Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma
This year, the Welsh Government will introduce an Environmental Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Bill to the Senedd. It will serve a number of important purposes regarding the nature emergency, including the introduction of statutory targets for biodiversity recovery. As the most recent State of Nature report set out, 1 in 6 species in Wales are now threatened, and we have seen a 20% drop in our wildlife since 1994. Drastic action must be taken.
When considering strategies for halting and reversing the decline we see in our nature, legally binding targets have a key role. They will require the government, local authorities and many other bodies to safeguard our natural environment, creating accountability for delivering against global commitments for 2030 and 2050.
Species are the building blocks of biodiversity, and the Global Biodiversity Framework calls on governments to eliminate human-induced extinction, and to restore the abundance of native wild species to healthy and resilient levels. Achieving this will need the implementation of nature-friendly farming and planning, better management of protected areas, and wider habitat restoration, with targeted programmes for particularly endangered species.
Target setting success
While the general picture of biodiversity in the UK is one of severe decline, there are success stories where species have been supported to recover - Bittern and Cirl Bunting are two key examples.
Bitterns were once common in lowland reedbeds but were driven to extinction as a breeding bird in the UK in the 1880s due to hunting and drainage of land for agricultural use. They returned of their own accord, but further declines followed, with only 11 booming males heard on surveys in 1997. Research showed that habitat loss and low food availability were key drivers of decline. Having identified the important factors, the RSPB and partners took action, driven by specific outcome-based targets – the long-term goal was to reach 100 booming males by 2020. Existing habitat was restored, and new reedbeds created. The target was exceeded, with 234 booming males counted in England and Wales in 2023, and the work benefited many other reedbed species as well.
Cirl Buntings were once widespread across southern England and Wales, but there were only 118 pairs left in 1989, almost all in south Devon. As farmland birds, they suffered due to intensification of agriculture that led to decreased food availability over winter. To combat this, farmers were paid (via the Countryside Stewardship Scheme) to leave untreated barley stubbles on their farms over winter, providing a seed source for these small birds. Other positive actions taken included leaving untrimmed hedgerows to increase the availability of nesting sites. There are now over 1000 pairs of Cirl Bunting in southwest England.
In both of these cases, the RSPB led on research and conservation work to understand the causes of decline and put management plans together to counter their effects. These plans included clear, time-bound targets for recovery. With the right targets set, and concerted actions taken, it is possible to return species to healthy levels.
Iconic species on the brink
Many other species are still declining, though work is ongoing to identify and implement measures that will address the drivers of their decline. Curlew and Swift are two iconic species that are still in steep decline.
Swifts are a summer species in Wales, seen in our cities, towns and villages, and known for their distinctive screaming call. However, their numbers are down 76% since 1995. Swifts depend on small recesses in buildings and walls to nest in, and with improvements in building standards and insulation, their availability is decreasing. While this can be remedied by using ‘Swift bricks’ (bricks with a cavity inside for nesting swifts) and installing nest boxes on existing buildings, these are not yet widespread enough to make a lasting impact. In addition, Swifts depend on flying insects for food. Nature friendly farming and presence of wilder spaces in urban areas will support invertebrate populations, and, by extension, Swifts.
The Curlew is a red-listed Bird of Conservation Concern in Wales. It could be on the verge of extinction as a breeding species in Wales within the next decade if action is not taken. Gylfinir Cymru is a partnership working to prevent this and establish at least six stable breeding populations by 2031. It has four key aims, including supporting farmers and land managers to provide Curlew habitat, and reversing current drivers of low productivity. Clear, outcome-based, time-bound targets such as these are instrumental in directing and galvanising action, and we hope that similarly ambitious targets will be set by the Government.
Looking forwards to the Bill
Setting targets, with a clear end goal and milestones along the way enables progress to be measured, and achievements celebrated. Meeting them depends on having in place a clear plan for actions to be taken. The upcoming Environmental Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Bill provides the perfect opportunity for the setting of ambitious targets to drive change across all sectors. We need to see an overarching target to drive species recovery across Wales, with a delivery plan supporting targeted recovery plans and actions to benefit our most fragile species. Done well, this will provide Wales’ nature with its best chance of flourishing – we cannot allow this opportunity to pass us by.
Photo: Swift_H8C651 - Alamy