It’s a tribute to many of my colleagues, often working with partners and local communities, that this blog regularly features stories of success and victories securing the future of our most important places for wildlife, both in the UK and overseas – conservation is an international concern.
But there are set backs – and here I bring you a story from one of the toughest frontlines for nature conservation in the UK – the Humber Estuary. This vast tidal wetland is of global importance for the migrating waterfowl – emphasising again that conservation works at the international scale. Survival for birds that travel the great migration flyways from the Arctic breeding grounds, through vital feeding areas to their wintering haunts depends on action in many countries.
The Humber has featured in this blog before and you can catch up on the story here. For Larkin fans, the title of this post reflects his poem Going Going which inspired an earlier post.
My colleague, Chris Collett, from our Newcastle Office takes up the story:
A few days ago (18 December) the Government announced its decision to approve a massive new energy park proposed by developers Able UK on the south bank of the Humber – the Able Marine Energy Park. The good news is that it will provide 4,000 new jobs and also help service the development of the offshore renewable energy sector. But the bad news is that in doing so, it will destroy a big chunk of an internationally important site for wildlife on the Humber, affecting thousands of birds that use this part of the estuary as place to feed and rest before moving on to their wintering grounds.
At the heart of the issue is a large wading bird called a black tailed godwit. And this development will, now, lead to the loss of its best feeding ground on the estuary.
Black-tailed godwits - the losers in a hard-fought planning battle on the Humber estuary
The Humber is one of the areas in the UK that keeps our casework team extremely busy. A hub of industrial and port-related activity – especially on the south bank of the middle part of the estuary - it is also one of our the most important sites for wildlife, with hundreds of thousands of wading birds and waterfowl using it as a refuelling point on their migratory journeys or sheltering there for the winter months.
Where industry and wildlife exist cheek by jowl, there will always be challenges but with careful and responsible planning, solutions can be found. It doesn’t have to be a choice between jobs and wildlife. We can have both – and the Humber provides examples that highlight the good and the bad.
A prime example of this was an application by Associated British Ports (ABP) for the development of its Green Port Hull facility, which would be used to manufacture and construct offshore wind turbines. Working with us and other environmental groups, ABP showed their commitment to sustainable development by fully addressing the environmental impacts of their proposal, and putting in robust measures to minimise and compensate for any remaining damage.
Sadly, this has not been the case with the Able Marine Energy Park. Ever since Able UK submitted its application two years ago, we have argued that its proposed compensation package designed to offset the damage to the internationally protected habitat was not fit for purpose. Over the last 24- months we’ve won a few concessions but the overall picture is still bleak. When Able UK concrete over this important area of mudflat, the black tailed godwits will have to find somewhere else to go. The alternative habitat being created by Able UK won’t be ready and even when it is, there’s absolutely no guarantee it will work. The risk is clear – the capacity to support the Humber’s black-tailed godwits is diminished and that is a direct threat to their survival.
Losing a conservation battle can be demoralising and this bad decision for wildlife has certainly taken the edge off our festive cheer. This is why one of the most valuable qualities needed in conservation is resilience. But we’ll be back in 2014 saving nature’s home is a constant challenge and setbacks like this only serve to strengthen our resolve, to work with the progressive forces in business (and in the ports industry there are several).
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