We move on to the next item on today’s agenda, which is a debate by individual Members under Standing Order 11.21 on the state of nature report, and I call on Simon Thomas to move the motion. Simon.

Motion NDM6122 Simon Thomas, Huw Irranca-Davies, Vikki Howells, Sian Gwenllian, David Melding

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Welcomes the State of Nature Wales 2016 Report

2. Commends the work of the conservation and research organisations who have produced the report

3. Is concerned by the findings which state that:

a) 56% of species studied have declined across the UK over the last 50 years

b) In Wales, one in 14 species is heading for extinction

c) 57% of wild plants, 60% of butterflies and 40% of birds are in decline

d) More than one third of (known) marine vertebrate and plant life has diminished, with three quarters of marine invertebrates declining across the UK.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government and public bodies to ensure that reversing the decline in our biodiversity is at the heart of sustainable management policies.

Motion moved.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am pleased to open this debate and that so many Assembly Members are interested in the debate on the report. The purpose of the report is to put before the Assembly this particular report produced by some 56 different organisations—conservation organisations, environmental organisations and animal protection organisations also—on the state of nature in Wales. The report is very accessible but difficult to accept, because what it has to say about the state of our climate and our habitats is disappointing, to say the least, and says a lot about the lack of care that has been taken over the years, not by Government—I’m not blaming Government here—but by us all, as a society, in not taking this issue seriously.

The report makes for some frightening reading, in a way, for those of us who recall habitats as they were in the past or recall seeing wild animals, or who just wish for our children and grandchildren to be able to have those same experiences. One in 14 species in Wales is now on the way towards extinction. Many of them are recognised in Welsh legislation, under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, as species that are a priority for conservation, but yet the decline is quite staggering. Since 1970 something in the region of 57 wild plants and 60 per cent of butterflies and 40 per cent of bird species have seen decline in our rural areas and habitats. And of those that we recognise in our legislation as priority species, only some 40 per cent of those are classed as being stable. So, there is real risk that we will lose some of these creatures that are in Welsh habitats and have developed in a Welsh context, and that we then lose something that makes a contribution on a global level and that makes us distinct as a nation.

In that context, therefore, everyone will accept that we now live in a world where human activity is having more of an impact, perhaps, on the world and nature and wildlife than natural issues. Some people would call that anthropocene—a new era where humans are more important than natural forces. It is seen, perhaps, in the fact that an index of biodiversity is being published, not just for Wales but for the whole of the UK, as part of this report, and the presumption is that we need something like 90 per cent, according to this index, to show that the ecosystems that we have are robust enough to maintain wildlife into the future, and, as a result of that, of course, to maintain prosperous habitats for humans too. According to that index, Wales scores 82.8 per cent. Now, that is higher than the other nations of the UK, which is positive, but it is short of that 90 per cent that is seen as the threshold for robust ecosystems, and it also means that we are in the bottom 20 per cent of the 218 nations that participate in these surveys. So, clearly, we have to do something differently. We have to respond positively to the challenge and ensure that more is done in terms of biodiversity and of preserving and enhancing some of the natural species that we have in Wales.

I want to be positive in this debate, even though the picture is perhaps quite bleak in the report. The fact that we are now having more of an impact on wildlife and habitats means that we do have the tools here to do something about that, because, clearly, if we use technology in a smarter way, if we live more smartly and use our understanding of biodiversity better, then we can take action in order to protect and enhance these areas. In recognition of this, we have two pieces of legislation passed by this Assembly—the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Environment (Wales) Act 2016—which set out a number of objectives that add to the positive possibilities that we have in overturning this unfortunate current situation.

We need leadership from Government in this area. We need to see clear leadership under the well-being of future generations Act in particular, I think. Objectives or goals, I should say—because there are different words in English and Welsh—or well-being goals, as they’re identified in the Act, were published last Friday. One of those goals, No. 12, is to use and improve natural resources in Wales in order to improve long-term well-being. What is important about that goal is that it recognises that maintaining a strong natural environment, with biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, helps people, contributes to health, boosts a sustainable economy and creates ecological robustness and a possibility to adjust to change. In other words, looking after wildlife looks after humanity too, and we need to progress on that basis.

I want to conclude, before hearing from other Members in terms of their comments in this debate, with a bad example and a good example of how we’ve gone about things in this area recently. Unfortunately, the decision to allow the dredging of scallops in Cardigan bay is, in my opinion, a mistake. Although we are looking for a sustainable fishery in terms of scallops in Cardigan bay, I’m not sure that we have the information yet about the marine habitats and how they could be improved if dredging were to take place. I do hope that, at the very least, the Government will very carefully monitor the impact of that on our marine habitats, not only in terms of the scallops themselves, which are eaten, of course, but the impact on those rare species that are protected in Welsh seas, particularly the porpoise.

On the positives, last Friday, I was very lucky to go to Devil’s Bridge—a wonderful place, particularly in the autumn, and, of course, the setting for the filming of ‘Y Gwyll/Hinterland’, to those of you who watch it. I was there to see the experiment of reintroducing the pine marten to Wales. This is a creature that had become extinct, to all intents and purposes, in Wales, but 40 of these creatures have by now been released back into the wilds of Ceredigion. They are from Scotland, and they are warmly welcomed, of course, because they are reintroducing something that had been lost from our natural ecosystem. In light of the release of these creatures into Wales, a number of interesting things have emerged, the first of which is that they travel long distances—one went as far as Abergele. Secondly, they keep the number of grey squirrels down. So, we see that, in culling something that was a predator in the ecosystem, we allowed the grey squirrel to take over our woodlands. So, this is a positive example—something that we want to see more of.

So, there is an almost pessimistic message in the report itself, but by undertaking this work ourselves, we can be positive in restoring our wildlife and ensuring that biodiversity does prosper again.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

I also welcome this report on the state of nature, a report that has been brought together by over 50 nature groups, and the second important report to provide an evidence base on the state of our natural world and also provide a basis for doing something about it and for making decisions in Wales. As Simon said, it is not comfortable reading in parts, but there is a need for the Government to take action on the outcomes that are noted in this report.

Some of these are very serious. Even though Wales is home to over 50,000 species, the diversity of those species and the breadth of natural and semi-natural habitats have declined substantially, with a number of species that are important culturally and ecologically having disappeared completely. I do agree with Simon that one of the most significant statistics in the report is that one out of every 14 species in Wales is facing extinction. How are we going to explain to the next generation that they will never see the nightingale, the corn bunting or the turtle dove in Wales?

Nature has an innate value itself and is also vital for our well-being. Maintaining a healthy ecosystem is vital to sustain our way of life, and a strong natural environment provides a basis for our society and our economy. But, as well as showing where the problems are, this report also gives an idea of how to take action. In Wales, as everywhere else, climate change has led to habitat loss, soil exhaustion, and more flooding and more drought. Agriculture and the agricultural sector are vital to Wales and there is a need to ensure a sustainable future for the sector following the decision to leave the European Union.

The authors of this report call on governments here and in the UK to consider the findings of this report when drawing up farming schemes in the future. The environment Act provides a framework for cutting carbon emissions and a statutory target of cutting emissions 80 per cent by 2050, but Plaid Cymru acknowledges that climate change is the greatest threat to humanity, and we have to continue to hold the Welsh Government to account so that their policies contribute towards this target. There is a need, as Simon said, to implement the environment Act and the well-being of future generations Act, and that needs to be a main priority for the Government if we’re going to reverse this decline in our natural world.

So, there is a need for solutions from the Welsh Government to two important questions. What difference will these Acts make in the way that the Government takes action, including departments across Government? What difference will we see at a grass-roots level through the policies that the Government will bring forward as a result of these Acts? The legislative framework is in place to protect and develop our wildlife—we now need to see action at a grass-roots level.

This debate is a stark reminder of the challenges facing the natural environment, not only in Wales, but in the seas and oceans that border our country. The threats facing these fragile marine ecosystems, and the steps we can take to mitigate their effect, will be the focus of my contribution today. After all, we should never forget that Welsh territorial waters occupy an area equivalent to our country itself. As ‘State of Nature 2016 Wales’ reminds us, these seas are rich in a variety of marine life, occupying an important position at the boundary of three oceanic climate zones and possessing a large tidal range. Different species have undergone different experiences over the period the report explores. According to long-term data trends, 34 per cent of marine vertebrate and 38 per cent of marine plant species have declined. For marine invertebrates, the long-term decline is even more worrying, with three out of four species affected, although I am glad that this trend is lessened in the short-term data. Comparison with the ‘State of Nature 2016 UK’ report shows similar patterns, with steep declines for marine invertebrates, in particular, again being evidenced. Reading this report in connection with the Welsh document also suggests that the success of marine vertebrates is largely driven by increases in fish numbers.

Positive actions around conservation are having beneficial outcomes, as the report highlights, and monitoring and research in particular are important tools in understanding species behaviour and tackling issues arising from human interactions. It is good news that the globally important grey seal population on Ramsey island is experiencing the highest recorded levels of pup births, and that measures are already in hand to make sure no disruption is caused by tidal turbine technology. This is crucial, as we are still catching up in terms of tackling the impact of other human activities on the seas around Wales, and examples given in the report include unsustainable commercial fishing, development, the introduction of non-native species and inputs of contaminants and nutrients.

The UK report also mentions the impact of global warming, with changes in sea temperature leading to large numbers of species showing problematic northward drifts in their distribution. Cold-water species are decreasing in numbers, but warm-adapted species that move north frequently encounter food sources that are not sufficient for their need.

Brexit will also pose significant challenges to our approach to marine policy. The EU marine strategy framework directive, created to improve the health of our seas, set a target for Governments to take action to manage the human pressures on our waters to achieve good environmental status, creating seas that are healthy, productive, and—crucial in terms of this debate—biologically diverse. I would support the call from Wales Environment Link and other stakeholders for the Welsh Government to maintain its ambition for meeting the strategy framework by 2020, and hope this could be integrated into the Wales national marine plan when the Cabinet Secretary brings her proposals forward. Similarly, the work around marine protected areas must take account of our secession from Europe, and fisheries policy will be a third policy area affected by our leaving the European Union, where it is important we strike a sustainable balance.

We have a duty to protect the diversity of our marine environment, but if we do not do so, we could also lose out on opportunities that could prove useful for the Welsh economy. ‘Future Trends in the Celtic Seas’, an important new report published today by the WWF, suggests that, combined, the seas are worth £15 billion a year to the UK, Irish and French economies and support around 400,000 jobs. I have spoken previously about the sheer challenge of overcoming our nature deficit disorder, where children and young people in Wales consider themselves to have a weaker connection to the natural world than their peers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, or even London, and I would ask us again to consider how we could link these to a serious understanding of the importance of our marine environment.

This report is a warning of our need to do more, but, as David Attenborough reflects in the foreword to the UK state of nature report, this should give us hope too. Action was taken following the publication of the 2013 report, and I hope that clear measures will follow, in turn, from this.

I’m very grateful to be able to take part in this individual Member debate today, and I would like to tender David Melding’s regrets at not being able to be here to speak in this debate. The state of nature report is a key piece of evidence in helping us to understand what action we can take to protect and preserve our precious nature and ecosystems, and it will be a key piece of evidence in helping us to scrutinise the work of the Welsh Government, of the Cabinet Secretary, and particularly in the implementation of the well-being of future generations Act and the reach and impact of the Environment (Wales) Act.

We’ve talked already—some of the other participants here—about the many statistics that the state of nature report highlights: the decline in our species, the priority species that have been lost, and the critically endangered species. When we talk about species, we often talk about animals, but of course all the plants, the butterflies and the insects on the ground are absolutely vital in maintaining our ecosystem. We did have a piece of good news from Vikki Howells, who mentioned the state of the grey seals, and of course the pine martens have increased and that has been very, very welcome. But my concern actually lies predominantly less with this state of nature report than with the global situation that we find ourselves in.

The number of wild animals living on Earth is set to fall by two thirds by 2020, and this is part of a mass extinction that is destroying the natural world upon which we all depend. Animal populations plummeted by over 58 per cent between 1970 and 2012. By 2020, we human beings and our lifestyle will have killed off 67 per cent of all of Earth’s animals. That is an appalling legacy for us to leave our children. We all know that tumbling animal numbers are down to farming, logging, the impact of humans—a mere 15 per cent is protected for nature—and unsustainable fishing and hunting. It goes on and on. Rivers and lakes are the hardest hit habitats, with animal populations down by 81 per cent since 1970. This is all due to us, to excessive water extraction, to our pollution, to the dams we build. All these pressures are magnified by global warming, which shifts the ranges in which these precious animals that help sustain our ecosystems are able to live.

There is some good news. There are not just our seals, not just our pine martens, but tiger numbers are thought to be increasing and the giant panda has recently been removed from the list of endangered species. I bring this up—I talk about the global situation—because I want to reinforce that, whatever we do here, Cabinet Secretary, in our small country, in our small way, will count. This is vitally important because we can’t celebrate our efforts just yet. In just a bit more bad news for the global environment we have a new President-elect who has said that,

‘The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.’

It is very concerning that the leader-elect of the free world takes this attitude towards such a serious issue. If he takes the United States of America out of the Paris agreement, it will threaten all of our efforts to stabilise temperature change and to start to resolve climate change. That is why we need to do our part. I feel very deeply for this, not just for us, not just for the animals on our planet—their planet, the big ‘our’ planet—but I’m concerned for the future of my children, for your children, and for all of our children. Will they have a planet left to live on? I really fear for their future.

I too welcome this debate today and the ‘State of Nature 2016 Wales’ report, in which I think many organisations have played a very valuable part in helping to produce and highlight. Of course, there are causes for concern, which Members have already mentioned, and a need for the Welsh Government and other public bodies to act to address those concerns.

As with other Members here, I am a champion, through the Wildlife Trust, for a particular species—in my case, the water vole. The decline in the water vole population in Britain is quite dramatic. In fact, it’s the most serious decline of any wild mammal in Britain in the last century. Between 1960 and 2004, it’s estimated that that fall was around 95 per cent. So, obviously, there are very serious concerns in terms of the water vole population in Wales, and beyond Wales in terms of Britain as a whole. So, the organisations concerned with biodiversity and the water vole population highlight habitat loss, as you would expect, and fragmentation of habitats as factors involved in that decline; predation by mink, of course, which has been a big factor; water abstraction and pollution of the waterways; and management of reens and ditches, and the role of intensive agriculture in that. So, there’s probably a reasonable degree of consensus in terms of the prime causes of that fall in water vole population and also, I think, quite a degree of agreement in terms of what needs to be done—some of the things that most need to be done to address that decline—so, reintroduction programmes for water voles, control of the mink population, restoration of habitat and reversal, and certainly a halting of the decline in the habitat that supports them; that’s waterways and riverbanks and more extended areas of natural habitat not fragmented by development. So, when we look at all of those issues, Llywydd, I think it’s clear that the environment Act and the well-being of future generations Act, as mentioned by others, are absolutely vital to the general picture and to water voles as well. We need to make sure that they are implemented as effectively as possible. For me, I guess, locally, my experience of the water vole population is mainly around the Gwent levels. We have got an amazing network of reens and waterways there. They have been carefully managed over the centuries. Nonetheless, they are under threat, of course. One of the main threats is the proposed M4 relief road across the Gwent levels. So, I think it will be a major test of the legislation that I have referred to as to whether the biodiversity issues, including the water vole population, are adequately and sufficiently factored into decision making on that particular proposal. Certainly, I am working very closely with the wildlife trusts and a range of other organisations to try and get the key message across—that it’s no good to anyone in terms of ensuring good biodiversity in Wales if we are talking the talk, as it were. When it comes to key decisions, we have to walk the walk.

I congratulate Simon Thomas and other Members on securing this debate, and I agree with the motion that is proposed. We welcome the ‘State of Nature 2016 Wales’ report, and we commend the organisations involved in developing that report. I have, however, been struck that, as well as that ‘State of Nature 2016 Wales’ report from many organisations, largely in the third sector, we also have this very substantial report from NRW recently—the state of natural resources report. I am struck by how those two reports seem to have progressed in parallel without much support or cross-fertilisation between them. We have spoken on our committee to NRW, the Cabinet Secretary and others about the process we have had for this. I think that, probably, there is something special about this first report that we had from NRW. They have explained that the timescales made it difficult for them to be as open or consultative with third-sector organisations and environmental groups as they might otherwise have been, and that, because of the nature of the first report, there was perhaps more in the way of sharing drafts and drawing on support from Welsh Government, as well as from within NRW, in developing that report. I do think it’s important, though, for the future that there is not a perception of the Welsh Government in any way marking its own homework on biodiversity or what we do in these areas. We look to NRW to have an independent approach in keeping score or in reporting on where there are improvements, or where there is deterioration in the matters being monitored. I do hope that there will be more scope for the many very worthy organisations that produced the excellent report that is the subject of the debate today to interrelate with NRW and the reporting and research work that they do. The base of people who are employed and are working in these areas in Wales is not large, and I think there should be scope for cross-fertilisation, and the sum of the parts would be greater than if people work entirely separately.

I was struck by the contribution from Vikki Howells. I was a little saddened by one aspect of what she said. She referred, I think, to children saying that they had closer connection to the natural environment in the other nations within the UK, or even in London, than they do in Wales. From a personal perspective, I just find that very surprising because, certainly, with my children, I feel they have a much closer connection to the natural environment now we have moved here than they ever had in south-east England. When I just look at the amount of green there is in Cardiff, or when I visit the Newport wetlands and what the RSPB have done there, or her own community or many other Valleys communities—the nature of the radial development along the valley floor and lower slopes means that so much of the population is so close to nature, and at least there is the potential for such accessibility. I would like to close my remarks on that positive note. We look forward to improvements with the support of this Assembly and the Welsh Government in future years.

I’m very pleased to take part in this debate, and I congratulate the Members who’ve put this forward, because I think the issues that are raised are absolutely crucial, and I think that these issues are really the bread-and-butter stuff of what we should be doing here in the Assembly to preserve the wildlife of Wales. It is a matter of great concern that our biodiversity has declined. Previous speakers have listed that decline, and I do think it should be a key policy of the Welsh Government to reduce this decline—and, indeed, for all of us. And already it’s been mentioned that we do have legislative tools—the environment Act and the future generations Act—and we do have key decisions to make, as John Griffiths said in his contribution, where we have to decide what we must preserve and measure that against other gains. So, there are key decisions that we do have to make.

Even though my constituency is mainly urban, there are very important species that can be found in urban areas, and there are green patches of wildlife that I think it’s absolutely vital that we preserve, not only for the wildlife that is there, but for the health and well-being of the population, because I think it’s already been referred to, the fact that wildlife and nature and the environment does improve your well-being and your health.

Like John Griffiths, I am a species champion, and I am the species champion of waxcap fungi, which are very important to Cardiff North. The grasslands around the Llanishen reservoir are home to the waxcap fungi. As you may have heard, because I’ve raised this in the Chamber quite a few times, there’s been a long campaign, which Jenny Rathbone, my colleague, and I have both been involved in, to prevent development at Llanishen reservoir. Our aim is to turn it into a country park and to refill the reservoir. This campaign has lasted for 15 years, and Western Power Distribution ruthlessly opposed the widespread wishes of the public in Cardiff North and did all it could to build over the reservoir, including going to two public inquiries. It was a huge effort to try to retain the site.

But, in any case, in 2003, waxcap fungi were discovered at the reservoir, and they were discovered by the residents’ action group, which contains ecologists and very expert people, and, in 2005, it was designated as a site of special scientific interest, which was a matter of great rejoicing. Now, waxcap fungi were once common throughout the grasslands of northern Europe, but, because of intensive farming methods, they’ve virtually disappeared in many places. And, actually, 29 species of waxcap fungi were found at the reservoir, which means that it is a site of international importance for these types of fungi. It was a very exciting discovery, and I know—. I think Simon Thomas said he wanted to be positive when we discussed these issues, and this was very positive, because they were discovered during—well, during, really, this campaign.

Last year, we had the very good news that the site has now been bought back by Dŵr Cymru, by Welsh Water, and Natural Resources Wales and Welsh Water have been monitoring the waxcaps, with ecologists, very, very carefully, and I understand that they are still doing very well on the site. Welsh Water is actually planning to refill the reservoir and open it up the public, but would manage the grassland fungi and protect this unique city site for future generations. So, that is why my species is waxcap fungi. And I’m not only celebrating the fact that they are unique, but that they also helped save the reservoir. I think it’s absolutely crucial, on a wider note, that we do keep urban green spaces for future generations in order to promote biodiversity in every part of Wales. Thank you very much.

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I’m going to concentrate on the importance of sites of special scientific interest, or SSSIs. As others have already noted, we are losing species at a frightening scale at the moment and, as the state of nature report states, one of the reasons for the loss of biodiversity is the decline of habitats. Wildlife needs room to prosper and the protected sites that we have do provide that. SSSIs are a natural treasure. They include some of our more striking habitats, from wetlands to sand dunes and from meadows to ancient oak woodland. Not only are they positive for our wildlife, but they also have huge economic value. Every pound spent on positive SSSI management brings an investment of £8, and anyone who has visited one of the RSPB sites on Anglesey, for example, will know just how popular they are with visitors, tourists and local people. They provide an opportunity to see a variety of wildlife in their own habitats.

I want to draw attention to two specific examples in my constituency that demonstrate the importance of investment in SSSIs in order to ensure that they are in the best possible condition for our wildlife. The first is the very positive news that ‘aderyn y bwn’ is breeding in Wales for the first time in over 30 years, and that is in the Malltraeth peatlands on Ynys Môn. There have been some examples of the bird being here in the past, but this is the first time they’ve bred for many decades now. The reserve was formed back in the 1990s with the aim of bringing the species back to Anglesey, and after a long wait and seeing a number of other at-risk species prospering, finding that this species had chosen to nest and breed there was a tribute to the hard work of the conservation team and a tribute to the activities of birdwatchers locally.

The second story of success is the nature reserve at South Stack, in the Holy Island Coast SSSI, which is supporting a number of habitats and species. One of these is the red-legged chough. It’s very fashionable to be a champion for a species, and I was chuffed—please forgive me—to be chosen as a champion for this rare and wonderful bird. This bird has particular habitat needs that are far more specialist than some of its closest relatives, and that’s why the rocky shores of western Anglesey are ideal. Through management of these coastal grounds, then the numbers of these iconic species have been maintained.

In those two cases that I’ve mentioned, careful management of those sites has led to successes in terms of conservation, but the picture isn’t the same across the whole of Wales. We don’t know, for example, what the state of some of our best sites for wildlife is. The last review of the status of these protected grounds was done in a quick survey of a sample observed by the Countryside Council for Wales over a decade ago, and the outcomes weren’t particularly encouraging. It’s crucially important, I think, that we invest in monitoring and assessing these sites in order to discover whether they are making provisions for the species that they are set to protect.

I do hope that the Government will today acknowledge that we do need a review of the way in which our best sites are performing in order to protect wildlife and acknowledge the importance of managing these protected sites properly, and monitoring in order to understand and restore Welsh nature. If our best sites for wildlife aren’t in a good state, then how can we hope to safeguard the future of biodiversity in Wales and to improve the prospects for wildlife in Wales?

As Wales species champion for the curlew, I visited Ysbyty Ifan in Snowdonia this summer with the RSPB, the National Trust and the tenant farmer, and heard that, instead of prescription, agri-environment schemes need to pay farmers on outcomes, doing things with them. I also heard that the main reason breeding is failing is nest predation, with the fox and crow the main culprits, which is why curlews, crows and fox trails are being monitored within a trial and control area, prior to the introduction of possible predator control.

The Welsh uplands are in need of conservation attention. Fifty-five per cent of species studied in the state of nature report have been in long-term decline and species abundance is declining. As many as 15 per cent of uplands species are threatened with extinction. Upland habitats are particularly important for breeding curlew, which are now scarce in the lowlands. The curlew is hugely important as a species both culturally and ecologically in Wales. Between 1993 and 2006, there’s been a rapid decline in curlew numbers of 81 per cent in Wales. Without intervention, these trends are likely to continue. The curlew is now listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s near-threatened category at global level and vulnerable to extinction at European level. The RSPB has commenced a major programme of recovery for curlew across the UK, with trial areas set up at six sites, including Hiraethog, Migneint and Ysbyty Ifan, the area I visited this summer, and with management intervention commencing, in winter 2015-16 and surveying last summer.

The causes of the decline are: the loss of suitable habitat, changes in upland agriculture within places, and an increase in stock—and conversely in others a reduction—of grazing animals has led to a reduction in habitat quality. Forestry in upland areas has led to a direct loss of habitat and, given the now low numbers, predation is now taking its toll as well. Blanket bogs are one of the most important habitats found in Wales, if not globally. As well as providing homes to rare plants, invertebrates and birds such as the curlew, they provide much of our drinking water, underpin the rural economy, and hold large stores of carbon. However, over the years, blanket bogs in Wales and across the world have suffered at the hand of humankind. In the past, activities such as drainage, burning and the planting of forestry have damaged the bogs. Only in recent years have we come to understand how valuable the habitat is in its intact state.

