According to a report by Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL), the amount of land in England that can be said to be effectively protected for nature has fallen to just 2.93%, while the amount of sea protected is at 9.92%.
The land figure is down from last year’s update, which the WCL put at 3.11%, while 8% of sea in England was effectively protected for nature in 2023. Protecting land for nature means there are clear boundaries and laws in place to ensure wildlife is not harmed or destroyed and nature is not being depleted.
The land figure is falling owing to declines in quality of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), which are changing because of the climate crisis, water pollution and overgrazing. National parks should be areas where land is in good condition, but previous reports show that nature within these sites is often no better than outside them.
Currently only designated nature sites such as SSSIs within national parks count as protected for nature as the parks themselves are not specifically designed for nature but for recreation, unique views and other attributes.