28 January 2010

Butterfly Conservation Wales have joined forces with a number of other organisations to help tackle issues affecting Welsh wildlife.

A wide range of organisations met Rural Affairs Minister Elin Jones to urge her to follow through on plans to introduce Glastir, the new agri-environment scheme, in 2012.

Members of the Wales Environment Link network, including representatives of the Welsh branch of Butterfly Conservation, reminded the Minister of the urgent environmental problems facing the Welsh countryside and the importance of implementing the new scheme to tackle issues such as flooding, habitat degradation, wildlife loss and climate change.

Recently, the Minister has been under pressure to delay the scheme's start. Members of Wales Environment Link believe delaying would be a mistake as the uncertainty over a new scheme will continue, which cannot be of benefit to farmers or the health of the countryside.

"Butterfly Conservation has been closely involved in developing Glastir. Working with Welsh Assembly Government officials, other Non Government Organisations and Countryside Council for Wales, we have developed management options that will benefit a range of declining farmland butterflies and moths" said Russel Hobson, Head of Butterfly Conservation Wales. "The sooner the new scheme is implemented, the sooner these precious insects can benefit. Monitoring butterflies and moths as part of the scheme will provide an early indication of how the new scheme is working".
 
Hannah Pitt, Wales External Affairs Officer for the National Trust commented "It's imperative that we get a new agri-environment scheme up and running and open to farmers as soon as possible. We know there is a very high demand for such schemes - to delay it would be folly. Farmers need certainty if they are to plan ahead - committing to a 2012 start to Glastir gives the necessary clarity. "
 

In the meeting, the Minister said she was confident the scheme would proceed on time and assured the group it will not be delayed - a statement very much welcomed.  The meeting went on to discuss the design and the types of activity that the Glastir will support.

The Minister also gave assurances that the Glastir scheme will have robust ecological monitoring from the outset and that more will be done to widely report the achievements of the scheme to the public.