Habitats Regulations reports: worrying trends for the UK’s protected freshwater species and habitats

Last week, the four nations of the UK published their statutory 2019-2024 reports on the Conservation Status of species and habitats protected under the Habitats Regulations – the strongest nature law the UK has.  The reports point to a systemic failure to protect our most threatened species and habitats.

Habitat and species assessments are made based on range, area/population, structure and function/habitat availability, and future prospects. A species or habitat is considered to be in Favourable Conservation Status when all of these elements are in good condition.

In all four nations, the results of these assessments speak for themselves. Most species and habitats which should be protected by the Habitats Regulations are in fact in peril. Many are reliant on clean freshwater – which across the UK is an increasingly scarce resource.

Protected freshwater habitats and species are disappearing and declining across the UK. Without urgent reform of water environment policy, and greater investment, further losses are inevitable.

By neglecting protected sites and species, the Governments of the UK are presiding over the decline of our most precious habitats and threatened species, and hobbling efforts to restore nature.

In England, the upcoming Water Reform Bill is a huge opportunity to join up water management with the restoration of protected freshwater habitats and species. To make the best of this opportunity, the Bill must focus on outcomes for nature, not just technocratic changes to water industry governance and regulation. If we don’t do this, protected wildlife – and freshwater ecosystems as a whole – will continue to decline. In particular, setting more ambitious environmental targets to protect our highest quality waterbodies, and providing greater policy support for small waters, are both critical to help build a regulatory framework capable of reversing the long decline of freshwater wildlife.

Meanwhile, rivers and streams with Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation – a type which includes England’s highest quality chalk streams – are at Unfavourable-Bad Status, and continuing to deteriorate.

Across England, every listed freshwater habitat type except one is failing.

England’s protected freshwater species: fewer than one-third in Favourable Conservation Status

The outlook is also bleak for the 38 freshwater and wetland plants, invertebrates, land mammals, amphibians and fishes protected under the Habitats Regulations. Fewer than one third are assessed to be at Favourable Conservation Status.

The England assessments, prepared by Natural England, are available in full here.

Wales is home to some of Britain’s most remarkable freshwaters, so the parlous state of Wales’ protected freshwater species and habitats should be cause for alarm.

The Wales assessments, prepared by Natural Resources Wales, are available in full here. We don’t include summary tables for Wales in this article, as these are helpfully provided within this document.