Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 18 November 2020
The danger that Scotland’s wildlife faces is summed up in what is arguably the most important line in today’s motion:
“one in nine species”
is
“threatened with extinction from Scotland”
That statistic should give us all reason to pause.
The latest Scottish biodiversity strategy report shows that the average abundance of some 352 terrestrial and freshwater species has plummeted—down 24 per cent since 1994. Of particular concern is the fact that Scottish seabird breeding populations have dropped dramatically—down 32 per cent between 1986 and 2017. In total, according to the “State of Nature Scotland Report 2019”, of those species that show either strong or moderate changes in numbers, 49 per cent have decreased.
There is a clear need to act, as the First Minister seemed to agree last year, when she told Scottish Environment LINK:
“The challenges facing biodiversity are as important as the challenge of climate change, and I want Scotland to be leading the way in our response.”
I want that too, but the First Minister made that commitment knowing that her Government was failing to live up to it.
A 2017 Scottish Natural Heritage report found that the SNP was failing to deliver 13 out of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets. On some 16 out of 30 of the SNP’s biodiversity indicators, the position is worsening or stagnating. In fact, over the past 10 years, there has been no significant change in the rate of species decline.
The SNP has no plan. The biodiversity strategy is seven years out of date and the wildlife strategy was never published. That lack of direction comes at the worst time, when protecting our natural heritage gives us the best shot at building back better because, as WWF points out, our natural heritage is worth up to £23 billion to the economy—not to mention the climate change benefits.
Nowhere is that more evident than in rural communities, where farmers and rural businesses are working hard to protect the countryside and create jobs. By working alongside them, we can help them to go further.