Halting Biodiversity Loss by 2010

In January 2006, Wildlife and Countryside Link (Link) published a challenge to Government by setting out what we thought the 2010 biodiversity commitment meant and how progress should be measured. We agreed to look at progress on an annual basis, to highlight successes or failures around the turn of the year.

2010 Assessment of Progress

Presented below is our January 2010 assessment of progress in the last year against the performance indicators we included in the original leaflet.  These assessments have been made at an England level, but in some cases, we have had to use broader information for the UK.

Our final assessment will be carried out at the end of 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, to assess progress overall.  By then, we hope that the UK government will have made a clear commitment to ambitious post 2010 biodiversity targets both at a European Union level and globally.

Green indicates that good progress is being made, amber means moderate progress has taken place, and red means progress has been poor. 

Click on any of the traffic lights for more information, or view the Full Progress Assessment.

1. STOP THE ROT
Protecting and enhancing threatened species and habitats

Our performance indicator:
No BAP priority species and no habitats ‘still declining' by 2010.

Assessment:

Amber/Red(unchanged since 2009 Assessment)

2. PROTECT THE BEST
Protecting and managing our finest wildlife sites

Our performance indicators:

a) Marine:
A complete Marine Protected Area network (including Natura 2000 sites, OSPAR MPAs, Nationally Important Marine Sites and Highly Protected Marine Reserves) identified and notified by 2010.

Assessment:

Amber (up from amber/red in 2009)

b) Terrestrial and freshwater:
95% of UK SSSI/ASSIs in favourable condition by 2010.

Assessment:

Green/Amber (unchanged since 2009)

3. RESTORE THE REST
Making space for biodiversity

Our performance Indicators:

a) Wider countryside:
By 2010, there should be a positive trend in the indices for farmland and woodland bird populations, for bats and for butterflies.

Birds:		Amber/Red (unchanged since 2009)
Bats:		Amber (unchanged since 2009)
Butterflies:		Amber (unchanged since 2009)

b) Education:
By 2010, all school children should have gained experience of the natural world through out-of-classroom learning as an integral part of school education.

Assessment:

Amber (up from amber/red in 2009)

This document is supported by the following 22 organisations: