Protected landscapes are doing little to halt the decline of wildlife across the UK, according to a recent report. What can be done to reverse the fortunes of nature in these much-heralded havens? Mark Rowe reports on the latest updates
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
WHAT’S THE STORY?
Protected areas of the countryside, such as national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are doing little to safeguard wildlife, according to a recent report by the British Ecological Society (BES). In many instances, nature is struggling more inside these areas than outside them. While 26% of British land is notionally protected, the report found that just 51% of protected areas are in a favourable condition. This jeopardises the Government’s ‘30x30’ policy – to protect 30% of all four nations’ land and seas for nature by 2030.
The University of York’s Professor Jane Hill, one of the authors of the BES report, is concerned the real figure – of land that is meaningfully protected for nature – is possibly as low as 5%. “If national parks are not designated to improve biodiversity then you can’t really include them in the 30%,” she says.
“The report is spot on and highlights the challenges we face in getting to 30x30,” says Elliot Chapman-Jones, head of public affairs at the Wildlife Trusts. “We need to achieve 30x30 as it is a key way to really turn around the fortunes of wildlife in this country. It seems a lot of the numbers quoted are little more than self-congratulation,” adds Chapman-Jones. “You can’t cook the books. Even the most protected sites – Special Areas of Conservation – can still be subject to inappropriate development, such as new housing estates.”
“National parks do not really convey much protection for wildlife,” explains Lee Schofield of the RSPB. “Their primary purpose is landscape aesthetics rather than nature. SSSIs inside the Lake District National Park tend to be in less favourable condition than those outside it.”
WHY AREN’T PROTECTED AREAS ALWAYS THE BEST FOR NATURE?
Disturbance
Visitor numbers have an impact, but even though the Lake District National Park gets 20 million visitors a year and the Peak District 13 million, this is not thought to
