Archived press release

Labour Dithers As Wildlife Site Destroyed

25 April 1998

The Government has failed to keep its promise fully to protect the UK's finest wildlife sites. The result, according to Friends of the Earth, is that hundreds of Sites of Special Scientific Interest(SSSIs) have been damaged since Labour took office.

This weekend, FOE activists will take to the streets around the country to protest about the damage to wildlife sites, and to demand that a new Wildlife Bill to protect SSSI's be included in the next Queen's Speech.

Britain's SSSIs are poorly protected. Every year more than 300 are damaged in England and Wales alone. Official data analysed by FOE shows that about 700 of Britain's SSSIs are threatened by road building and other developments, farming, pollution and many other damaging activities. A map of SSSIs damaged since 1991 and SSSIs now threatened is attached.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest Currently Threatened Include

Commenting, Matt Phillips, Friends of the Earth Wildlife Campaigner, said:
"Since Labour came to power hundreds of SSSIs have been damaged. Hundreds of others are threatened by plans for disgraceful developments like the Birmingham Nothern Relief Road. Labour has not kept its promise to bring in a new Wildlife Bill.The Agriculture department spends billions of pounds destroying our wildlife, but English Nature has just 7 million to spend on positive management. Labour must act now to reverse this continuing destruction. FOE will be campaigning this weekend for a clear promise that the Government will include a Wildlife Bill in the next Queen's Speech".

This weekend, over 80 Friends of the Earth local groups will be highlighting the threat to SSSIs in High Streets around the country. They will be asking people to lobby their local MP to support new wildlife laws. They will be asked to sign a paper daisy - calling for new laws - to form a chain to be presented to local MPs. MPs will also be asked to express support for the Wildlife Charter to give greater legal protection to wildlife and offer landowners positive support for managing them properly.

SOME EXAMPLES OF SSSIS WHICH LABOUR HAS FAILED TO SAVE

Gwaun cwm cownwy SSSI - wet meadow totally destroyed last year by a tenant farmer of Severn Trent Water which owns the site, in order to grow rye grass.
Thorne Moor SSSI - English Nature has recently reaffirmed the SSSI status of Thorne Moor, the largest lowland raised bog in Britain. Yet peat is still being taken from the SSSI and the Government has done nothing to stop peat extraction continuing.
River Kennet SSSI - Identified by English Nature as at risk from over-abstraction of water John Prescott recently announced Thames Water can continue to take millions of litres a day from this site. Suffering from low flows, pollution, risk to nationally scarce plants, inverts and otters. When in opposition (and since) Meacher has said a great deal about solving the over-abstraction problem but has so far failed to act.
Cardiff Bay SSSI - In opposition Ron Davies MP and every other Welsh Minister made strong statements against the completion of the Cardiff Barrage which will destroy one of Wales' most important mudflats. Labour has now announced that the barrage will go ahead closed destroying habitat for internationally important populations of Redshank and Dunlin.

SSSI FACTS

• Over 300 SSSIs are damaged every year (England, Wales and Scotland)
• 896 SSSIs (18.8%) have been damaged by 2,099 instances of damage (England and Wales 1991-1996)
• There are 6,559 SSSIs and ASSIs (the equivalent in Northern Ireland) in the UK
• 400 SSSIs have been damaged by farming (England and Wales 1991/96)
• 72 SSSIs have been damaged by public bodies and statutory activities
• SSSIs include some of the country's most well known countryside landmarks. Cairngorm, the Lizard, the New Forest, Cheddar Gorge, the Severn Estuary, Lough Neagh, the Norfolk Broads, the River Wye and Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.

NUMBER OF THREATS TO SSIS AND ASSIS (JANUARY 1998)
(Compiled by FOE from available sources: NB some sites face multiple threats)

Detailed information on SSSIs can be obtained from the Friends of the Earth "Wild Places!" web site at http//:www.foe.co.uk/wildplaces.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust