P-05-941 Biodiversity Remit for NRW
P-05-941 Biodiversity Remit for NRW
P-05-941 Biodiversity
Remit for NRW
This
petition was submitted by Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru (INCC)
having collected 873 signatures online and 322 on paper, a total of 1,195
signatures.
Text of Petition
The Initiative for Nature
Conservation Cymru (INCC) is calling on the National Assembly for Wales to urge
the Welsh Government to explicitly include ‘Biodiversity’ when setting their
strategic remit to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for 2020 / 2021 and in future.
Specifically the remit should include:
• NRW will ensure that
biodiversity is central to its core purpose of pursuing sustainable management
of natural resources by:
1. Working towards an
overall improvement in the status of Welsh wildlife and preventing or at least
minimising the risk of any further extinctions as a consequence of human
activities.
2. Establishing
sustainable, bigger and less fragmented areas for wildlife, this should
initially focus on the consolidation and extensions to existing National Nature
Reserves and other protected areas, followed by the establishment of new areas.
3. Prioritising the need
to obtain favourable or recovering status for conservation features on all
statutory nature conservation sites (SPAs, SACs, SSSIs and NNRs).
4. Developing and
improving an effective network of Marine Protected Areas which are sufficient
to ensure the adequate protection of marine life and sustainable fisheries
around Wales.
5. Ensure that more people
are actively engaged with biodiversity issues, and aware of the significance of
biodiversity to their health and wellbeing.
Additional Information
Since the inauguration of
NRW six years ago, there has been a steady and noticeable deterioration in
Wales’ commitment toward biodiversity and nature conservation. Wales has been
described as one of the most nature depleted areas of the world having already
caused the extinction of many of its native plant and animal species. A great
number of the species that do remain are now rare or threatened, surviving in
fragments of their often isolated habitats.
INCC believes that the
people of Wales and the wildlife they share their community with deserve
better. Greater commitment from Welsh Government and NRW is required if Wales
is to stand any chance of reversing the declines in biodiversity and preventing
further wildlife extinctions from occurring.
An effective way of
demonstrating this commitment toward reversing the decline in biodiversity
would be to ensure that the Welsh Government explicitly includes ‘Biodiversity’
as part of the NRW strategic remit.
Given the continued losses
to wildlife and the perceived lack of prioritisation toward nature conservation
within NRW, it is clear that ‘Biodiversity’ cannot simply remain as an implied
part of NRW’s functions. It has to be made explicit and given the appropriate
prioritisation.
If there is no change,
future wildlife extinctions in Wales are inevitable.
Status
This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 17/11/2020/
The Committee considered an update on the petition and agreed to write to the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee to draw attention to the petition and the evidence received to date in the context of their inquiry into Biodiversity and Rewilding in Wales and, in doing so, close the petition and thank the petitioner.
Full details of the consideration of this petitions by the
committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.
It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 25/02/2020.
Assembly Constituency and
Region
- Carmarthen East a Dinefwr
- Mid and West Wales
Further
information
Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
Status: Complete
First published: 14/02/2020