27 September 2007

The decision today to scrap a measure that has helped farmland birds across Europe will damn many species to further declines.
 
The RSPB fears that it will hit the recovery of the stone-curlew, one of East Anglia’s rarest birds.

More than one third of stone-curlew nests on arable land in the Brecks of Norfolk and Suffolk in 2006 were on set-aside land [note 1].

Simon Tonkin, RSPB farmland adviser in Eastern England, said: “I fear this change will mean a big set-back for stone-curlews.

“Stone-curlews have made a steady recovery in numbers thanks to farmers and landowners, many of whom work closely with the RSPB. Managing set-aside to create nesting plots for stone-curlews has been one the main ways to help them.

“We hope farmers will create these plots under the Environmental Stewardship scheme, but it’s going to be tough to do it on the same scale as under set-aside – and in time for next spring.”

Numbers of skylarks, yellowhammers and linnets could plummet now that the EU has abolished set-aside – a 19-year-old requirement for some fields on every arable farm to be left fallow.

Gareth Morgan, Head of Agriculture Policy at the RSPB, said: “We're very disappointed with this decision particularly since nothing is being done to provide alternative benefits for wildlife. Set-aside land had become a giant bird table for many species and a place where birds could nest safe from farm machinery.

“Even one year without it will seriously affect the government’s hopes of halting farmland bird declines and it is crucial now that Defra encourages and rewards farmers for continuing to help the wildlife on their farms.”

Secretary of State for Defra, Hilary Benn today announced an immediate programme of environmental monitoring of farmland following the EU Agriculture Council's decision to set a 0% rate of set-aside for 2008. Defra has asked Natural England to target advisory support to help farmers enhance the environmental return from land not in production [note 3].

Hilary Benn said: "I share the concerns which Natural England, the Environment Agency, and environmental and conservation groups including the RSPB have raised about the possible consequences if there is a substantial return to cropping of set-aside land in the short term and if that were to continue or increase in the longer term.”

- ends -

Contact:
Simon Tonkin, RSPB farmland adviser                             01603 660066
Chris Durdin, public affairs officer                                    01603 660066

Notes for editors
1.    In 2006, there were 161 stone-curlew nests in the Brecks on arable land. Of these, 59 (37%) nests were in set-aside, made up as follows:

• Set-aside - non-exempted 19
• Set-aside – exempted / nest plots 37
• Set-aside - wild bird cover strips 3
  

Exempted nests means where a landowner, working with the RSPB, has applied successfully for an ‘exemption’ from normal set-aside management rules to help nesting stone-curlews. Typically, this means cultivating to create bare, stony ground for nest plots for stone-curlews.

Final figures for 2007 are not yet available but are likely to be similar.

2.      In East Anglia, 80 per cent of linnets spend the winter on set-aside, compared with one per cent on winter cereals.

3.      From Defra press statement 27/09/07.