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Urgent UK nature rescue plan needed around COP16 talks to plug massive 30x30 target gap

11 October 2024

  • Without urgent remedies the UK’s poor progress to internationally agreed 30x30 targets risks failure for nature on the global stage, warn nature experts
  • Annual progress tracker on the landmark 30x30 nature target shows a decrease in the amount of land in England effectively protected for nature to under 3%, while the amount of sea protected increases fractionally to 9.92%
  • As countries gather in Colombia for COP16 nature talks campaigners call for a rapid rescue package for nature - including improving the condition of protected nature sites, and designating more English waters as Highly Protected Marine Areas

The annual update from Wildlife and Countryside Link into progress in England on the target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 (the “30x30 target”) shows continuation of a worrying trend. The amount of land in England that can be said to be effectively protected for nature has fallen to just 2.93% while the amount of sea protected continues to lag at 9.92%. [1] [2] This follows last year’s update on progress showing 3.11% of land and 8% of sea in England was effectively protected for nature.

Falls in the amount of land protected for nature is due to a steady decline over the past decade in the number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in good ecological condition. [3] Climate change, water pollution and overgrazing are among the top reasons for habitats and wildlife suffering in these protected areas. However, the decline may also be attributed to more sites being monitored than previously, revealing a more accurate picture of their condition (Only 1% of land last assessed before 2011 was classified as declining, this rose to 31% for those assessed in 2021 - 2022) [4] Other land designations including National Parks have huge potential for nature, but previous reports have found that the state of nature within these is often no better than it is outside of them.

The small rise in effectively protected area of sea comes from the introduction in March 2024 of byelaws prohibiting banned bottom towed fishing gear across protected features in 13 offshore. This welcomed decision has led to a further 1.7% of English waters being protected from the most damaging forms of fishing.

Link's report covers protected land and sea in England only. The UK Government committed to meeting this international target to effectively protect 30% of land and sea by 2030 at home. Governments have committed to deliver this target in each of the four countries of the UK, as devolved nations are responsible for environmental policy and protection, with nature groups within Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland expressing the need for urgent action in all countries to make progress towards achieving the 30% target.

Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said:
“The new Government is going to need to take giant strides in the next 6 years to meet internationally agreed 2030 nature targets. As delegates arrive in Colombia for crucial nature talks, the UK has a major opportunity to show global environmental leadership. This must be backed up by action at home. As we approach the five-year countdown to the deadline to restore nature, we’re calling for a rapid rescue package for UK nature.

“At the moment, the UK’s critical natural infrastructure is in a state of chronic neglect. More land needs to be designated for nature protection and restoration. Land that’s already protected needs a new lease of life. Farming and fisheries reform must be brought back to the top of the agenda. Time is tight, but there’s still hope that a rapid rescue plan can restore the ecological foundations of our economy.”

Katie-jo Luxton, Global Conservation Director of the RSPB said:
“We welcomed the commitment to protect 30% of our land for nature, but years have passed since this was made and we’re just not seeing the urgent action that is needed for nature recovery. Meanwhile, more species are being added to the red list of conservation concern, and this will only carry on if the conditions in our protected nature sites aren’t improved. We also need to see more places, from seabird foraging areas to our ancient woodlands and upland peatbogs given protected status so they can revive threatened species such as Puffin, Curlew and Willow Tit.”

Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK, said:
“Our ocean protections are often barely worth the paper they’re written on. It’s hard to see how our protected areas will do much to revive nature when they’re being ripped apart by bottom trawling or licensed for oil and gas exploration. It’s time that protected really means protected, so that our oceans can support wildlife, fight the climate crisis, and support sustainable fishing.”

The 30x30 target is far more than a number to tick off. Protecting our land and ocean means that nationally cherished sites from Lake Windermere to the coastline of Cornwall are protected for future generations to enjoy, while dwindling numbers of wildlife from red squirrels to puffins would be restored. Nature action has ramifications in nearly every aspect of our lives, with healthy nature being the foundation of climate action, strong public health, and social equality. With this in mind, Wildlife and Countryside Link has previously called for Defra to be seen as a mission critical department for Government.

The report notes progress from Government in setting out draft criteria (in 2023) for land counting towards the 30x30 target. These draft criteria align with the Wildlife and Countryside Link report’s assessment conditions, that protected land for nature must be in good condition for nature to count towards the target of 30%. If implemented, the criteria would bring in standards for the Government to work towards and could force more rapid action ahead of the 2030 deadline as policy gaps are identified. This would allow the Government to identify and target actions needed to boost the condition of nature and to start to progress towards meaningfully achieving the 30% target

Dr Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive, Campaign for National Parks:
“Our protected landscapes have huge potential to restore nature, fight climate change, and help get us to 30% of land and sea being protected for nature. But we’re in an atrocious situation, where the places that are supposed to be the jewels in the crown for English wildlife are often in worse condition than the places outside of them. These landscapes need a big increase in long-term funding and transformative powers so they can play their full role for nature recovery.”

