After today we will no longer be part of the European Union. The decision has been made and from now on we must take responsibility for and concentrate on tackling the climate and wildlife crises in the U.K.
This is an important opportunity for all of us, both in government and in wider society, to turn around the fortunes of our declining butterflies and moths. We at Butterfly Conservation will play our part, offering our expertise and our experience.
But governments will need to provide the leadership and support to help make sure this happens.
In this blog, we highlight some of the key issues which we believe will need to be addressed to ensure future generations can experience flourishing populations of butterflies and moths.
Continue to protect wildlife
As a member of the EU, up until now Directives such as the Habitats Directive have provided strong protection for top wildlife sites, including crucial habitats for butterflies and moths. It will be vitally important that the UK and devolved governments put in place legislation which offers the same or better protection for our wildlife than they had before. Butterfly Conservation’s job, along with other wildlife organisations, will be to help make sure this happens and to hold governments to account if they fail our wildlife.
Be active leaders in conservation
The UK is already bound by a wide array of international conventions and agreements on nature protection and it is vitally important that the UK continues to actively implement these international agreements. Indeed, the UK must show active leadership in the field of international conservation and environmental discussions and meetings. There is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate this leadership with the crucial COP26 UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow later this year.
The most significant opportunity for butterflies, moths and other wildlife will be the potential for much improved wildlife-friendly grant schemes for farmers and land managers. The new Agriculture Bill has signalled welcome opportunities for England and we hope that similarly positive moves will be made by the other countries of the UK.
If the £3.2bn currently paid to farmers and land managers can be redirected to provide more money to benefit wildlife and the wider environment (the “public money for public goods” principle) it could transform the outlook for butterflies and moths. We have already been actively working on this issue with the launch of “Managing Land for Butterflies and Moths”
Maintain high environmental standards
It will be important to be mindful of the impact of trade deals and ensuring that high environmental standards are not undermined during negotiations as this would damage UK farming and threaten potential environmental gains. This is an issue on which there is broad consensus across wildlife and farming organisations and BC were signatories to the recent, widely publicised letter to the Prime Minister on the issue.
Investing to tackle the Biodiversity Crisis
European grant schemes have provided millions of pounds to support some of the biggest, most successful and important wildlife projects in the UK. There is no reason why these successes cannot continue, providing there is equivalent funding from the UK government in future.
There is no doubt that leaving the EU will pose some risks to wildlife but there are also many opportunities to take positive action with the right legislation. Butterfly Conservation will continue working with our partner organisations to make sure we get the best possible outcomes for wildlife.