No doubt for all of us, March has been a very strange month. We start off this month’s policy news update with a piece from Bill Adams from the “Thinking Like a Human” blog and the University of Cambridge sharing his thoughts on Coronavirus and conservation, discussing what this new pandemic can teach us about science, policy and our interaction with the natural world.
UK:
- The University of Birmingham have published a great blog on ways you can keep influencing policy whilst working from home
- There’s a new POSTnote out discussing the issue of insect declines, reviewing the current evidence base, potential consequences, and possible action
- The committee stages of the new Environment Bill were adjourned this month due to the impact of Coronavirus – in the meantime check out the Commons Library analysis of the Bill here
England:
- The Government has announced plans to phase out badger culling as the main strategy for combating bovine TB, to be replaced with a badger vaccination programme
- Natural England has published a new handbook for conservationists and planners on how to create a ‘Nature Network’ that works for both wildlife and people
- Defra announces £1 million fund to support farmers in their transition to a future farming system post-Brexit
- The Environment Agency has launched a new long-term plan, the National Framework for Water Resources, aimed at tackling future water shortages expected due to climate change and population growth
Wales:
- The Welsh government has launched a new national forest scheme worth £5 million, aiming to link up existing forests via “green corridors”
- UK’s first seagrass restoration project to begin off the coast of Wales, hoping to restore marine biodiversity and provide rapid carbon capture
Northern Ireland:
- The NI Assembly Research and Information Service has published a briefing paper outlining UK Fisheries Bill, and its implications for Northern Ireland
International:
- UN Convention on Biological Diversity negotiations (planned for May 2020) have been delayed due to Coronavirus – read this piece from RSPB’s Global Conservation Director Martin Harper sharing his thoughts on this
BES Conservation Ecology Group 