Nation’s wildlife and habitats bring £1.5bn a year to economy

Britain’s wildlife and habitats are worth £1.5bn a year to the economy with many of Yorkshire’s beauty spots contributing to the figure.

Two new reports have been published examining the true value of the UK’s wildlife and habitats in terms of what they provide to public health, safety, education, recreation, tourism and enjoyment.

The studies have been produced by Defra and also estimate that every £1 spent on preserving nature sites yields more than £8 in benefits.

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The North York Moors and the Humber Estuary were among the places listed as bringing strong environmental benefits in the reports, titled The Benefits of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England and Wales and Economic valuation of the benefits of ecosystem services delivered by the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

Environment Minister Lord Henley said: “Our wildlife is vital to our health, wealth and happiness and not simply window-dressing, but for too long we’ve taken it for granted.

“The truth is so different – our natural environment is essential to achieve long-term sustainable economic growth and we must all know its true value if we are to protect it properly.”

The study details how the River Humber supports a rich variety of habitats and species and claims it is one of the most important estuaries in Europe.

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The estuary supports nine species of birds said to have of international importance and is recognised as a breeding area for grey seals, river lamprey and sea lamprey. Martin Harper, RSPB conservation director, said: “These reports highlight how, if properly managed, the most important places for wildlife in the UK deliver a range of additional benefits from clean air and water to flood defence, carbon storage and recreation.

“They reveal that the public is clearly willing to pay for these benefits, and that money spent on protecting nature is money well spent. Every £1 spent on maintaining Sites of Special Scientific Interest delivers benefits to society worth more than £8.

“This complements the recently published National Ecosystem Assessment which demonstrated why investing in nature repays us many times over and why looking after the environment is not only important for wildlife, it is also key to the long term health of our economy.

“There is a timely reminder here that, even in an age of austerity, any reduction in effort and investment in our SSSIs would be a false economy.”

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The studies are published after the Government recently introduced its Biodiversity 2020: A strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services.

Last night the new approach to creating and maintaining ecosystems won the backing of rural business leaders who called for the words to be backed up with funding.

The Country Land and Business Association said it was concerned funding would not be in place to deliver the planned outcomes by 2020.

Its president William Worsley, a Yorkshire-based landowner from near Hovingham, said: “The strategy is good and we lend our support to it.

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“However, it needs to make clear where the money will come from to look after these ecosystems. Land managers are best placed to deliver these environmental services but must be incentivised to do so.”

He warned, however, that farming and rural businesses needed to be stable in order to allow these environmental services to be delivered and maintained.

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