Ten-year action plan launched to save curlew in Wales

- Latest news

November 22, 2021

A large-scale recovery plan to reverse the decline of curlew in Wales has being launched today.

The Wales Action Plan for the Recovery of Curlew is written and led by Gylfinir Cymru / Curlew Wales, a partnership made up of a number of organisations including BASC.

The Gylfinir Cymru partnership is made up of:

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, BASC, The British Trust for Ornithology, The Countryside Alliance, Cofnod, Curlew Country, Denbighshire County Council, The Farmers’ Union of Wales, Natural Resources Wales, The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, The National Farmers’ Union Wales, The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, The National Trust, The RSPB, The Snowdonia National Park Authority, The Welsh Ornithological Society and Welsh Government.

The partnership is working with the Welsh Government to address the chronic decline in population and geographic distribution of the curlew across Wales.

The decline of the curlew in Wales is so significant that it is predicated that it could be on the brink of extinction by 2033 if action is not taken now.

Ten-year action plan

The aim of the Gylfinir Cymru partnership is to halt and if possible, reverse this decline by the implementation of it’s ten-year action plan.

The action plan outlines close collaborations with the Welsh Government, environmental non-government organisations, farming unions, academia and individuals to meet its objectives.

The Action Plan sets out a 10-year programme to conserve curlew and to stabilise the decline in the breeding population in Wales.

The action plan addresses four main themes:

Identify a network of Important Curlew Areas (ICAs) in wales to maximise opportunities and provide a focus for targeted conservation action.
Reverse the current drivers of low productivity (predators and grassland management practices during the breeding season).
Ensure a package of support is available to enable all farmers and land managers to collaborate at the landscape scale to deliver the outcomes required by breeding curlew using the best available evidence.
Support public awareness campaigns and education to influence consumer choices and demands for agricultural products that support breeding curlew friendly habitats.

Minister for Climate Change Julie James, who spoke at the plan launch said: “The plight of the curlew epitomises the nature emergency. It is not just something for governments and nature experts to address in isolation – it is for all of us in Wales to take ownership of, support and get involved in the remedies.

“Thanks to Gylfinir Cymru / Curlew Wales for leading the way in the recovery of this iconic species, they do so for the benefit of us all.”

For more information on the work of Gylfinir Cymru and access to the Wales Action Plan for the Recovery of Curlew, visit the Curlew Recovery Partnership website here.

The partnership has produced two key films to support the launch of the action plan, detailing some of the work that is already being done in Wales and what more needs to happen. Watch the films here.

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