Archived press release

Farmers and Wildlife: Both losing out.

21 February 2000

Farming is the biggest cause of damage to the UK's finest wildlife areas, Friends of the Earth revealed today. The environment group's new report, Cold Comfort Farming: A Fair Deal for Farmers and Wildlife [1] details, for the first time, the extent of damage to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) from agricultural activities. FOE is calling on the Government to help farmers and wildlife by putting extra money behind the new Countryside Bill, due for debate in the Commons next week.

Sensitive farming is essential to the management of most SSSIs. But bad farming practice has caused over a thousand incidents of damage to over 650 SSSIs, in just six years. Public money to encourage green farming (so-called agri-environment schemes) is badly targeted, and there is not enough available to persuade many farmers to take part. The result is that more than a third of English SSSIs are in an unfavourable condition, and are lacking positive management.

FOE has welcomed the Government's plans for a Countryside Bill, which will beef up protection for SSSIs and other important wildlife sites. But the new report says that the resources available for supporting SSSI management must be increased and the way it is paid will have to be reviewed to ensure that the new regulations work in practice, and benefit wildlife and farmers.

Matt Phillips of Friends of the Earth said:

“Right now we have a wildlife policy where everyone loses. Wildlife loses because sites continue to be damaged. Farmers lose because they can't make ends meet. Taxpayers lose because they foot the bill for destructive rather than sustainable farming.

“The new Countryside Bill will help a lot, but Browns Nick and Gordon must make their contribution by finding new money and new ways of supporting farmers to protect and manage our finest wildlife areas. Both farmers and wildlife need a new and fair deal.”

* Offham Down in Sussex,
* Gwaun cwm Cownwy in Powys
* Southmoor Farm in Devon.

Key case studies are highlighted in the report, including
* Whernside in Yorkshire,
* Moors River in Dorset,
* Carneddau in Gwynedd,
* River Wye in Herefordshire,
* The Norfolk Broads,
* Garron Plateau in Northern Ireland.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

[1] “Cold Comfort Farming: A Fair Deal for Farmers and Wildlife”, by Miles King, is available from FOE.

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust