Butterfly Conservation has produced a series of policies on topical conservation issues to help guide action by its members, branches and volunteers. We hope they provide useful guidance to others working in the field of Lepidoptera conservation and ecology, as well as our conservation partners.

Collecting, Breeding and Photography policy

Watching and photographing butterflies and moths is a popular past-time and the records generated provide us with crucial information about species distribution and trends. This policy gives guidance to make sure these activities do not harm natural populations.

Introductions and Re-introductions policy

The Marsh Fritillary has become extinct in several parts of the UK and has been the subject of numerous attempts at re-establishment. This policy explains how to decide whether such attempts are a sensible conservation option and what steps to go through to gain permission.

Principles for public sector land

As part of the Government’s efforts to reduce the budget deficit, it is exploring the possibility of selling, leasing or outsourcing management of publicly owned land, including National Nature Reserves and Forestry Commission land. Some of this land has high value for nature conservation and supports important populations of butterflies and moths.

Butterfly Conservation is very concerned about the future of such publicly owned land and has worked with several other leading NGOs to produce a set of principles and key tests that we would apply to any sales and outsourcing arrangements.

UPDATE: We are very pleased that the Government are putting the current sales (of 15% of the FC Estate) on hold to strengthen the protection for biodiversity