What is the European Wildlife Division?
European Wildlife Division (EWD) has responsibility for policy towards the conservation and enhancement of wildlife in England and a coordinating role within the UK with respect to relevant European Directives and international conventions. The Division has a staff of 43 and is entirely located in Temple Quay House, Bristol.
Much of the delivery of wildlife policy in England is implemented through English Nature (EN), a non-Departmental Public Body whose headquarters are in Peterborough and who are the Government's statutory advisors on nature conservation. EWD 'sponsors' English Nature (i.e. is responsible for its grant-aid (currently £58.1m for 2001/02) and major staffing and organisational issues).
The overarching framework for conservation work in the UK is provided by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP), originally produced in 1994 as a result of the UK signing the Convention on Biological Diversity. The convention was one of the outcomes of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. UKBAP puts forward a wide range of measures to sustain and enhance nature conservation, of which a central feature has been the publication of 391 species and 45 habitat action plans for those species and habitats of greatest conservation concern. The UK Biodiversity Group (UKBG) is building a partnership between Government, the statutory agencies, business and commerce and the voluntary sector. Progress was assessed in the UKBG's report Sustaining the variety of life: 5 years of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan published in March 2001, in which it was proposed that the UKBG be replaced by a larger, inclusive UK Biodiversity Partnership, supported and guided by a UK Biodiversity Standing Committee.
The primary domestic nature conservation legislation is the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The Act focuses on both the protection of habitats and species.
Habitat protection is mainly achieved through the network of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), of which there are some 4,088 (as at 25.5.00) in England, covering about 6% of the land area. SSSIs are designated by English Nature for their scientific value and are protected both through the Town and Country Planning system and through English Nature's own powers in the 1981 Act as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
The domestic system of habitat protection has been substantially amended by the adoption of the EC Wild Birds Directive and the EC Habitats Directive and other international conventions such as the Ramsar convention on wetlands of international importance, the Bern convention on threatened habitats and species in Europe and European agreements on bats and cetaceans.
The two EC directives have proved especially important and will eventually lead to a European wide network of nature conservation sites, Natura 2000. Development which will adversely affect the integrity of Natura 2000 sites (Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for habitats and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for birds) will only be allowed in the absence of alternatives if there is an '...overriding public interest...' and then compensatory measures must be provided.
Species protection is largely achieved through the provisions of Part I of the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act which provides for a range of measures to protect plants and animals from damage and destruction. In 1998 a periodic review of protected species led to new or additional protection being given to another 32 species.
Alien and introduced species are a growing issue and a wide-ranging Government review on policy concerning non-native species is underway. A special case which has caused much controversy is the North American ruddy duck which is the subject of a trial to cull its numbers in the UK in order to protect the white headed duck in the Mediterranean.
Nature conservation in the marine environment is as important as on the land. The Government has recognised that action is needed in this area and a review is considering how best marine nature conservation can be improved.
Conservation policy is supported by a substantial research and monitoring effort. EWD manages a significant research programme for the whole of the wildlife and countryside policy areas, of which the biggest current element is Countryside Survey 2000. This is a national survey of habitats and landscape features which has repeated and extended previous surveys over the last 20 years. The survey combines the latest satellite image analysis techniques with traditional field survey to obtain full national coverage and detailed information on vegetation, soils and freshwater. The results were published in November 2000. Further investigation of these results is underway, see www.cs2000.org.uk
Page published: 21 June 2002