North Wales MS and Wales Species Champion for the Curlew, Mark Isherwood, has questioned the Welsh Government over action it is taking to protect threatened species, emphasising that Curlew will be functionally extinct in Wales by 2033, unless drastic action is taken.
Raising the matter during Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs in yesterday's meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood expressed concern that the launch of the Universal Layer of the Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) alone will not be enough to restore nature and save threatened species such as Curlew.
He said:
"As you and I have previously discussed, species modelling predicts that Curlew will be functionally extinct in Wales by 2033 unless drastic action is taken at the scale required in order to save Curlew from extinction in Wales and generate the multiple, multi-species benefits this would deliver.
"Your Written Statement today on the publication of the Universal Layer guidance for the Sustainable Farming Scheme states you intend to provide further information on the first phase of your Optional and Collaborative offer for 2026 in the spring, and will continue to evolve and strengthen this scheme throughout the transition period.
"However, the launch of the Universal Layer of the SFS alone will not be enough to restore nature and save threatened species such as Curlew. You say that this will be the role of the upper tiers of the Scheme.
"Given the urgent need for action to save Curlew and many other threatened habitats and species, when will the upper tiers of the Scheme therefore be available, and what contribution will they make to helping farmers to restore nature in Wales?"
Responding, the Cabinet Secretary said:
"My thanks, Mark, for flagging the potential of the optional and collaborative layers, because I’ve made repeatedly clear that this is where the business analysis makes clear that the greatest gains can be made for nature and biodiversity and climate resilience.
"On that basis, I think there is significant scope here as we bring forward, not only for next May at the introduction of the SFS, but as we further then develop schemes within the optional and collaborative layer to take forward in future years."
