Two weeks on from the EU referendum and we are still no clearer what our future relationship with the EU will look like. In spite of this RSPB Cymru has been doing some thinking about the possible implications for nature in Wales. These are some of the key issues which we will be promoting in the public and political debates of the coming days, months and years.
Many of the big environmental challenges transcend boundaries – whether they are the national boundaries within the UK or beyond the borders of the UK, thereby requiring international collaboration. Wildlife declines, climate change, pollution, the state of our marine environment and over exploitation of our natural resources, all need us to work with other nations on a global scale. Irrespective of Wales’ relationship with the EU we will need to continue to work closely with other nations to tackle environmental degradation. RSPB Cymru will look to the Welsh and UK Governments to ensure Wales plays a leading role in trans-national collaboration to address these environmental challenges, and help us to meet our global commitments to restore biodiversity and tackle climate change.
Left: RSPB Ramsey Island, Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com) Right: RSPB Lake Vyrnwy Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)
You may not be aware, but the vast majority of our environmental legislation originates from the EU or has been developed in parallel to EU legislation. Without the protection that the EU Nature Directives currently provide, we would lose the legal framework that guarantees no net loss of the most important places for wildlife, and the protection afforded to around 80% of the UK’s best sites for wildlife would be diminished. It is vitally important therefore that we continue to ensure existing levels of protection – including the habitat regulations - are maintained and bolstered. At a recent roundtable meeting the First Minister of Wales said that there was no appetite in Welsh Government to repeal EU legislation and it would continue to be enforced. This is excellent news. During this time of uncertainty we need government to continue to work for nature and push ahead with delivering existing projects and commitments, with even more urgency than before.
Left: RSPB South Stack Ben Hall (rspb-images.com) Right: RSPB Conwy Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)
You may remember that the Welsh Government has recently passed two significant laws. The Well-being of Future Generations Act and the Environment Act create a strong new framework for Wales’ natural environment and wildlife, which recognises their wide-ranging benefits for people as well as their intrinsic importance. This puts Wales on a strong footing to lead the way across the UK in protecting and restoring our biodiversity and sustainably managing our natural resources. Over the next nine months or so the Welsh Government will be developing its National Natural Resources Policy, based on achieving resilient ecosystems and realising the opportunities they offer. Ministers have made clear the importance of stakeholders across the sectors coming together to shape this policy.
This gives cause for optimism. Faced with the challenge of losing significant EU funding, we need to work together to develop a new approach to sustainable management of land and sea which better recognises the value of nature and the benefits it provides us. This new legislative framework provides a unique opportunity to address the way we pay for the goods and services provided by ours seas and countryside, including farmed land, for example. The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has focused on food production, with relatively little attention given to the other benefits that can be gained from agricultural management –such as clean water and rich soil that lock in carbon, and of course provides for wildlife. Wales has a major opportunity to consider how the provision of such public benefits could be better rewarded in the future.
The role of nature conservation – including well managed protected areas, both on land and in our seas – will be critical in rebuilding the resilience of Wales’ ecosystems for people and wildlife under this new, positive framework.
These are just some of the areas which we have been considering in recent weeks. You can read more here in the letter we sent along with six other environmental Non Governmental Organisations in Wales to the First Minister of Wales earlier this week. Whatever happens next, RSPB Cymru will continue to work hard for nature and make sure nature’s voice is heard around the decision-making table.
Left: RSPB Newport Wetlands Wales News Service (rspb-images.com) Right: RSPB Ynys-hir Jenny Hibbert (rspb-images.com)