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said:
“Marine habitats can be huge allies in the fight against climate change, providing they are properly protected. Currently, damaging activities such as bottom trawling continue to take place throughout UK seas, including in most Marine Protected Areas. Inflicting damage to habitats undermines nature’s ability to capture and store carbon. We desperately need more land and sea protected because the UK’s progress on achieving 30x30 is embarrassingly slow.”

The report comes after further damning evidence on the state of nature across the country, with the most recent Birds of Conservation Concern seabirds assessment adding a further six species to the red list.

Nature charities are calling for action to be taken before the end of the year to get progress to the 30x30 target on track. This includes using the already announced review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to set out action for improving the condition of protected nature sites. At sea, Link is calling for byelaws to be published to halt damaging fishing activity across all Marine Protected Areas (MPA) network by the end 2024.

Key figures from the report show:

  • The network of protected sites covers approximately 8.5% of England. Currently, only 34.67% of SSSIs are in good condition for nature. Thus only 2.93% of England’s land is effectively protected for nature and can contribute to the 30% target.
  • This is a decline from 2023 when 36.82% of SSSIs were in a good ecological state, and therefore 3.11% of England’s total land area could be said to be effectively protected for nature.
  • A maximum of 9.92% of English waters in September 2024 are protected from the most damaging form of fishing and are moving towards effective protection for nature.
  • Only 37 out of the 374 UK MPAs have enough monitoring in place to assess if their management measures are working, and only 83 out of the 374 UK MPAs are moving towards their conservation objectives.

Nature groups hope to hear substantial commitments to UK nature from the new Secretary of State at the COP16 talks. A nature rescue plan is needed that includes:

  • Putting targets to protect 30% of land and sea at the heart of planning reform, to ensure that all development is playing an active role in nature recovery.
  • Expanding the protected sites network by designating more significant and rare natural habitats, such as ancient woodlands and chalk streams.
  • Introducing a new, significant, long-term fund to boost nature in key areas, including protected sites currently in poor condition, National Parks and National Landscapes, alongside effectively implementing protections for these most significant and vulnerable nature sites to prevent further degradation, such as water quality regulations to avoid chemical and nutrient pollution from farming and other industries into rivers.
  • Publish Stage 3 & Stage 4 fisheries management measures to halt damaging fishing activity across the whole of the offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPA) network by the end of 2024.
  • Pledging to protect at least 10% of English seas as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HMPAs) by 2030.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

  1. The network of protected sites covers approximately 8.5% of England. As of 30 August 2024, 382,258.36 ha of SSSIs are in ‘Favourable’ condition, divided by total England land area (to mean high water mark) of 13,046,154 ha, means that 2.93% of England’s land is in SSSIs in good condition, meeting the 30x30 criteria and contributing to the 30% target. a. Data from: https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/WholeEnglandReports.aspx, accurate to 30 August 2024
  2. The Link 30x30 criteria are:
    1. Protected in the long-term for nature. The entirety of the 30% should be afforded long-term protection for nature and long-term protection against damage such as pollution, overexploitation, invasive nonnative species, habitat destruction and harmful development.
    2. Effectively managed for nature. As well as protection from harm, all areas counted towards the 30% target should be well-managed for nature’s recovery and regularly monitored at appropriate intervals as part of a programme of investment, species and habitat monitoring and enforcement to ensure these areas are in good or genuinely recovering condition.
    3. The amount of land and sea effectively protected for nature comes out significantly lower in Link’s report when compared to the total amount of area covered by designations including Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). [5] This is because Link’s report accounts for condition of sites and real-world protections. For example, many SSSIs are in poor condition for nature while a large number of MPAs suffer huge damage from bottom trawling.
    4. Link’s figure for progress on land does also not include the total area of landscape designations such as National Parks and National Landscapes, in line with the Government’s position, as these designations in and of themselves do not provide protection or requirements for management for nature to meet the 30x30 criteria. However, these protected landscapes have significant potential for nature and large portions of these areas could contribute towards the 30x30 target, if bolstered to meet the 30x30 criteria.
  3. As of 30 August 2024, 382,258.36 ha of SSSIs are in ‘Favourable’ condition, divided by total England land area (to mean high water mark) of 13,046,154 ha, means that 2.93% of England’s land is in SSSIs in good condition, meeting the 30x30 criteria and contributing to the 30% target.
  4. The majority of SSSIs have not been monitored recently, but there has been a slight uptick in monitoring of SSSIs over the last few years, which means that more SSSIs have an up-to-date condition assessment.
  5. Government draft 30x30 criteria and mapping published in December 2023 concluded 8.5% of English land counted towards the 30% target.
    1. There are 178 MPAs in English waters, covering 51% of inshore and 37% of offshore waters

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