Birmingham Friends of the Earth Action Briefing Dec 98/Jan 99

Biodiversity & Habitats

"Daisy, Daisy, give me your signature do..."

'Flower Power' bloomed in Birmingham's Bullring on Saturday November 28th as FOE volunteers got flowered up on a daisy day of action to gather support for better legal protection for British wild places.

Brett Rehling reports:

The British Isles supports an amazing diversity of wildlife. Home to wetlands, peatlands, grasslands, heaths, centuries old woodlands, we also have one of the most dramatic coastlines in the world. The UK is a refuge for thousands of wild species: the Wild Cat, Red Kite, Adonis Blue Butterfly, Black Poplar, Grey Seal and the Harbour Porpoise, for example.

The best of these wildlife habitats are known as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), examples in the Birmingham area are Edgbaston Pool and Sutton Park. Most SSSIs are privately owned and have commercial activities going on inside them (largely farming). An SSSI designation is little more than an indication of where an important area of habitat is. There is a common misconception that a SSSI is protected by law, when in fact all the law does is tie owners or occupiers into negotiations about any damaging operations they might want to conduct. If the negotiations are not satisfactory to the landowner, then the damaging operation can go ahead quite legally. It follows that the protection of SSSIs in Britain relies primarily on goodwill.

Facts about SSSIs:

• One in five (19%) SSSIs were damaged in England and Wales 1991-1996 (official data)
• Over 300 SSSIs are damaged every year in the UK (official data)
• Nearly 800 SSSIs are currently under threat in UK, including Chasewater Heath by BNRR (FOE data)

45% of English SSSIs are in an 'unfavourable condition' (according to English Nature)

The Daisy Chain campaign for better wildlife laws aims to get stronger legal protection for wildlife, especially the nation's most important wildlife areas. It is being run in conjunction with other organisations such as the RSPB and WWF-UK, and calls for amendments to the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. The amendments are outlined in the Wildlife Charter and it is hoped that these changes will be incorporated in a Government Wildlife Bill initiated in next year's Queen's Speech.

In support of the national campaign Birmingham Friends of the Earth held a Daisy Day outside the Bull Ring Centre on Saturday 28th November. In the spirit of the joint national campaign, The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-UK) were invited to join us on the day. The aim of the action was to get members of the public to sign Daisy Cards expressing concern about the loss or damage to over 300 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) each year, and pledging support to the campaign for better legal protection for wildlife and wild places. So, on a bitterly cold day, dressed as giant daisies, members of FOE and WWF-UK headed for the Bull Ring, where they managed to persuade around 300 shoppers to pledge their support.

This Birmingham FOE campaign is supported by Organic Roundabout Ltd, who we would like to thank for distributing 1300 Daisy Cards along with their organic vegetable bags. Organic Roundabout are a local co-operative who deliver organic vegetables to households and businesses throughout Birmingham. Contact them on 0121 551 1679

The Wildlife Charter

A network of well-managed protected areas is essential for conserving the UK's wildlife. New legislation is urgently needed to address the shortcomings of the current site protection system:

• The difficulties in securing the right management of prime wildlife areas (SSSIs) when the current system of obtaining voluntary agreement breaks down, can be solved by introducing a power to issue "management orders"
• Where a site is suddenly threatened, swifter emergency "stop orders" on conservation grounds will still be needed. Nature Conservation Orders must be available in all instances of threat or damage to protected sites.
• Wildlife sites, which are not formally designated, should receive greater recognition to bring protection.
• Any illegal damage to protected sites must be remedied: the ability to enforce appropriate restoration orders or no interference zones would also act as a deterrent against damage in the first instance.
• Tighter controls are needed on the activities of third parties. Duties to further SSSI protection should apply to all statutory agencies and undertakers, and bylaw-making powers should be available on all SSSIs.
• Planning laws need to reflect the national importance of all SSSIs, and prevent damaging developments such as mineral extraction or water extraction in or around SSSIs.
• In Scotland, where there are large areas of land of importance to wildlife, a community partnership backed by government funds should be created.
• There is an urgent need to designate and protect a network of nationally important marine areas. Consideration should also be given to temporary or emergency designation of marine sites.

Brett Rehling