So, does the Minister join me in recognising that we need to do more to protect this important habitat? It is vital for the future of the curlew that we get the future land-use policy right. With our departure from the EU, we have an opportunity to define our own sustainable land management policy. This policy must address biodiversity decline, but also wider issues of environmental degradation by ensuring delivery of clean water, water storage to prevent flooding, and carbon storage in our peat lands. Does the Minister therefore agree that this must be the direction of future land-use policy in Wales?

The curlew is the largest European wading bird, instantly recognisable on winter estuaries and in its summer breeding grounds by its large size, long down-curved bill, brown upper parts and long legs. Its song is haunting and evocative; for many people, it is the call of wild upland areas. The north Wales moors now support the largest population of breeding curlew in Wales, with birds returning to nest in spring. Curlews breed on open, flat or gently undulating bog, moorland, upland farmland and lowland wet pastures, feeding mainly on a range of invertebrates, including earthworms, leatherjackets, beetles, spiders and caterpillars. Although they’re still relatively widespread in the uplands, breeding pairs are, as stated, now scarce in the lowlands. In 2006, the last estimate considered there to be just over 1,000 pairs of curlew breeding in Wales only.

So, the actions required include support and advice for the owners and managers of land where curlews occur or could be expected, to implement favourable management for curlew as part of their farm business. This could include the reinstatement of previously lost management. An action also required: rigorous monitoring of the effectiveness of the Glastir agri-environment scheme to inform scheme options and wider management, and finally, the importance of trialling comprehensive management solutions to turn around the decline in upland breeding curlews. Thank you.

Diolch, Lywydd. I’m grateful to speak in this incredibly important debate today, and, of course, I welcome it and I welcome the ‘State of Nature 2016 Wales’ report. First of all, I want to start by thanking all the organisations involved for their hard work in producing what is a very detailed and informative paper, and, most importantly, to recognise the thousands of dedicated, passionate volunteers who, through their love of nature, donate their time. Without their help, we would not be as well informed about the state of nature in Wales and this would make it incredibly difficult to know where intervention is most needed.

The report does give us a stark insight into biodiversity loss here in Wales and it is, indeed, a mixed picture of severe losses, such as the turtle dove, whinchat and the curlew, though it isn’t all bad news. I was heartened to read of gains in a number of species and success stories, which clearly does demonstrate what can be achieved when stakeholders work together. As elected Members, I believe that we are guardians of the environment for future generations, and that’s been said here today. It has, after all, taken only 50 years to see a 56 per cent reduction in the species studied. In that case, we need to take urgent action, otherwise we will not halt this decline. I don’t think any of us here wants to continue passing that decline as a legacy of our work.

If we look at the UK-wide state of nature report, it does make a few observations. One of those observations is that intensification of agriculture has had the biggest impact on wildlife, and that has been overwhelmingly negative. Thankfully, there are many landowners and farmers who are concerned about the impacts of agriculture on nature and who want to create a positive change through wildlife-friendly farming. I think that’s critically important to the restoration and recovery of habitats and wildlife, given that 84 per cent of land here in Wales is indeed used for agriculture. Of course, for many farmers and landowners, sustainable land management, which has a positive effect on nature, is only possible because of financial support that’s received through Welsh Government and EU grant schemes like Glastir. I am, therefore, deeply concerned about future funding for these critically important schemes once Wales does leave the European Union, and, indeed, about the potential loss of many significant pieces of EU legislation that do protect wildlife, such as the habitats directive, the birds directive and controls on pesticide, which would all have a negative impact on us arresting that decline.

I am aware, of course, that the UK Government has said that they will honour the rural development contracts that have been signed before Wales does leave the European Union, and the direct payments to farmers will be sustained until 2020. But what we have to look at is what happens after that. So, I’d like to know if there’s been any representation made by the Cabinet Secretary to the Westminster Government regarding the long-term funding for agri-environment schemes for Wales in a post-Brexit era, and whether, within those agri-environment schemes, we’re going to receive the money, of course, that we were wildly promised for farmers that would be shared, also, in looking after the environment that we are talking about today.

I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths.

Diolch, Lywydd. I very much welcome this debate on the state of nature report and I’m happy to support the motion. I do recognise the important work done by the state of nature partnership and thank them for producing this very important report. I also appreciate the vital and important work undertaken by volunteers in Wales, whose efforts in monitoring and recording species and habitats have also contributed to this report.

Whilst the state of nature report highlights the decline in a number of species and habitats in Wales, and the root causes of those declines, the report is certainly not all negative. It notes a number of species that have been recovered in the last 20 years, such as the coal tit and nightjar, with the evidence also showing bats in Wales appearing to do well.

In our marine environment, whilst the report does note some declines, it also highlights that more than half of the marine species in UK seas have increased. The Welsh Government has long recognised the issues with respect to the decline in biodiversity. Our commitment to reverse this decline by building ecosystem resilience is key to the delivery of our nature recovery plan for Wales. This will only be achieved through embedding biodiversity throughout decision-making at all levels, building on the contribution biodiversity makes to our well-being.

