Home > Press releases > Archived press releases > 1998 > We need a new wildlife law
21 December 1998
Pressure is mounting on the Government to live up to its promise to introduce new wildlife laws. Today the consultation on protecting the UK's best wildlife areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) closes. Friends of the Earth has criticised the consultation paper,“SSSIs, Better Protection and Management”, 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 Bill was presented to Parliament by Brighton Labour MP David Lepper.
Matt Phillips of Friends of the Earth said:
“Official figures show that over 300 of the UK's best wildlife areas suffer damage every year. 45 per cent of sites are considered to be in an unfavourable condition. Continued damage to these precious wild places, including our best peatlands, must stop. The Government must introduce a new Wildlife Law, and urgently.”
For further information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
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