Threatened wildlife still in danger in spite of moves to boost protection

The report from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) showed there had been some success in boosting wildlife, and eight habitats and 40 species which had been prioritised for conservation action were increasing.

But the assessment, which goes up to 2008 and looks at the fortunes of hundreds of at-risk species and habitats listed on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP), found many were still in decline.

Some 19 habitats (42 per cent) and 88 species – almost a quarter of those listed – were in decline, including skylarks, pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies, red squirrels and juniper, although for nine habitats and 28 species the rate of decline was slowing.

There were six habitats for which declines were continuing at the same rate or even increasing, all of which were coastal or marine ecosystems such as mudflats, saltmarsh and maritime cliffs and slopes, the report found.

Also of concern were the declining numbers of the fiery clearwing moth, hit by the bad summers of 2007 and 2008, and by the deterioration of its habitat.

And despite efforts to save wildlife, eight species have been lost since the publication of the original UK BAP in 1994, including a bird –the wryneck – two lichens, three moths and two beetles.

But there have been many success stories, including increases in numbers of bitterns and stone curlews in England and otters and corncrakes and otters in Scotland.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' Dr Mark Avery said: "The report shows that when targeted conservation programmes are funded, species such as stone-curlew, corncrake and bittern can often quickly recover but we've made less progress with restoring and expanding vital wildlife habitats.

"We need a new push to deliver conservation at a landscape scale as well as on protected sites and through targeted projects."

He said it was "vital" that cuts in public spending did not harm the conservation of wildlife and wild places, which were important for human well-being.

Matt Shardlow, chief executive of Buglife – the Invertebrate Conservation Trust, said: "British wildlife is in crisis; species that have lived here for thousands of years are declining and disappearing."

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the latest biodiversity indicators showed some improvements. The Government was committed to improving biodiversity and would play an active role at a conference in Japan in October.