Water Voles received increased protection
It will now be against the law to intentionally kill a water vole or to intentionally, or recklessly, damage or disturb the places they use for shelter or protection, meaning that their future is a safer one.
Threatened by habitat loss and predation by American mink, the water vole is the UK's fastest declining native mammal. In 1990 there were seven million water voles in the UK. By 1998 numbers had crashed to less than a million and they have since continued to fall. Previous legal protection for water voles, introduced in 1998, extended only to the animal's habitat, not to the animal itself. This has proved a source of confusion, resulting in the loss of important water vole colonies.
The full protection will come into force on 6 April 2008 under section 9(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
Special Points of Interest
• Carry out any surveys required as early in the planning process as possible to save time and delays and money.
• November to April Season is badger surveys
• March to June is Great Crested Newt survey season and scoping assessments can be all year round.
• Bat activity Survey season May to September/October.
• Bat hibernation and general scoping assessments is November to March/April
Don't forget Phase 1 Habitat Surveys can be all year round.
