Protecting Britain’s wildlife laws: the need for vigilance, a saga for our times

Abstract

This paper describes how numerous conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs) became aware of significant changes being made to the eligibility criteria of species currently (and in the future) afforded protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) through the seventh Quinquennial Review (QQR7). The changes mean that an animal or plant species will be protected only when it is in imminent danger of extinction as defined by the highest categories in the IUCN red listing process, or those identified as European Protected Species, rather than being recommended for inclusion by experts either due to persecution, population decline or other threats. These changes, and the way they became known, stimulated a collaborative effort by NGOs to have the new eligibility criteria for the listing of species re-examined. This case also alarmed the conservation community over the way the U.K. government could use its new powers to review environmental legislation, following withdrawal from the European Union.