UK Biodiversity Partnership Standing Committee (UKBPSC)
4October 2010
Welsh Assembly Government Report
For other UKBPSC papers and minutes of UKBPSC meetings visit
For more information about the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) visit
UKBiodiversityPartnershipStandingCommittee
6May 2010
Welsh Assembly Government Report
Environment Strategy Action Plan
The Environment Strategy for Wales, launched in May 2006, sets out a vision for the Welsh environment in 2026 and describes how we plan to meet future challenges. An update of the first year’s progress on the environment strategy and action plan was produced in March 2008. A second Action Plan was published on 17 October 2008.
Update:
The first Environment Strategy Action Plan (ESAP) Annual Report was issued on 18th November 2009. This:
- Provided a statement on how the Welsh Assembly Government and other public authorities have had regard to Section 40(1) of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (“the NERC duty”)
- Provided a commentary on the ESAP indicators, and the action taken by WAG in respect of indicators that were declining, and our plans to continue to increase the number of indicators that we report on.
- Provided a commentary of how various other WAG policies had been taken forward and will contribute to various ES outcomes .
- Provided an update on how the 41 actions in the ESAP had been taken forward by various partners.
The second Annual Report is due in Autumn 2010.
Natural Environment Framework (NEF)
Background
In January the Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing announced the development of a new ‘Natural Environment Framework’ in response to the failure to meet the 2010 biodiversity targets. See
Since January the framework has been being developed through a series of external and internal discussions based on developing ‘narratives’ which have been available to the public on the WAG biodiversity webpage. The final version of the narrative has been provided as background reading to the formal consultation.
The consultation document – entitled “A Living Wales” - sets out the principles by which we will change our approach to environmental management to ensure our environment continues to be healthy and resilient in order to provide the wealth of natural services we depend on whilst also supporting the sustainable economic use of our land and waters.
The Framework is both a response to falling short on our challenging biodiversity targets and, at the same time a more fundamental look at how we value and manage the Welsh environment as a whole.
The key elements are:
-Managing the environment as a complex, inter-related system – an ecosystem;
-Properly valuing ecosystems and the services they produce so that we take better decisions
The Framework will lead to significant changes in the way we regulate the environment that will be developed through a series of cross-sectoral work streams.
The consultation exercise, was launched on 15 September at the Wales Biodiversity Partnership annual conference at BangorUniversity.It seeks input into turning the principles of the framework into change on the ground. The consultation will run until 31 December 2010. See
Glas Tir -the new land management scheme for Wales is piloting this integrated approach with its emphasis on ecosystem services, particularly through the water and carbon cycles.
Biodiversity Framework for Wales
The Framework acts as a first-step guide to:
- identify the key biodiversity drivers for Wales
- outline the mechanisms for action
- explain the roles & remit of those responsible for delivering
biodiversity action
- provide links to the tools and information to enable anyone to help maintain and improve biodiversity in Wales
As a ‘living document’ this framework is continually updated in response to feedback provided to the Wales Biodiversity Partnership (the custodians of this document) and Welsh Assembly Government. The framework contributes directly to Making the Connections outcomes, particularly “joining up and simplifying the service”.
Update:
An update of the Framework has now been completed to include developments in relation to the new ecosystem groups and their protocols. A ‘biodiversity and ecosystems’ statement is being developed by the policy group.
Wales Biodiversity Partnership
The Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing sees the WBP as central to her function in taking forward her portfolio, viewing climate change as a very important issue and indicating her desire to bring biodiversity back to the centre of the Environment agenda.
Update:
Meetings of the Steering Group were held in February 2010 and July 2010. The next is scheduled for November 2010
The activities of the Wales Biodiversity Partnership have resulted in the formation of the following task and finish groups: -
- Non-Native Species
- Standardised Guidance to Develop Local Wildlife Systems in Wales (completed)
- River Basin Management Planning (completed)
- Wildlife Economy Wales (completed)
- Environment Strategy for Wales Outcome 21 (Increasing favourable condition)
- Section 42 List of Priority Species & Habitats (completed)
- Wales Environment Information Forum (WEIF)
- Future of BAP in Wales
- WBP Business Membership
- Connect for Cymru Biodiversity Group
Update:
Draft scrutiny guidance for biodiversity and nature conservation was presented at the Steering Group meeting in July. The draft will be presented to the scrutiny network meeting in the autumn where it’s hoped to recruit two local authorities to provide pilots. The pilot process will then review the guidance and amend if deemed necessary.
