Guest Blog: bats in the firing line

This week, in the countdown to the Budget, I thought it would be good to hear from our friends from other NGOs who have been engaged in the review of Habitats Regulations.  Bats and newts have been in the firing line, so I am delighted that Julia Hanmer and Tony Gent (chief executives of the Bat Conservation Trust and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation respectively) have agreed to share their views through this blog.

Today, Julia provides her insights below.

"Martin mentioned last week the odd mixture of anecdotes in the case against the Habitat’s Directive including “bats shutting down places of worship”. For me, as both a passionate advocate of bat conservation and a committed Christian, I’m deeply aware of the need to find conservation solutions that work well for both people and for bats. That’s what bat conservation is all about, discovering solutions for people and bats to live together in harmony.

I’ve been dismayed by the bad press bats have had over the last 12 months - accused of stopping developments or costing the earth. Bats are one of the best examples of how necessary and important protective legislation is in helping threatened species and habitats. Bat populations declined steeply in the 20th century, but since they became protected the decline has stopped for many species and a few are even showing a small increase in population. Building and development has continued apace, but a whole network of expert volunteers, ecologists and researchers has grown up, working to discover more about bats and give people, from householders and churches, to developers and land managers, access to practical solutions that work for people and bats.  A lot of the consternation about bats seems to stem from cases where this network of advice has failed, for example when mitigation to replace habitat or bat roosts that are lost is costly and does not work, or when people haven’t received the information or support they need at the right time. These issues can be addressed.

At the Bat Conservation Trust we don’t believe the solution is to attack the legislation. Rather it is to find ways of enabling development to go ahead in a sustainable way that works for wildlife and people. To do this we need to ensure people have access to the expertise, data and evidence they need to achieve truly sustainable development. Small investments in the capacity and training of expert advisors can have a big effect in providing access to high quality advice, whether it’s for developers or people with bat roosts in their home or place of worship. To continually improve this advice it is crucial we monitor mitigation - the practical solutions put in place to enable development. Mitigation for the loss of habitat and bat roosts doesn’t always work.  Sometimes it is done badly, sometimes there are habitats that just can’t be replaced and other times it doesn’t work and we don’t know why. This is frustrating and disheartening for all concerned and makes for alarming headlines.   Ecologists and developers need to monitor the mitigation and to be open about the results so we can learn lessons and share best practice. And we need to invest in data about bats and biodiversity to clarify the impact of decisions over proposed developments.

Next week we’ll know if George Osborne will respond to the widespread evidence that the Habitat’s Directive, far from being a burden to business, is a vital part of the mix needed to achieve sustainable development. Will he see sense? I hope so. Rather than attacking the Directives I would like to see the Chancellor focus on providing people with access to the expertise, information and evidence we need to implement it better."

Do you agree with Julia?

I am sure that she would love to hear your views.  And I look forward to sharing Tony Gent's views on newts tomorrow.