Archived press release

SAC List - National

1 April 1995

Dozens of damaging development projects will be challenged as a result of today's announcement of 280 new wildlife areas to be protected under the European Union 'Habitats Directive' [1].

Activities and projects that will be reviewed as a result of the new protection powers [2] include skiing developments on Ben Nevis and Cairngorm, quarrying permissions on the Lizard, peat digging operations on Thorne and Hatfield Moors and certain types of fishing in Strangford Lough. A number of rivers including the Usk, Spey and Hampshire Avon are expected to be announced later when they have been notified as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The designation of certain rivers would lead to a review of barrage schemes (on the Usk for instance) and action on pollution (for example on the Itchen).

Friends of the Earth says the list is better than expected but believes some some vital areas have been omitted [3]. These include the Somerset Levels (where costly and controversial rehabilitation would be required), the Surrey Heaths (threatened by lack of management and the M3 widening), certain Caledonian pine forests (controlled by powerful landowners who have proved resistant to conservation obligations in the past), Carmel Woods (threatened by a quarrying permission) and Bassenthwaite Lake in Cumbria (threatened by increasing recreation pressure).

Above all, Friends of the Earth is concerned that the new reserves will use up most of the money available for habitat protection leaving the rest of the UK's best wildlife sites even more vulnerable than they are now [4].

Tony Juniper, Senior Habitats Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said:

"We do have some concerns about the absence of certain Scottish pine forests, the Mendip woodlands, Somerset Levels and Surrey Heaths, but this is on the whole a step forward for conservation. It will do some good".

However,

"At least ninety per cent of the UK's best wildlife areas remain vulnerable and could even finish up worse off because most of the money and political commitment for conservation will be diverted to the ten per cent of very special areas. Better laws and more money are needed to protect the country's amazing diversity of wildlife".

ENDS

[1] The European Union 'Habitats Directive' requires member states to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to ensure that habitats and species of EU-wide concern (specified in theDirectives annexes) are maintained at a 'favourable conservation status'. Examples of the hundreds of species and habitats listed in the Directive and that occur in the UK include the otter, salmon, natterjack toad, greater horseshoe bat, lowland raised bog, heathland, beechwoods and Caledonian pine forest. Most SACs may only be damaged for "reasons overriding public interest, including those of a socio-economic nature", those protecting "Priority" habitats and species (including lowland raised bogs and Caledonian pine forest) may only be harmed to protect human health or public safety.

[2] SACs will be protected by new planning controls, new Government powers to control and prevent damaging activities and through a review of planned developments that have yet to be fully implemented (for example tidal barrages, quarrying projects and road schemes).

[3] In September 1993, Friends of the Earth published its own sample list (compiled by Derek Ratcliffe, former Nature Conservancy Council Chief Scientist) of 112 sites to be protected under the Directive. 97 of these are either partially or wholly included in the Government list.

[4] The Government has said "The SACs and SPAs will have the highest priority for the resources available for management over the coming years" [Implementation in Great Britain of the Council Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (92/43/EEC, DoE and Welsh Office, Nov. 16, 1993]

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust