19 April
2019
The
number of curlews in Wales has dropped by 80% since 1990 with farming practices
partly to blame, a charity has said.
RSPB
Cymru has called for farmers to be rewarded for creating suitable habitats for
the bird when a new payments scheme comes into force after Brexit.
It is
estimated only 400 breeding curlew pairs are left in Wales.
The
Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) said nature should not be prioritised at the
expense of the rural economy.
RSPB
Cymru has been working on National Trust-owned land in Ysbyty Ifan, Conwy
county, to restore curlew habitats.
It claims
the bird's decline was due, in part, to farming practices.
"[It
is linked to] how hay is harvested as silage earlier on in the year, but
there's also been a decline in invertebrates, which is food for the
curlew," said Sabine Nouvet, an ecologist with the trust in Snowdonia and
Llyn.
The Welsh
Government has consulted on proposals for the agricultural payments
system - due to replace the Common Agriculture Policy - and
will consult further later this year.
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