Defra, UK - Farming - Wildlife and plants

Farming: wildlife and plants

Bats

All species of bats have declined over the years and many are now threatened or endangered. The most immediate threats are habitat degradation, disturbance of roosting sites and certain pesticides.

In response to this, bats and their breeding and nesting sites (roosts) are protected under the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994 and Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

In addition the 45 species of bats found in Europe, including the 17 species indigenous to the UK, are protected under the Bonn Convention.

Protected species

Under Regulation 39 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1994 and Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence for anyone intentionally to kill, injure or take any wild bat, or sell, offer or expose for sale any live or dead bat. It is also an offence to damage, destroy or obstruct access to any place used by bats for shelter or as a breeding site, whether they are present or not.

In some circumstances you can apply to Natural England for a licence to allow actions affecting bats or their roosts that would normally be prohibited by law.

You will need to demonstrate that there is no satisfactory alternative and that the action will not adversely affect the favourable conservation status of the bats.

Bat protection and conservation

The main threats to bats result from habitat degradation, disturbance of roosting sites and the loss of feeding sites from certain pesticides used in agriculture and in the protection of buildings.

The Bat Mitigation Guidelines are available from Natural England with useful information for landowners and property owners interested in bat conservation.

The measures include:

roost requirements in the summer for breeding
roost requirements in the winter for hibernation
planning consents in relation to a protected species

The Bat Conservation Trust and Bat Conservation International are also good sources of information on buildings, habitat and roost sites. You can also contact the Bat Conservation Trust helpline on 0845 1300 228.

Agreement on the Conservation of European Bats (EUROBATS)

The EUROBATS agreement came into force on 16 January 1994. Its aim is to encourage co-operation within Europe to conserve all its species of bats.

Countries involved have agreed to work together through legislation, education, conservation measures and international co-operation towards the conservation of bats in Europe. The fundamental obligations are to:

prohibit the deliberate capture, keeping or killing of bats except under permit from its competent authority
identify sites within its jurisdiction that are important to the conservation of bats and protect these sites from damage or disturbance
promote public awareness
promote research programs relating to conservation and management of bats
consider the potential effects of pesticides on bats, when assessing pesticides for use, and endeavour to replace timber treatment chemicals that are highly toxic to bats with safer alternatives

There are 30 countries involved in the Agreement. More information about the work being done can be found on the EUROBATS website.