Questioning the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs today over the Welsh Government's policy on increasing the amount of wildlife on farms, North Wales MS Mark Isherwood spoke of the need to protect Curlew.
Mr Isherwood, who is Wales Species Champion for the Curlew, emphasised that Curlew is the UK's highest conservation priority bird species, forecast to be extinct as a breeding population in Wales within a decade without intervention.
He said:
“Evidence shows that Curlew recovery would benefit around 70 species. How, therefore, do you respond to the letter sent to you by conservation charity Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, working with farmers and other land managers to deliver biodiversity and environmental benefits, and currently leading the collaborative Wales-wide ‘Curlew Connections’ project aiming to stem the decline of Welsh Curlew, which concludes, 'We know that farmers are interested in improving the amount of wildlife on their farms, but we believe it must be done in conjunction with running a financially sustainable farming business and deliver multiple benefits. As farmers will tell you, they cannot be green if they are in the red’?
“And how do you respond to the submission by the Gylfinir Cymru/Curlew Wales Agriculture Sub-Group to the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) consultation, which includes ‘The 10 per cent tree cover per holding requirement and the hedgerow tree element could have perverse outcomes for Curlew’?”
Responding, the Cabinet Secretary said:
“On the latter point, in the preparatory phase that we're now doing, we can take into consideration those wider impacts, as we aim to bring forward the SFS together with landowners and farmers. So, this preparatory phase gives us the opportunity to actually consider those wider impacts.
“You specifically mention the partners out there who've put forward proposals of how to deal with it, well, we're keen to work with anybody who can help us with Curlew recovery, and that includes, for example, through the Nature Networks Fund.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood said:
“I am pleased that the Cabinet Secretary recognises ‘the widespread public affection for this iconic species, and the ecosystems and habitats that it uses’ and very much hope that by working together we can make the recovery of the Curlew, and other species, a success story in Wales.”