UK wildlife at risk due to big gaps in environmental protections created by Brexit: Report

A new report published on February 3 revealed that wildlife in the United Kingdom is at risk due to big gaps in environmental protections following the country's European Union exit. The report that was commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and WWF, states that a new system of regulation is needed to maintain and improve farming and environmental standards. 

The worrying report

According to the report, hedgehogs, dragonflies, and bees are among wildlife at risk due to the regulatory gaps created by Brexit. The three wildlife charities are calling on the government to close the gaps in regulation and include a power in the Agriculture Bill to introduce and enforce a new regulatory framework for agriculture which addresses the gaps. The United Kingdom government introduced the new post-Brexit Agriculture Bill on January 16, which is aimed at moving subsidies away from the EU Common Agricultural Policy system to farmers and land managers in England. 

According to the Agriculture Bill, farmers in the United Kingdom will receive 'public money for public goods' meaning they will be supported by the government to farm more innovatively and tackle the climate and nature crisis at the same time. However, many people are worried that the bill is silent on the rules and regulations for farming in the future. 

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Ellie Brodie, The Wildlife Trusts’ senior policy manager, said in the report that they are very worried about the Agriculture Bill as it does not contain regulations that are desperately needed to prevent the occurring harm to nature. Ellie and other environmentalists want the gap to be filled and the law must be strengthened to address the ongoing nature crisis and climate emergency. 

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As per the report, "Hedgerows support up to 80% of woodland birds, 50% of our mammals and 30% of our butterflies. The ditches and banks that surround hedges double up as a home for frogs, toads, newts, and reptiles. They provide song posts, shelter and nesting sites for both woodland and farmland birds such as yellowhammers, turtle doves and linnets."

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The report further stated that the potential loss of regulations that prevent hedgerow cutting during bird breeding season could lead to nests being destroyed with disastrous results for some of the most threatened species in the United Kingdom. The list includes species such as the red-listed yellowhammer (declined by 55%1970-2013) and linnet which declined by 60% over the same period.

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(with inputs from agencies)