Action call as wildlife heads for extinction
A REPORT by wildlife experts has warned that one in 14 species in Wales is heading for extinction.
The State of Nature Wales 2016 report, which was published last week by experts from 50 wildlife and research organisations, found 57% of wild plants, 60% of butterflies and 40% of birds were in decline.
Naturalist and TV presenter Iolo Williams, who launched a UK version of the report with David Attenborough last weekend, said: “The sheer number of species we are losing and have already lost is incredibly sad.
“I am not an old man but I remember when I was growing up in Wales seeing lapwing birds and water voles every single day.
“Water voles were all along the river, they made the banks like swiss cheese, but their numbers have fallen 98% in the last 40 years. The idea that my two boys will not see them is heartbreaking.”
The 54-year-old pre- senter criticised the Welsh Government’s response to the issue.
“I just hope the report acts as a wake-up call to government,” he said.
“We are out of Europe now whether we like it or not and have to rethink agricultural policy to encourage wildlife back onto farms.
“There has not been a commitment from government. The Welsh Assembly has been incredibly poor.”
The report created a new measurement for the health of the environment.
A score of 90% or below is the threshold at which ecosystems are deemed to be no longer able to function to meet our or nature’s needs. Wales scored 83%, which is above England’s 80.6% but falls well short of Germany and Norway, which scored 88.3% and 95.3% respectively.
Dr Sarah Wood, biodiversity and fisheries manager with Welsh Government-sponsored body Natural Resources Wales, said: “We welcome the report as a picture of the state of nature in Wales where, despite decades of good work to protect our fantastic environment, so many of our plants and animals continue to decline.
“We have seen some successes and now we need to combine what works well with new legislation to develop a fresh approach to allow our wonderful natural resources to thrive.
“Next month we will present the State of Natural Resources Report to Welsh Government which will provide a broader assessment of the resilience of our natural resources and their contribution to the well-being of the people of Wales.
“These reports will help Government identify the priorities to develop the sustainable management of our natural resources and address the decline in the state of our nature.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Our ground-breaking Environment (Wales) Act and Wellbeing of Future Generations Act mean we have the strongest foundation within the UK and are acknowledged internationally as being exemplars in implementing the international commitments to sustainable development and biodiversity.
“At the heart of both acts is a recognition that safeguarding and sustainably managing Wales’ natural resources is key to Wales’ wellbeing. Furthermore, the £5m Nature Fund and subsequent Sustainable Management Scheme demonstrate how we are delivering this in practice by investing in landscape scale and collaborative approaches to address the trends highlighted in the State of Nature report.”