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21 Dec 1998
Pressure mounted on the Government to live up to its promise to introduce new wildlife laws today as its consultation on protecting the UK's best wildlife areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) closed. Friends of the Earth has criticised the consultation for failing to tackle the issue of Britain's SSSI peatlands being destroyed for profit.
Britain's largest lowland peatlands (among other peatland SSSIs), Thorne and Hatfield Moors in South Yorkshire are still being damaged by Levingtons who strip peat from the sites to sell in bags of compost. The consultation paper made no mention of the issue despite the long running campaign to save these sites, strong feeling from local people,MPs and local authorities and the view of Government wildlife adviser English Nature that peat extraction should end on the sites.
Already 291 MPs, most of them Labour, have given their support to a Wildlife Bill promoted by Friends of the Earth and other environmental organisations which seeks to improve SSSI protection and includes a clause to help save these sites.
The Government's consultation “SSSIs, Better Protection and Management” was launched in September. The consultation ends today. But MPs have already made it clear they would like to see better wildlife laws through their support for the Bill presented to Parliament by Brighton MP David Lepper.
Matt Phillips of Friends of the Earth said:
“Every year according to official figures over 300 of the UK's best wildlife areas suffer damage. 45 per cent of sites are considered to be in an unfavourable condition. Continued damage to these sites, including our best peatlands, must stop. The Government must introduce new laws and urgently.”
Contact details:
Friends of the Earth
26-28 Underwood St.
LONDON
N1 7JQ
Tel: 020 7490 1555
Fax: 020 7490 0881
Web: www.foe.co.uk/feedback.html
Media team
