Environment Groups Must ‘Take Share Of Blame For Curlew Decline’

By Rhys Gregory On Apr 24, 2019 

Farmers have hit back at claims over the role of farming in the decline of curlews and other species, saying environmental charities and advisors must take their fair share of the blame for policies which have led to habitat degradation and increased predation.

The RSPB claims farming practices are partly to blame for a drop of 80% in the number of curlews in Wales since 1990, but farmers say environmental policies on vast areas of curlew habitat were based on advice from environmental charities and advisors – and that many of these have been particularly damaging for species such as curlews.

Around 40% of Welsh agricultural land is subject to environmental scheme rules, with the percentage far higher in key upland areas which were once core nesting areas for curlews.

“Many areas which were once full of nesting curlews have for two decades or more been in schemes that have reduced grazing drastically, and the curlews have now gone – so it’s clear that the advice from environmental charities and advisors about reducing grazing was wrong,” said FUW President Glyn Roberts.

The RSPB has admitted that vegetation overgrowth is having an adverse impact on suitable nesting habitat and that grazing levels need to be increased to help curlews and other species such as golden plover.

“Overgrowth of vegetation on land which was previously ideal for curlews and other species is a direct result of undergrazing, often as a result of environmental scheme rules, and farmers who took great pleasure in the curlews which once nested on their land are extremely angry that their warnings about the adverse environmental impacts of removing animals from habitat were ignored.

“It’s welcome that this problem is finally being acknowledged by the likes of the RSPB, but there also needs to be some acknowledgement that the policies which led to drastic cuts in wildlife were based in the first place on advice and lobbying by environmental charities and advisors.”

The RSPB’s state of birds in Wales report, published in December, states “…curlews show a preference for habitats with lower vegetation densities and only moderate rush cover” acknowledging that where livestock densities have been greatly reduced compared to historic levels “…it is highly likely that habitat conditions will have deteriorated for curlews.”

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