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of Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) in order to receive the
Single Farm Payment.
• Tier 2 provides non-competitive incentives to land managers and should promote
measures that deliver multiple benefits, such as the widespread use of buffer
strips at riparian field margins, management of farm wetlands, provision of farm
ponds, conversion from winter to spring sown cereals, provision of vegetative
over-winter cover and strip cropping. Fencing off watercourses and provision of
alternative drinking points for livestock are measures also suited to Tier 2 though
capital costs may necessitate their inclusion in Tier 3.
• Tier 3 aims to enhance the environment and should provide significant competitive
incentives for priority areas (identified from SEPA’s ‘characterisation’ process)
linked to targeted GBRs. There is great scope for major environmental gains by
encouraging partnership working at the catchment scale. Enhanced buffer strips
and provision of adequate manure storage facilities should be encouraged. The
restoration of naturally functioning wetland areas including riverine and coastal
floodplains is of particular importance. Wetlands deliver the multiple benefits
sought in policy development and should be a major element of any strategy to
combat the cause and effects of diffuse pollution.
Advice
The existing farm advisory service is under review and a new scheme needs to be
introduced as a requirement of the Farm Advisory Service provisions of the CAP
mid-term review. This should be considered in the context of the 3 LMC tiers with
widespread easy access to free advice on nutrient and soil management planning
and the provision of public benefits. Catchment advisors should be appointed in
priority areas.
Planning
The development of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) and the establishment
of Area Advisory Groups in spring 2006 will provide a major opportunity to address
diffuse pollution in priority catchments. Programmes of Measures developed to
implement the RBMPs should promote and encourage a package of measures to
reduce diffuse pollution, including direct regulation, the restoration of wetlands,
sustainable flood management, and changes in land use where necessary to achieve
the ecological objectives of the WFD.
CONCLUSION
The current shift in emphasis of agricultural and water policy means that significant
ecological improvements in the water environment at a catchment scale are
possible, and required. This is an unprecedented opportunity to address the issue
of diffuse pollution from agricultural sources which is currently causing such great
environmental damage at significant cost. Policy integration is the key to effective
implementation – agriculture policy reform must be fully integrated with measures
to implement the WFD and WEWS Act. Development of a strategy to tackle diffuse
pollution is a priority – a combination of regulation, incentives and advice should
be applied on a widespread basis and targeted in key areas. Measures designed
to address the problem must also deliver multiple objectives including habitat
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