Area of England well protected for nature is in decline, data shows | Conservation

The England district effectively protected for nature continues to decrease, according to data from the largest coalition of wild organizations in the country, as experts say that the government allows habitats to deteriorate.

The government is forced to protect 30% of land and the sea in the United Kingdom for nature by 2030, a commitment made in 2020 by the Prime Minister of the time, Boris Johnson. Currently, however, 2.83% of England is well protected for nature, 2.4% of Wales, 4% of Northern Ireland and 12.6% of Scotland. This gives an average of 6% of the United Kingdom as a whole, which is well below the target.

The England Region effectively protected for nature decreased by 2.93% in 2024, according to fauna and campaign link. The Charity Coalition examined the legally protected areas such as sites of special scientific interest (SSSIS), and analyzed if they were in good condition.

His latest report indicates: “We can only be convinced that 2.83% of the land in England is actually protected and well managed for nature. This is a decrease of 2.93% in 2024 and 3.11% in 2023.

“This decrease is the result of deterioration in the reported state of certain SSSI, rather than a reduction in the extent. 33% of SSSI are in a favorable state in 2025, against 38% in 2021 and 39% in 2017.”

This could still decrease, according to the groups of nature which have greatly criticized labor ministers for the planning and infrastructure bill, which strips the natural areas of legal protections which were previously devoted by EU law. The Guardian analysis recently noted that 5,000 natural sites are threatened in danger under the proposed law, which is making its way thanks to Parliament.

Experts who have written the report claim that the government does not protect nature in the United Kingdom in several ways, in particular that the pace of the addition of new protected areas is far too slow, and that many existing areas are always damaged or degraded due to insufficient or inappropriate management. They also say that ministers often do not have the data they need to follow biodiversity or plan recovery.

There are also problems with the protection of ocean habitats. Although 38% of British waters are designated as protected marine areas (AMP), many remain exposed to harmful activities, including lower trawling, offshore energy development, pollution, dredging and installation of cables. David Participegh drew attention to the question of lower trawling earlier in the year with a film that showed destructive practice, which destroys the whole life of the seabed, takes place in so -called protected areas.

The Director General of Link Wildlife and Campaign, Richard Benwell, said: “With only five years, the United Kingdom runs a real risk to miss its natural objective of 30by30 by a campaign mile. Protection of 30% of land and sea is not a luxury.

“The objective is always achievable, but only if ministers have a real political will. A rapid deployment of new protected sites, as well as better care for nature in our national parks and landscapes, could make this ambition a reality.”

A spokesperson for Defra said: “Nature is not a luxury, its life itself, and as an amateurs of Proud Nation of nature, the government undertakes to turn the trend on its decline after years of negligence. We will publish our 30×30 action plan in due time, describing the concrete and the targeted actions that we will take to achieve these objectives.”