News / Nature
Urgent action needed to reverse nature decline
Sixty-two per cent of fish species and 44 per cent of birds are declining across the West of England according to a new study.
The State of Nature report claims to be the most ambitious and comprehensive study of the region’s wildlife that has ever been undertaken, and highlights where urgent action is needed to reverse species’ decline.
Since 2000, 15 per cent of species are waning and only four per cent are increasing according to the data which was collected by volunteers and local recorders.
“Nature underpins the health, resilience and prosperity of the West of England,” says the report released on Monday by the West of England Nature Partnership and the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
From woodlands and waterways to towns and cities, the report aims to show “both where nature is struggling and where recovery is possible”.
The report says that the West of England is “at a crossroads” with much of the region’s wildlife not thriving but “holding on, often in fragmented and strained habitats”.
There remains optimism, however, with the report’s vision for the future saying that “with the right interventions we can stop declines and tip the balance towards recovery”.
West of England mayor, Helen Godwin, said the report “can make for difficult reading but it also highlights the opportunities where everyone can protect and restore our biodiversity”.
Godwin said: “The West of England is exceptionally well-placed to lead on the environment, with strong partnerships and a clear direction through the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
“Climate and nature are threaded through our regional Growth Strategy as real priorities…
“Our new £5m Nature Fund will help make a real difference that people – and wildlife – here in the West Country can see and feel.”
Nature extends into the heart of Bristol, like here at Butterfly Junction near the Create Centre – photo: Martin Booth
West of England Nature Partnership chair, Sumita Hutchison, added: “The threats to nature are becoming clearer to all of us.
“We’ve felt them in the recent heatwave and the unpredictability of this year’s weather.
“The State of Nature report is a call to action and on the back of it we are galvanised to bring even more people together for nature.
“Yet I feel real hope, because this is the work of an extraordinary partnership of inspired and forward-thinking leaders, including the mayor.
“The Nature Fund will be a catalyst for genuine growth for nature and for the resilience of our region.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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