Will the Cabinet Secretary take a question?

Yes.

Could I ask on that very point: because the Welsh Government is so focused on biodiversity, could she give some assurance to us today that, at the forthcoming Cancun convention on biological diversity, there will be a strong representation from the Welsh Government there, either in person, ideally, or, if not, by senior officials?

I’m unable to attend, but I will certainly have a senior official going in my place.

As referred to by Simon Thomas in his opening remarks, we now have in place a legislative framework that addresses these issues. Our groundbreaking Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 mean we have the strongest foundation within the UK, and we are acknowledged internationally as being exemplars in implementing our international commitments to sustainable development and biodiversity.

Both Acts recognise that safeguarding and sustainably managing Wales’s natural resources are key to our well-being. Public bodies within the well-being of future generations Act are now under a duty to contribute to the seven well-being goals, which include maintaining and enhancing a biodiverse natural environment, with healthy, functioning ecosystems. We’ve now published our well-being objectives, which set out how we will use the well-being of future generations Act to help deliver our programme for government and maximise our contribution to the seven well-being goals. Our well-being objectives include to manage, use and enhance Wales’s natural resources to support long-term well-being.

The environment Act draws upon the ecosystem approach set out in the convention on biological diversity. The Act will ensure ecosystem resilience is a key objective of how we manage and use our natural resources, so our habitats and species are able to thrive and adapt to the pressures they face.

Will the Minister take a question?

Yes.

Just on that point: it struck me that the aims and objectives that were published on Friday of the future generations Act set out systems rather than ecosystems. Can you assure me that there’s nothing meaningful in the fact that the aims talk about systems, whereas the Act talks about ecosystems, and that what the Government is talking about is ecosystems?

Yes, we are talking about ecosystems.

So, to embed this, the Act sets out an interconnected delivery framework. I launched the first of these, the state of natural resources report, produced by Natural Resources Wales, last month. It forms a national evidence base, identifying the pressures and opportunities for the sustainable management of our natural resources. I will shortly be consulting on the second of these, a statutory national natural resources policy, which will set out our priorities to address these pressures and opportunities across Government and beyond. Thirdly, NRW will produce area statements identifying local issues and priorities for action.

Our current consultation on local air quality and noise management in Wales is set within this framework. We are proposing new policy guidance to stress the greater public health benefits likely to result from actions to reduce air and noise pollution in an integrated fashion over a wider area. [Interruption.] No I can’t—I’ve already taken two.

This approach will also benefit biodiversity. Furthermore, the environment Act introduces an enhanced biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems duty for public authorities in Wales. This will ensure public authorities put biodiversity into the heart of their decision making in a joined-up and integrated way, delivering multiple benefits for society. For example, our current consultation on nitrate vulnerable zones shows how we are committed to building resilient ecosystems. This means taking a preventative approach, addressing the underlying issues rather than treating the symptoms, and improving the long-term ability of our ecosystems to provide services and adapt to pressures and changes.

For our marine environment, it is important we continue to work in partnership to build resilience. I’m committed to ensuring Wales contributes to an ecologically coherent, well-managed network of marine protected areas, and to delivering the first Welsh national marine plan that integrates policies across the Welsh Government for the marine environment. The plan will include policies specific to biodiversity and tackling invasive non-native species. By delivering our commitments under the marine transition programme, we are ensuring biodiversity is an integral part of decision making in Wales. I do also wish to say a few words about our commitment to biodiversity in the context of Brexit. Yes, of course, there are many challenges and risks, but also many opportunities. I’ve been extremely encouraged by the consensus of views expressed at the roundtable discussions that I’ve held since the vote. Collaboration is key across all sectors to define the Wales we want post Brexit, and the mechanisms to achieve our vision. Building on and learning from current funding mechanisms will be crucial post Brexit, from schemes such as the sustainable management scheme and Glastir, as well as developing new market-based funding opportunities, including payments for ecosystem services.

Joyce Watson specifically asked about post-Brexit funding, and I want to reassure her and all Members that discussions are very much ongoing. Just yesterday, I hosted a meeting between myself and my ministerial counterparts from UK Government—Scotland, and Northern Ireland were represented by the Permanent Secretary. Those conversations are ongoing, not specifically around funding, although, obviously, that’s part of the discussions. Also, Joyce Watson will be aware of the JMC-EU that the First Minister attends, along with other First Ministers where, again, funding is obviously a main topic. We’re very concerned—obviously, we’ve had reassurance from the Treasury that, up to 2020, we’ll receive funding, but after that, at the moment, we don’t know.

The environment Act and the well-being of future generations Act are strong foundations on which to build and take forward our commitment to biodiversity. Following the decision to leave the EU, we will not row back on our existing legislation, nor on our commitment to biodiversity. Our legislation will allow us to promote new, innovative and pioneering long-term approaches to the management of our wildlife. We are committed to reversing the decline in biodiversity and, indeed, to see it thrive. I’m confident the approach I’ve outlined, which sets us apart as a world leader—even though, as Angela Burns said, we are a small country—in how we manage our natural resources will achieve this. Diolch.

I call on Huw Irranca-Davies to reply the debate.

