Press Release

Press Release Archive: Tuesday 11 January 2005

A brighter future for water voles is promised

The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has welcomed the long awaited announcement by the Government on its recommendation to increase the legal protection for water voles, as part of the consultation on the five yearly review of species protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).

Surveys have shown that water voles have disappeared from more than 89 per cent of the sites they occupied just 60 years ago. Despite this, the water vole currently only has partial protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act. It is an offence to destroy or damage a known water vole burrow but water voles themselves have no protection. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) recommended in 2002 that water voles be given greater protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Two years later however, conservationists are still waiting and remaining water vole populations are still under threat. When and if the new recommendation is adopted however, it is hoped that full legal protection of the water vole will deter incidents of deliberate persecution and will require local authorities, developers and landowners to act more responsibly towards the water vole. Trust Conservation Officer Elizabeth Biott said "Full legal protection for the water vole is vital if we are to reverse the decline in water vole numbers in Lincolnshire and the UK as a whole. It will be a long overdue but greatly welcomed development for conservationists and will mean that we will be able to work towards safeguarding not only water voles burrows but the water voles themselves." In readiness for the increased conservation effort that legal protection will facilitate, Water for Wildlife a partnership between The Wildlife Trusts, the water companies through Water UK and the Environment Agency, was launched in December at The London Wetland Centre. One of the project's main aims is to reverse water vole decline across the UK through conservation work on the ground. This includes river restoration schemes; strategic mink control; working with volunteers to carry out survey work; advising landowners, farmers and other land managers, plus alerting planners and developers to any potentially damaging effects their actions may have on water vole populations. Chris Rostron, the new Water for Wildlife manager says: "full legal protection will be great news for the water vole and Water for Wildlife hopes to build on this success with work on the ground and co-ordination at a UK level." Full details of this consultation are available on the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.

Notes to editors

1. The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is dedicated to the conservation of wildlife and wild places throughout the historic county of Lincolnshire - from the Humber to the Wash.  The Trust is Lincolnshire's leading nature conservation charity with over 23,000 members and around 100 nature reserves.
   
2. The Wildlife Trusts is a partnership of 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK, plus the Isle of Man and Alderney. Our vision is "an environment richer in wildlife for everyone" and we're the largest UK charity exclusively dedicated to conserving all our habitats and species, with a membership of more than 530,000 people including 62,000 junior members. We campaign for the protection of wildlife and invest in the future by helping people of all ages to gain a greater appreciation and understanding of wildlife. Collectively, we also manage more than 2,500 nature reserves spanning over 80,000 hectares. For further information about The Wildlife Trusts please phone 0870 036 7711 or visit www.wildlifetrusts.org
   
3. Water for Wildlife aims to take forward wetland conservation across the UK, through partnership between the Wildlife Trusts, the water companies, Water UK, the Environment Agency and local communities The UK Water Vole Steering Group, chaired by the Environment Agency, brings together organisations to work towards meeting Biodiversity Action Plan targets for water vole recovery. The Wildlife Trusts are key contributors to the Steering Group. To find out more about Water for Wildlife please visit the Trusts' website at: www.wildlifetrusts.org
   

For further information contact

Rachel Shaw, Public Relations Officer
Tel: 01507 526667   (ansaphone out of office hours)
Fax: 01507 525732
Email: Rachel Shaw

Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Banovallum House
Manor House Street
Horncastle
Lincolnshire LN9 5HF

Website: www.lincstrust.org.uk