."
Mr Knight said the report highlighted some of the major challenges in protecting and enhancing biodiversity in the year ahead, particularly in terms of climate change.
"Climate change is having a major impact on biodiversity in England, just like it is around the world, and we can expect that to continue. This year, we saw some very sobering trends, particularly on migratory species at home and abroad. This report highlights the need to increase awareness of this problem and find ways to help our wildlife and habitats to adapt," he said.
"We also need to build on the progress we've made in urban areas, and to focus our efforts on making biodiversity a part of everyday life for businesses and people living in our cities in towns - not just an add-on."
The stocktake also highlights the improvement in wild bird populations: the most recent indicators show that the 111 breeding bird populations studied have increased by nearly 10 per cent since 1970, which is a major achievement. There have also been major improvements to relatively scarce breeding birds like Dartford Warblers and Woodlarks.
Notes for editors
1. A full copy of the stocktake is available from the Defra Press Office.
2. Working with the grain of nature: a biodiversity strategy for England was launched on 24 October 2002 at the London Wetland Centre, Barnes by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Strategy seeks to ensure biodiversity considerations become embedded in all main sectors of public policy and sets out a programme for the next five years to make the changes necessary to conserve, enhance and work with the grain of nature and ecosystems rather than against them.
3. The Strategy is a Government strategy, but it has been prepared with the active partnership of a range of stakeholders in the public, voluntary and private sectors.
4. The Strategy sets out a series of actions that will be taken by the Government and its partners to make biodiversity a fundamental consideration in:
Agriculture: encouraging the management of farming and agricultural land so as to conserve and enhance biodiversity as part of the Government's Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy.
Water: aiming for a whole catchment approach to the wise, sustainable use of water and wetlands.
Woodland: managing and extending woodland so as to promote enhanced biodiversity and quality of life.
Marine and coastal management: so as to achieve the sustainable use and management of our coasts and seas using natural processes and the ecosystem-based approach.
Urban areas: where biodiversity needs to become a part of the development of policy on sustainable communities and urban green space and the built environment.
The stocktake highlighted the following achievements and challenges across the ten workstreams of the Strategy:
Agriculture: Considerable progress has been made on policies to enhance the biodiversity value of agricultural land, with reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy now in place, and the roll out of Environmental Stewardship, which is now introducing widespread incentives for positive environmental management.
Water and Wetlands: More than 170 water and wetland SSSIs will benefit from £500m of investment as a result of the fourth Periodic Review of Water Prices. Substantial progress has been made on action to include wider biodiversity requirements in river basin planning and management.
Woodland and Forestry: The launch in 2005 of the Government policy on ancient and native woodland, backed by numerous practical initiatives and projects, represented a major step forward in promoting enhanced biodiversity in England's woodlands and forests.
Towns, Cities and Development: The group has recognised the need to broaden/increase representation. As a result progress on the work programme has been slower than hoped. Nevertheless, things have improved in the second half of the year. Notable developments include the publication, in August 2005, of PPS9 and progress on the research work on the value of biodiversity in urban gardens.
The Coasts and Seas: Sound progress has been made in developing proposals for a draft Marine Bill, which will propose a more strategic and streamlined approach to managing marine activity. The EU Marine Strategy was published in October 2005; progress is being made in negotiations as to how this strategy should be taken forward.
Local and Regional Action: Capacity to deliver biodiversity at the local and regional level has been further secured via funding allocated in the 04/05 Spending Review and SITA Environmental Trust allocations. Steps have been taken to raise the profile of biodiversity at the local and regional level through integrating biodiversity into mechanisms such as community strategies, performance assessment and planning frameworks.
Economics and Funding: Completed analysis of funding for biodiversity in England, and completed work on compiling a framework of biodiversity valuation methodologies and providing information on economic values of biodiversity which are currently available.
The Engagement of Business: Overall progress has been good, with most notable successes being raised awareness of biodiversity within the business community, and production of a thorough assessment of the availability of tools for companies to manage biodiversity in England.
Education and Public Understanding: The creation of the BBC Breathing Space campaign is a significant achievement. It has become a rallying point for many within the biodiversity sector and is in the process of engaging many Departments and Agencies across Government at national and regional level.
Climate Change: A new cross-cutting Climate Change workstream was created to provide guidance on impacts of climate change, identify research needs and promote adaptation strategies.
Public enquiries 08459 335577;
Press notices are available on our website
https://www.defra.gov.uk
Defra's aim is sustainable development |
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