from Sunday Herald, 14 August 2011
They are meant to be the pride of the nation, but they are suffering. The iconic mountains, beloved animals and precious plants that define Scotland’s spectacular natural heritage are in decline.
A new official assessment has revealed that more than a thousand of the country’s most important natural features are in poor condition – and the problem’s getting worse.
Flowers, birds, fish, lochs, woodlands and hillsides across the country are being neglected or damaged because of the failure of successive governments to meet targets to protect them from pollution, development, farmers, landowners and other threats.
The areas that have been harmed include Ben Lomond, Ben Nevis and the Cuillins, as well as the Spey and Tweed rivers. Amongst the wildlife at risk are seabirds like puffins and terns, hen harriers, salmon, and the Scottish primrose.
The loss of wildlife and nature conservation areas is a “ticking time bomb” that will undermine the multi-million pound tourism industry and jeopardise the ecological health of the nation environmentalists warn.
The new assessment, which was carried out by the government’s wildlife conservation agency, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), reveals that 22.8% of over 5,000 natural features are in “unfavourable condition” this year. This compares to 22% in 2010 and 21.6% in 2009.
This is despite the target adopted by previous Labour and Nationalist governments to cut the number of features in unfavourable condition to five per cent by 2010. This target is now being reviewed by the new SNP government.
The natural features are part of Scotland’s network of 1,881 designated conservation areas, which are meant to be protected by law. But according to SNH, 40% of grasslands and heaths, 34% of flowers, 33% of woodlands and 27% of birds are in a poor state (see table below).
Among the main causes of the damage listed by SNH are over-grazing by livestock or deer, the invasion of alien species, agriculture, forestry and pollution. Some seabird populations have collapsed because of over-fishing, while plant and animal habitats are being destroyed by development and bad management.
One protected area, the Foveran Links site of special scientific interest on the Aberdeenshire coast, is being damaged by the construction of a luxury golf complex by the US billionaire property tycoon, Donald Trump. Near Cumnock in East Ayrshire, the Muirkirk Uplands nature conservation site has been spoiled by open cast coal mining operations.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) in Scotland pointed out that governments’ failure to meet their target to improve nature conservation areas was predicted in 2007. “It is a matter of huge disappointment and frustration that in the following years the situation has got worse and the number of sites in unfavourable condition has declined further,” said Lloyd Austin, the society’s head of conservation policy.
“Given that our wildlife and habitats underpin a large proportion of our economy, including our hugely-valuable tourism industry, we call on the government to open its eyes and see the contribution of these sites to Scotland and its inhabitants.”
Austin urged ministers not to back away from the target of cutting the proportion of natural features in poor condition to five percent. “These are the jewels in the crown of our natural environment,” he said.
Plantlife Scotland, which campaigns to protect flowers, expressed alarm that plants were among the worst hit. “We are failing our plants in Scotland,” said the group’s Dr Deborah Long. “Despite being the basis of all life, providing clean water, clean air, food, medicine, clothing and shelter, they remain undervalued and in decline.”
She urged SNH to keep monitoring the health of plants so that problems could be identified and addressed. Current support available under the Scottish rural development programme didn’t deliver for plants, she argued.
“If we continue to underfund management for plants in both our protected sites and in the wider countryside, we are going to witness continued decline in the health of our plants, our ecosystems and ourselves,” Long warned.
SNH accepted that progress had been poor in the last couple of years. But it pointed out that there had been a six per cent improvement in the condition of species and habitats since 2005.
“We are disappointed that there’s been no improvement this year, but changes to entire ecosystems have to be measured over decades, not years,” said Angus Laing, SNH’s manager for protected places.
“But there’s no avoiding the fact that we now face even bigger challenges, which may mean the increases are more gradual in the coming years. Some of the early changes were obvious and easily made.”
The Scottish government declined to say anything about its review of the target for improving nature conservation areas. It insisted, however, that looking after the sites was “a clear priority”.
Said a government spokeswoman: “We are working closely with SNH to better understand the threats to these important wildlife areas, and with a wider range of both public and private sector partners to enhance these areas.”
How Scotland is failing to protect its natural treasures
year / natural features damaged or neglected
2008 / 22.5%
2009 / 21.6%
2010 / 22%
2011 / 22.8%
The wildlife and landscapes that are suffering
species or habitat / damaged or neglected
Grasslands / 40.8%
Heath / 40.5%
Plants with flowers/ 34.1%
Woodlands / 33.3%
Birds / 26.9%
Freshwater / 24.2%
Wetlands / 23.2%
Plants without flowers/ 22.7%
Fish / 15.2%
Insects and other invertebrates / 15%
Marine mammals / 14.8%
Coastal / 14.5%
Uplands / 13%
Ten species that are suffering
Puffins
Hen Harriers
Red squirrels
Atlantic salmon
Freshwater pearl mussel
Great Yellow Bumblebee
Corn Marigold
Lesser Butterfly Orchid
Scottish Primrose
Ten sites that are suffering
Ben Lomond
Ben Nevis
The Cuillins
Arthur’s Seat
Cape Wrath
Fair Isle
Loch Moidart
Mull of Galloway
River Spey
River Tweed
source: Scottish Natural Heritage and environmental groups
SNH were ordered to pull their punches after opposing the Trump development at the PLI. That is a very clear signal that the environment is about priority zillionth out of one for the SNP ... It's growth,growth, growth ...
Posted by: Debra Storr | 14 August 2011 at 05:05 PM
You've missed out the conservation bodies in your list of those culpable in the failure to reach the targets thereby incurring EU fines. The pendulum that swung into motion to redress the damage being done by overgrazing was allowed to swing too far under a Labour administration at Holyrood that had no understanding of the rural environment. With a Scottish Government Cabinet made up from approximately 50% rural constituencies and a directive to work in partnership, although less sensational from a newsworthy point of view, there's a better chance of getting the right balance this time round.
Posted by: Daye Tucker | 14 August 2011 at 04:01 PM