Government not protecting habitats

[Guest guest]

The UK is failing to protect many of its most vulnerable habitats and

species, a government advisory group has warned.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee said 90% of key habitats and

50% of species at risk were affected.

 

The group is carrying out an audit of habitats and species identified

by the EU as vulnerable, rare or endangered.

 

Conservation groups said the research was " alarming " . The government

said it would comment when the audit was over.

 

Under the EU's habitats directive, 500 sites in the UK have been

identified as important for rare, endangered or vulnerable plants or

wildlife.

 

Priority sites

 

The idea behind earmarking the sites, known as the Natura 2000

network, had been to ensure they were protected from the start of the

millennium.

 

But there are now 170 in the UK considered so vulnerable they have

been given priority status.

 

They include the coastal lagoons of the Fleet in Dorset, the north

Norfolk coast and the Caledonian forests of the Cairngorms.

 

Conservation groups say the initial findings are " terrible " show the

government is failing to protect vulnerable sites.

 

The government said it would comment on the findings once the

consultation process is over later this year.