Diolch, Lywydd. Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for the tone and the positivism in her quite comprehensive response there? But could I also compliment all of the speakers today, many of them, and those who sought this debate, not least of all, Simon Thomas, who referred to how we’re in the anthropocene era? But he had a positivity about his contribution, which said that if we choose to make a difference, we can make a difference. That was the theme that came through from many of the speakers.

Sian Gwenllian touched on an issue that was repeated by Joyce Watson—this issue of how we explain this to the next generation unless we steward this properly, unless we reverse the declines in biodiversity and unless we repair the damage to our ecosystem services as described in the state of nature report.

Vikki Howells rightly focused on the marine environment and the work that can be done there, because, very often, we look at the great blue yonder, and it is the great blue yonder. People do not look at the health and the well-being of that area in the way that we do in terms of the terrestrial natural environment.

Angela Burns reminded us of the global imperative on a day when we actually see that slightly imperilled, slightly, with the selection by the largest and greatest nations in the world of somebody who is a climate change denier. We have to work doubly hard now to actually keep the global impetus on actually delivering on biodiversity, climate change and so on.

We also had many champions here of the natural environment today—all of them are champions—John Griffiths, the water vole champion; Julie Morgan, the waxcap fungi; and Mark Isherwood, the curlew. We had Rhun ap Iorwerth saying how chuffed, indeed, he was to be here. [Laughter.] And Mark Reckless, Chair of the CCERA committee, quite rightly—I’m not sure what he’s championing, but he did champion the need for independent monitoring and evaluation of the Welsh Government’s progress on all of these issues.

Now, I’m proud to be the lapwing champion here in the National Assembly, and that question of where have all the lapwings gone is an excellent distillation of all the grand themes in this debate, noting the decline and fall of the once great empire of marine and terrestrial life, of plants and birds and butterflies, the declines of species and habitats, and the tragic loss of biodiversity. In years gone by, black and white lapwings could be seen in flight all year round all over Wales. They were as abundant as the wildflower meadows that sustained them. Now, they are rare and special. The lapwing is our modern equivalent of the miners’ canary. Their slow demise is showing us that nature is in trouble. For their sake, and for ours, we need to take action.

Now, for the lapwing, the solutions are in farming and landscape management, and we need to address this in our policies for agriculture, rural development and, not least, in this post-Brexit landscape. We need viable farming, viable rural communities, viable species and habitats, too. We need to rethink our approach to get the very best of all worlds, whilst restoring the best of this world, of which we are stewards not masters. Regardless of Brexit, we should be looking at a brave new world, and in this brave new world there should be no conflict between maintaining our ability to grow food and looking after the land and nature on which it depends. The first is utterly dependent on the second. So, let’s take this opportunity to work towards intelligent and sustainable farming, landscape and environmental management, where we, the citizens, invest in farming, not simply for food and the vitality of rural communities but by using public funds to generate tangible public goods, such as clean water, pollution prevention, maintaining healthy soil, caring for nature, climate mitigation and adaptation, including recreating natural flood defences, such as floodplains with wet grassland and wet woodland.

Member of the Senedd:

Will you give way?

I’m not sure if I have time. My apologies.

We have created some of the tools to do this in Wales. We are leading the way in legislation and policy. We have the environment Act. Part 1 describes the sustainable management of natural resources. It enables Wales’s resources to be managed in a more proactive, sustainable and joined-up way. It helps to tackle the challenges we face. It’s focused on the opportunities our resources provide. On the biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems duty in section 6(1):

‘A public authority must seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity in the exercise of functions in relation to Wales, and in so doing promote the resilience of ecosystems, so far as consistent with the proper exercise of those functions.’

In section 7 of the Act,

‘Without prejudice to section 6, the Welsh Ministers must—

(a) take all reasonable steps to maintain and enhance the living organisms and types of habitat included in any list published under this section, and

(b) encourage others to take such steps.’

And mention has been made already of the well-being of future generations Act, which describes a resilient Wales—

‘A nation which maintains and enhances a biodiverse natural environment with healthy functioning ecosystems that support social, economic and ecological resilience and the capacity to adapt to change (for example climate change).’

The Cabinet Secretary in front of us, who is leading on this, in the Joint Links conference stated:

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act offers an opportunity to bring biodiversity into central decision-making processes for public bodies, influencing biodiversity and resourcing that underpins it. We need to use this to the greatest effect, ensuring grant funding mechanisms are compliant with the Act in achieving the well-being goals and, in particular, the resilient Wales goals.

There’s been a fantastic array of contributions to hear. Our political diversity, I have to say, did achieve some harmony, with everybody agreeing that there is one direction of travel here: we need to rebuild and restore our natural environment, replenish the biodiversity, reverse the habitat loss, restore the quality of our natural ecosystems. It’s good for us, it’s good for the planet, it’s good for this generation and for future generations. We know we have the tools, we know we have the ambition—it’s now for us to work together, and all the speakers here made this point today, to reverse the biodiversity loss, to repair our damaged ecosystems, and to hand on to future generations a healing planet and a healthy planet. We are the stewards, not the masters.

The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? [Objection.] I will defer voting under this item until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.