UK national parks should not be considered ‘protected areas’ unless wildlife management is radically improved, according to a new report.
Internationally, the UK is calling for 30% of land and sea protection by 2030 (30×30 target), but fails to protect its own wildlife, according to a report by the British Environmental Society (BES).
Protected areas such as national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs) make up 28% of the UK’s land, but only around 5% are effectively protected. The report recommends that they not be included in the total number of the United Kingdom in their current state.
Such areas may maintain a higher species richness, but “very often the report finds that these benefits are insignificant,” said Professor Jane Hill, an ecologist at York University and one of the report’s authors.
“The proof is that most protected landscapes are not useful for nature and only a small percentage are in good ecological condition. However, because there is existing governance to manage these landscapes, they have great potential to be adapted to improve the way they deliver to nature. “
The BES Protected Areas and Nature Restoration Report states that landscapes should only be designated as protected areas if it is proven that wildlife is being restored in the long term. The main causes of poor environmental status include unsustainable agricultural and fishing practices, pollution and the spread of non-native species.
Governments around the world are negotiating the next decade of UN nature conservation goals, with dozens of countries committed to protecting 30×30 as conservation is key to tackling climate and environmental crises. However, many of them have failed to have a positive effect on wildlife, according to a separate report on 1,500 protected areas around the world published this week in Nature.
Protected landscapes – such as national parks and AONBs, etc. – are not intended primarily for biodiversity. A reorientation is required to be included in the 30×30, “said Dr. Joseph Bailey of York’s St. John’s University, lead author of the BES report. “This is no small task and will require significant and sustainable resources to ensure that they deliver to nature in the long run. In fact, such a reform could be one of the most positive results for 30×30. ”
Protected areas are underfunded and as a result are forced to compromise, the BES report said. Within national parks, there is also limited data on how well wildlife areas are cared for. Better enforcement, monitoring and long-term protection are needed, and adequate money and resources must be provided to make this happen, researchers said.
The Weir River flows through the Bowland Forest in Lancashire, which has AONB status. Photo: Ken Leslie / Alami
Protected areas alone are not enough to stop the catastrophic loss of biodiversity in the country. Landscapes around them also need to be better managed to sustain nature, which is becoming increasingly important as species change their range in response to climate change. However, researchers say very positive work is beginning to happen, including more nature-friendly agriculture, peatland restoration and wetland management.
Thirty-eight percent of the UK’s seas are marine protected areas (MPAs), but in practice many of them have no management measures and are at risk of damaging and unregulated bottom trawling. Fishing is prohibited in only 0.0024% of UK waters, currently covering three MPAs.
Rick Stafford, of Bournemouth University and author of the BES report, said: “The proposal to protect 30% of the UK’s seas is very welcome, but we need effective management measures in the MPA that will protect wildlife and will benefit local coastal communities.
“The lack of overall governance or law enforcement means that the majority fails to do for nature and bring the full range of biodiversity benefits they might otherwise have.”
Find more coverage of the age of extinction here and follow biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on Twitter for all the latest news and features
Add Comment