Fersiwn Gymraeg ar gael yma.
We know that you are passionate about nature which is why we want to show you just some of the species that will benefit from our latest campaign. We need your help to make sure the Welsh Government creates new laws so that the high standards set by Europe can be continued and improved on.
We stand to lose the oversight of the European Commission and other bodies if we leave the EU, which will essentially weaken our environmental regulations. The right for citizens to complain to the Commission about breaches in environmental law will also disappear.
Here are some of the amazing species that currently benefit from protection under EU laws, that need you to take action to help ensure they remain well protected in the future.
Short-eared owl
I am a short-eared owl. I travel to Wales in the winter from countries such as Iceland and Russia and I am one of the many birds that are of European concern. Up to 2,180 breeding pairs of us come to the UK and we are mainly found on coastal marshes and wetlands.
I have yellow eyes as do many other owls that hunt during the day, and tufts of feather resembling mammalian ears. Unlike my nocturnal friends, I prefer to be out and about during the daytime where I look for small mammals to eat, including water voles. In Wales, we enjoy the protection of the Skomer and Skokholm Special Protection Area.
Otter
Most people know that I’m a great swimmer, but did you know that I can close my ears and nose while underwater? Along with the bottlenose dolphin, the dormouse and many bats, I am one of the animals featured on the Habitats Directive which ensures the conservation of a wide range of rare or threatened animal and plant species.
I have webbed feet and thick fur to help me in the water when I catch the fish, water birds, amphibians and crustaceans that I eat. I have my cubs in underground burrows known as holts and am still recovering after almost being wiped out altogether in the 20th century. I am protected on Welsh rivers including the Teifi, the Tywi, the Cleddau, the Usk and the Wye.
Merlin
I am the UK’s smallest bird of prey and I’m also another one of the birds that are of European concern. I can be seen in the UK all year around and there are between 900-1,500 breeding pairs of us here. We breed in heather moorland areas including the Berwyn and the Migneint in the Welsh uplands. Unfortunately, I do not have magical powers like the legendary wizard, so I will need you to ask for powerful protections for me!
Little Tern
I am one of the many terns that are protected by European law and I am the UK’s smallest. My vulnerable nesting sites and decline in Europe mean that I have special protections afforded to me, including on the Dee Estuary. We are noisy chattering birds that have an aerial courtship display which includes the male carrying a fish to attract a mate, which chases him up high before he descends, gliding with wings in a 'V'. Did you know that the oldest recorded of my kind was found in North Wales last year and was almost 25 years old?
Red-throated Diver
If you see a small diver in the Northern Cardigan Bay area during the winter, it could be me – my grey-brown plumage and up-tilted bill make me distinguishable for the other species. If you’re wondering about my name, that comes from the distinctive red throat that I display in the summer. I am one of the many birds that holiday in Wales during the colder months before moving back north in March/April. Because I am slightly awkward and clumsy on land, I only come ashore to breed. In the water I usually jump up to dive and can stay under for a minute and a half.
To help protect these species and the many others that benefit from protection under EU law, please complete our e-action.