NEWS AND OPINION: Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world according to the present government’s environment minister, Steve Reed. The Labour government is freshly in place and they have promised to take a fresh look at the wildlife blueprint for the country. Steve Reid added that “nature in Britain is dying”.
We’ve been aware that for a long time and the previous government abdicated their responsibilities in protecting wildlife in this country.
“Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Our wildlife is faced by the perfect storm of habitat loss, climate change, pollution, resource consumption pressures and invasive species.”
In recent decades, The Times reports that wildlife has become scarcer across Britain. On average, in general, species are only 69% as abundant as in 1970.
Labour inherited the Conservative party’s targets to reverse species decline by 2030. The targets included protecting 30% of land and sea, cleaning up the country’s waterways and air and to use natural resources more efficiently.
A progress report presumably conducted by the present government, found that of 33 measures of nature’s health, six indicated recent decline. Further, five indicated no improvement and 17 could not be assessed for lack of data.
Also, pollinator populations are falling. In addition, seabird numbers are falling. Biodiversity is declining in sites of special scientific interest. And the distribution of red squirrels, regarded as a priority species, has shrunk as is the case for other priority species.
Steve Reed said that his government would undertake a rapid review of the plan that his government inherited. He wants to put it on track to meet targets. He will consider the views of farmers, water companies, waste companies and conservationists. The assessment will be concluded by December.
“We need urgent action to help our environment recover” said Ruth Chambers, a senior fellow at the environmental think tank Green Alliance. She added that “Reviewing the government’s plan to ensure it is fit for purpose is a good place to start.”
The chief executive of the Wildlife and Countryside Link, Richard Benwell, said: “The challenge is to turn a lengthy list of aspirations into an action plan for it to reverse decades of decline in nature.”
