Great Crested Newt Reasons For Declining Population And Measures To Protect Them

One of the largest native newt species found in Great Britain are great crested newts

. They are small but very beautiful with completely black top decorated with orange or yellow undersides combined with dark large spot. Just like any other species great crested newt males are different from females as their back displays a jagged crest.

Among all, Britain has the largest population of great crested newts but are endangered because of continuous destruction, pollution and fragmentation of newt habitat both breeding sites and terrestrial area that is a distance of 500 meters from their breeding sites. Today they are no more found in Ireland but can be still found in good numbers in northwest of England in the areas of North Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Coastal Plain of Lancashire.

They can be found in huge numbers in the marshland areas of Cumbria. In Greater Manchester, Wigan host largest population of great crested newts. Hence it has become imperative to take significant actions which can help increase and maintain their growth by maintaining newt habitat.

We have many legal provisions in place to check and maintain great crested newt population. These can be found in Appendix II of the Bern Convention; Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981; Annexes II and IV of the EC Habitats Directive; as well as Schedule 2 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc) Regulations 1994 (Regulation 8).

All these make it clear that it is a punishable offence to capture, posses, trade, transport, injure, kill or disturb newt or newt habitat intentionally or unintentionally. Newt habitat includes pond and other small water bodies where they breed and surrounding area upto 500 meters. Loss of proper newt habitat is one of the main reasons responsible for decline in their population. Loss of great crested newt habitat occurs due to:

1) Reduced number of ponds due to infilling, pollution, development and negligence

2) Drifted terrestrial newt habitat

3) Fish in great crested newt ponds

4) Polluted water

If you were thinking how will development take place if these laws with respect to the protection of great crested newt and newt habitat are in place? First you need not worry about this as government has also laid down certain provisions which allow further development in areas with newt habitat. By adhering to the provisions made companies can obtain relevant license to start development work. The provisions laid down with this respect maintain that the newt population should not be disturbed in any way through the development project and relevant measures should be taken to ensure their safety.

To make sure if your development project will be affected or not by newt population in the area and what type of measures you will have to take to comply with the provisions it is important that you hire an ecological consultant who will do newt survey with reference to their population and habitat on your development sites. Ecological consultants will be able to suggest measures which can help you comply with the provisions laid down and obtain license required to start the development work.

by: Robin Lawson

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