There are some hard conservation problems and there are some tough conservation problems. Neither are easy, but I think we're pretty good at dealing with hard problems but we need to get better at dealing with tough ones. What's the difference? It may be a bit of a false distinction, but for me, a hard conservation problem is one where wildlife is in trouble as a perverse and inadvertent consequence of human activity. A tough one is when the needs of wildlife and humans directly conflict. Let's look at a hard conservation problem: the bycatch of seabirds from fishing.
Fishermen don't want to catch albatrosses, they want to catch prized fish like tuna or hake. Yet, hundreds of thousands of seabirds have been dying every year around fishing vessels. Either lured by the bait put out by fishermen, caught on hooks and drowned, or by flying into cables or other fishing gear and breaking their wings. Accidental death around fishing vessels is the prime reason why 15 out of 22 albatross species are classified as globally threatened - at serious risk of extinction.
Albatrosses, such as this black-browed albatross, have a brighter future today following work in South Africa. Picture: Grahame Madge
Following nearly ten years of hard graft and determination, and with enthusiastic and generous support from RSPB members, our Birdlife International global seabird programme team has managed to work with trawl fishermen reducing the number of seabirds being killed and reducing extinction risk for several albatross species, many of which nest on the UK’s Overseas Territories in the Southern Ocean. This work - exemplified by the 99% reduction in seabird deaths from the South African hake fishery - is being celebrated today at an event convened by HRH Prince of Wales.
Other hard conservation issues include tackling the decline of Asian vultures as a result of the veterinary drug diclofenac being used to treat cattle, on whose carcasses the vultures scavenge. Again, through the SAVE partnership we're on top of the issue and it is extremely gratifying to see vulture populations begin to increase.
A tough conservation problem is one where the needs of wildlife and humans conflict - when we are competing for ecological space. Growing food, generating energy, building shelter or pursuing 'sport' or leisure can all lead to direct conflict with wildlife. If species conflict with human activities then they lose out - skylarks decline on farmland, gannets are displaced by offshore wind farms, nightingale habitat is lost to housing development or birds of prey are persecuted because they eat grouse or pheasants.
We'll continue to do all we can to tackle hard conservation problems but we also won't shy away from tough problems. We'll continue to find ways to reconcile competing human and wildlife needs and give inspire others to do more through projects such as Hope Farm and develop ideas for Hope Wood and Hope Community.
Watch this space...
This is a very good distinction, Martin - and we seem to be doing much better on the Hard than the Tough - which is ironic because the hard problems often pose real, practical challenges whereas all too often the tough challenges are about human institutions we have set up and seem unable to change - or sometimes even discuss in a rational way. How is it that an agriculture policy fit for purpose in 1947 remains effectively unchanged in 2014 ? Or that we struggle to even acknowledge that alongside its successes the Green belt policy does have flaws and could be improved ? The idea that the environment hampers growth doesn't help - especially as businesses going head to head with the environment - onshore wind, fracking - are on the whole doing rather badly whereas the many - often unsung heroes - who have listened and learnt are often doing rather well, with positive consumer support.
Great work RSPB, both on the hard and on the tough conservation problems. Keep up your brilliant efforts.