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21 Dec 1998
Pressure is mounting on the Government to live up to its promise to
introduce new wildlife laws. Today the consultation on protecting the
UK's best wildlife areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)
closes. Friends of the Earth has criticised the consultation paper,“SSSIs,
Better Protection and Management”, for failing to tackle the
issue of Britain's SSSI peatlands being destroyed for profit.
Britain's largest lowland peatlands (among other peatland SSSIs), Thorne
and Hatfield Moors in South Yorkshire are still being damaged by Levingtons
who strip peat from the sites to sell in bags of compost. The consultation
paper made no mention of the issue despite the long running campaign
to save these sites, strong feeling from local people,MPs and local
authorities and the view of Government wildlife adviser English Nature
that peat extraction should end on the sites.
Already 291 MPs, most of them Labour, have given their support to a
Wildlife Bill promoted by Friends of the Earth and other environmental
organisations which seeks to improve SSSI protection and includes a
clause to help save these sites. The Bill was presented to Parliament
by Brighton Labour MP David Lepper.
Matt Phillips of Friends of the Earth said:
“Official figures show that over 300 of the UK's best wildlife
areas suffer damage every year. 45 per cent of sites are considered
to be in an unfavourable condition. Continued damage to these precious
wild places, including our best peatlands, must stop. The Government
must introduce a new Wildlife Law, and urgently.”
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
