ARE OUR PARKS FAILING NATURE?

WHAT’S THE STORY?

rotected areas of the countryside, such as national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are doing little to safeguard wildlife, according to a recent report by the British Ecological Society (BES). In many instances, nature is struggling more inside these areas than outside them. While 26% of British land is notionally protected, the report found that just 51% of protected areas are in a favourable condition. This jeopardises the Government’s ‘30x30’ policy – to protect