nature

the Government should plan for enriching the wider
landscape. It should take forward a strategic plan for
the rollout of Nature Improvement Areas, based on
ecological need.
6. Take out the roadblocks: complementary
policies
Neither Natura 2000 sites nor the wider landscape can be
restored effectively while other policies act in opposition
to the objectives of the Nature Directives. A host of other
sectoral and regional policies interact with the natural
environment, including agriculture, fisheries, regional
development and cohesion, forestry, energy, tourism,
transport and industry. In particular, perverse incentives
in the agriculture and fisheries sectors stand in the way
of ecological recovery. Improvements could be made
that reward sustainable business at the same time as
contributing to environmental recovery.
Rapid changes in agricultural practices in the last 50
years have driven many species declines in the UK.
Common Agricultural Policy subsidies indirectly incentivise
production, while at the same time, farmers receive
environmental payments to help prevent damage to the
environment and to protect important wildlife habitats. The
two instruments often work against one another, with the
former dwarfing the latter. Realignment of these incentive
systems could provide the same income opportunities for
farmers while reducing the depletion of natural capital.
Although the CAP includes several references to the
Birds and Habitats Directives, there has been a longstanding
failure to integrate nature conservation in
farming. In particular, the cross-compliance rules for
ensuring basic environmental standards in return for
subsidies are not sufficient. The scope and objectives of
cross-compliance are poorly defined, and the requirements
do little to encourage practical measures.
Cross-compliance requirements related to the Directives
have been reduced in number under successive CAP
reforms, eroding the coherence of EU agriculture policies
with EU nature conservation objectives. Early indications
from the latest CAP reform round (2014–2020) suggest
that the situation has worsened. Permanent crops have
been exempted from greening measures, monocultures
can, in some instances, be deemed equivalent to crop
diversification measures, and Member States are not
obliged to designate all grasslands within Natura 2000
sites as environmentally sensitive, which would qualify
them for additional protection measures.
In the same way, overfishing presents a major threat
to biodiversity, both through species depletion and the
impact of destructive fishing practices on marine habitats.
The integration of sustainable fisheries management
is essential to support the objectives of the Habitats
Directive. Rather than generating a more sustainable
fishing sector, the European Fisheries Fund (EFF, 2007–
2013) worked to its detriment. Less than one-quarter
of the fund was directed at fleet capacity reduction.
Instead, available funds were used to help vessel owners
Laurie Campbell (rspb-images.com)
Protection of marine species and habitats will rely on proper implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy.
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