Nation 'not on track' to reverse nature losses

MANY of England's birds, butterflies and protected areas continue to decline, an official government assessment has shown.

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The annual “biodiversity indicators” monitoring the state of nature in England including habitats, species, land management and protected sites show some positive changes in some areas of biodiversity but many have deteriorated, reflecting ongoing pressures on ecosystems.

It comes a day after the Government unveiled a new series of targets to boost nature and tackle pollution in its updated environmental improvement plan.

Of 27 areas assessed for the changes seen over the long-term, nine show an improvement, five have had little or no overall change and 13 measures show a deterioration.

In the short-term, five measures are improving, 10 show little or no overall change and 12 are deteriorating.