Archived press release

Government gives boost to wildlife protection

25 August 2000

The Government is to give a big boost to wildlife, with its announcement today that hundreds of wildlife areas will get international protected status.

Friends of the Earth has warmly welcomed the Government's plans. But FOE warns that the plan will only be effective if the Government continues to back the Countryside Bill, which faces opposition in the House of Lords. Big business may also fight some of the proposed areas.

The Government will today announce 211 new "Special Areas of Conservation" (SACs). The move follows severe criticism of the UK Government by the European Commission for its failure to designate enough SACs in previous years. SACs are designated under the EU Habitats Directive and represent the highest level of protection available for wildlife areas. The list includes famous sites, such as Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park, The Humber Estuary, the River Tweed,and South Pennine Moors.

Big business will balk at some of the proposals, such as those for estuaries where they plan to develop new ports and marinas, and for canals where they plan to develop pleasure boating. But the greatest immediate impact will be on those peatlands which are currently suffering from open cast peat extraction, such as Thorne and Hatfield Moors in South Yorkshire, and Wedholme Flow in Cumbria. The new status makes it likely that the damaging peat extraction will be stopped for good.

FOE today warmly welcomed the Government's new proposals. But FOE also noted the programme of designation depended on the Countryside Bill becoming law this autumn. This is because the UK's domestic wildlife laws form the foundation for protecting even the European sites.

Craig Bennett, Wildlife Campaigner for Friends of the Earth said:

“We warmly welcome these proposals for extra European wildlife sites, and we urge the Government to stand firm and to put the interests of people and wildlife before the plans of big business.

But the new designations will offer only paper protection unless the Government makes absolutely sure that its Countryside Bill becomes law, this autumn. We call on Tony Blair to to make it clear that this Bill is a top Government priority”

Examples of the new proposed Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)
and links to background information:

Hatfield Moor, Thorne Moor (in South Yorkshire), Bolton Fell and Solway Mosses (in Cumbria)
These four sites are all suffering from open-cast peat extraction, but they have been proposed as“Degraded raised bogs still capable of natural regeneration”.

River Tweed:
The river was left off the original list of SACs submitted to the European Commission on the recommendation of the Scottish Executive despite being put forward by both English Nature,Scottish Natural Heritage and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

But it has now been proposed for “its Atlantic salmon, otter and its floating vegetation (water crowfoot)”.

For more information, see:
www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/biodiversity_and_habitats/wildplaces/news/news_sept99_2.html#4

South Pennine Moors
This has been proposed for its “blanket bogs, European dry heaths, Northern Atlantic wet heaths, old sessile oak woods, transition mires and quaking bogs”.

The Humber Estuary
This has been proposed for “its Atlantic salt meadows, coastal lagoons, mudlflats, sandbanks and other habitats”.

Richmond Park
This has been proposed because of its importance for endangered Stag beetles.

Wimbledon Common
This has been proposed for “its European dry heaths, it's important for Stag beetles, and for its North Atlantic wet heaths”.

Print quality photos are available by email from the FOE Press Office.

A Joint Statement of the Peatlands Campaign Consortium is also available.

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