One in six UK species in danger of extinction

Climate change and intensive farming methods were cited in the report as the main causes of nature loss. Only a fifth of farm land was found to be nature friendly. Moreover, only one in seven of the areas assessed by the report were found to be in a good condition. There were no areas on the seafloor that were found to be in good condition, mostly because of damage caused by fishing gear.

Whilst the report contains a lot of bad news, there are also real reasons for optimism - if action is taken to protect nature. For example, since trawling was banned in the Lyme Bay marine protected area (2008), the number of species found there has significantly increased. Meanwhile, at Hope Farm, which is operated by the RSPB to develop and trial techniques for producing food cost effectively whilst helping wildlife, breeding bird populations have increased by 177%.

Yesterday, protests werre staged across the country outside offices of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to demand greater protections for nature.

Photo 76858361 | Hazel Dormouse © Andrey Koturanov | Dreamstime.com

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