Nine Ecosystems groups, one Species group and a Policy group are in place. and work is ongoing to create and strengthen relationships between these and existing groups and specialists and policy areas.
Further ‘Future of BAP’ workshops were held throughout Wales in Autumn 2009. These focused on the needs of CCW, EA and FCW staff but were open to others. Meeting of the chairs of all eleven groups were held in October 2009 and April 2010.
The pilot to increase the number and expertise of lichenologists in Wales is progressing.The Species Expert Group have identified the Hymenoptera as the next project to apply this principle.
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act Biodiversity Duty
The set of checklists of key bullet points worked up in support of the Defra guidance for local and public authorities on implementing the Biodiversity Duty are branded Welsh Assembly Government, Wales Biodiversity Partnership (WBP), Partnership against Wildlife Crime (PAW) and Wales Local Government Association (WLGA). The checklists provide guidance to local authorities, local planning authorities, developers, project officers, ecological advisors and the police in Wales.
Update:
The checklist for Community Councils and Large Progects are still under constructions. The checklist for Scientists and Civil Servants has been approved. All LAs have now had their third annual Biodiversity Champion visit and have agreed further actions.
The results of the review of the NERC Act have now been received and these will feed into the Biodiversity Champion process.The fourth round of annual visits is scheduled to start in the Autumn.
Further successful workshops have been organised, with assistance from Biodiversity Champions, across Wales for Local Authority Chief Executives and portfolio holding Councillors to enable them to better understand and fulfil the requirements of the Biodiversity Duty.
Nature Conservation and Planning
TAN 16 on Sport, Recreation and Open Space was published in January 2009. It now includes guidance concerning the protection of existing allotments, and encourages the setting up of new allotments/compost/wildlife sites where a shortfall has been identified.
The revised TAN 5 on Nature Conservation and Planning, which provides practical guidance to assist local planning authorities on the application of the law relating to planning and nature conservation and its impact within the planning system, was published on the 16th September 2009.
Dyfi Biosphere Project
The Dyfi Biosphere Reserve application to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to be designated as a “modern biosphere” was approved in May 2009.
Update: A successful public meeting was held in Autumn 2009 with the aim of carrying this work forward with the continued close involvement of the community.
The steering group continues to meet on a regular basis. The secretariat has been secured for the next 5 years, and the group is investigating several potential sources of future funding for the Dyfi Biosphere.
Wales Biodiversity Partnership Conference
The 2010 Conference was held at Bangor University on September 15/16th. The Minister of Environment, Sustainability and Housing Jane Davidson attended and launched the NEF consultation document as mentioned previously. The European Commissioner for the Environment, Potocnik also attended and gave the keynote speech for day two. The main theme for this year was “Securing Biodiversity Action in Wales - 2010 and beyond: Leading By Example”.
Wildlife Crime Report
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) leads on dealing with crime against wildlife in the UK. Chief Constable Ian Arundale from the Dyfed Powys Police has responsibility for combating Wildlife Crime within Wales.
In June, Chief Constable Arundale was remitted to undertake a Thematic Inspection and provide a report of Wildlife Crime within Wales. WAG worked closely with ACPO during development of the report.In June, the Minister fro Environment, Sustainability and Housing approved the finished Report and agreed that Nature Conservation and Biodiversity Branch could begin working with partners to explore how to take forward the relevant recommendations.
The Report contains 18 recommendations about where attention on combating wildlife crime should be focussed over the coming months. It includes actions for the Police forces, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Wales Biodiversity Partnership. The recommendations include measures to raise the profile of wildlife crime and to ensure further training for wildlife crime police officers. The recommendations also include an undertaking by ACPO to produce an annual statement on wildlife crime for the Minister’s response.
The Report is available on the website of the Wales Biodiversity Partnership at
GB Non Native Species Framework Strategy
We continue to participate in the Great Britain Non-Native Species Programme Board and the implementation of the GB Strategy (which was announced in May 2008 at the 5th Non Native Species Stakeholder Forum in Cardiff).
The Invasive Non Native Species Action Plan for Wales was approved by the WBP steering group at the July 2009 meeting. A prioritised list of Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) for action in Wales has been produced (showing current problem species) and a report on the impact of INNS (showing species which may cause problems in the future) is in production.
The UK Biodiversity Training course
Wales will again be hosting theUK Biodiversity Training course at Plas in mid Wales. The course has be re-designed to aim at decision makers across Government, public sector and business with a focus on reducing long term risks and understanding the links between ecosystems and human well-being in eth UK.
Help promoting the course would be gratefully received.Please contact Julia Korn, .
William Somerfield
September 2010