Prime Minister hears West Country's call to save wildlife in 3 easy steps
By Tristan Cork
The natural world is vital to the South West's economic, physical and mental wellbeing, says the letter
One hundred leading
farmers, conservationists, business leaders, landowners, celebrities and
academics from the West Country last night called on the Prime Minister to save
the region's wildlife and environment.
In an open letter to David Cameron, they said last
week's State of Nature report revealed 'shocking' declines in species and
habitats across the south west, and declared it a 'wake-up call' for
Government.
The 100 signatories said they all recognised that the
West was the one region in Britain that traded on the quality of its natural
environment, and the 'wellbeing and prosperity of people and nature are
intimately linked'.
The letter demands three easy steps that
the Government could take to halt the decline, or at least slow it, to provide
what the signatories told Mr Cameron would be a 'step change in the way you
approach nature in Government'.
The first is to beef up and speed up plans
for a marine conservation area around the West's coastline, to restore the
marine environment and 'rebuild' our fishing industry.
The second is that farmers who farm in a way which
helps the environment – dubbed 'High Nature Value farming' – are rewarded by
the Government, and their approach incorporated into next year's Rural
Development Plan.
And the third is that when the Government plans for
growth in the economy, it includes investment in 'nature capital', and green
growth, using EU cash.
"The natural world is vital to the South West's
economic, physical and mental well-being," the letter concludes. "We
look for clear impactful leadership from you in the vital task of restoring
it."
The 100 signatories come from across the political
spectrum and from both sides of what sometimes is a wide divide between
agri-business and environmentalism.
It includes all the leading figures from wildlife
trusts from Cornwall to Gloucestershire, many other species-specific
conservation groups, as well as farmers' leaders, business leaders and
environmentalists.
Tony Richardson, the regional director of the RSPB in
the south west, explained that all sides now recognise that a declining
environment in the West Country is bad for business as well as bad for birds,
plants and animals. "The report is a wake-up call," he said.
"The declines it describes are truly shocking and we need clear leadership
and collective action to start to restore what has been lost.
"Although wildlife is at the heart of this, it's
critical to remember that here in the West Country so much of our economy and
our quality of life is dependent on the state of our environment. To ignore
such a relentless decline is simply wrong. Leaders, from the PM to politicians
at all levels and decision-makers in business and the community should act now
on this very simple message. Leadership counts."
Somerset farmer Will Barnard said changes to the
Common Agricultural Policy were not going to help. "Across the south west, there are thousands of
'high nature value' farms," he said. "But the farm businesses that
have to succeed for this to happen, don't do well out of the current Common
Agricultural Policy as it works in England. This fails the South West. Our political leaders need to fix this,
fast."
This follows on from last month's 'State of Nature' report:
BBC Nature - Wildlife stocktake highlights UK's most threatened species
State of Nature report reveals alarming UK wildlife loss - Blue and Green Tomorrow
State of Nature report Archives - Sustainable Business Toolkit | Sustainable Business Toolkit
Watch David Attenborough launching the report at the Natural History museum last night, with the Minister for Biodiversity and State of Nature partners:
The RSPB: State of Nature
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