Focus on Biodiversity

Update 2002

E n v i r o n m e n t A g e n c y Contents

Page Chapter 1 Introduction

Purpose of report 1 Background 1 Structure and content 1

Chapter 2 An overview of 2002

Legislation and national policy 2 National initiatives 2 National Biodiversity Network 4 Reorganisation 4 Overall message 4

Chapter 3 Progress in 2002 - Category 1 & 2 species and habitats

Water vole 7 Otter 9 Marsh warbler 11 Allis and twaite shad 12 Vendace 13 Burbot 14 Diving - Agabus brunneus 15 - Anisodactylus poeciloides 16 Diving beetle - Bidessus unistriatus 17 Hairy 18 Various river shingle and other invertebrates associated with ERS 19 White-clawed crayfish 22 Southern damselfly 23 Little whirlpool ram's-horn snail 24 Freshwater pearl mussel 25 Glutinous snail 26 Fine-lined pea mussel 27 Depressed river mussel 28 Shining ram's-horn snail 29 Freshwater bryozoan - Lophopus crystallinus 30 Ribbon-leaved water plantain 31 Cut grass 32 Triangular clubrush 33 Greater water parsnip 34 Multi-fruited river moss 35 Tiny fern-moss 36 Water rock bristle 37 Beaked beardless-moss 38 Violet crystalwort 39 Five stoneworts 40 River jelly lichen 42 Acuifer-fed naturally fluctuating water bodies 43 Chalk rivers 45 Coastal saltmarsh 48 Eutrophic standing waters 50 Mudflats 53 Page Chapter 4 Progress in 2002 - Category 3&4 species and habitats

Actions for a selection of species and habitats 54

Chapter 5 Case studies

Operation Riverside Link - Providing a habitat lifeline for barn owls 56 Boston washbanks 58 Carnetown ponds 59 Chinbrook meadows 60 Costers brook habitat enhancement 61 Inner Thames marshes water distribution system 62 Otter road mortality system (ORMS) database 63

Chapter 6 Forward Look

Policy and process 64 Promoting biodiversity 64 Regional Biodiversity Strategies 64 Habitats Directive 64 Databases 64 WFD 65 Marine 65 Skills and training 65

Appendices

Appendix 1 Agency Co-ordinators for UK BAP species and habitats 66 Appendix 2 List of partner organisations 1996-2002 69 Appendix 3 Abbreviations and acronyms used in the text 75 Appendix 4 List of species mentioned in the text 77 Appendix 5 R&D Outputs in 2002 78 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Purpose of the report 1.1 This report summarises progress made by the Environment Agency in carrying forward its principal obligations under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP), for the period 1 January - 31 December 2002.

1.2 It is primarily an internal report aimed at our own staff, although relevant government departments, statutory and voluntary wildlife organisations, local government and professional and academic institutions will also have an interest in the contents. An electronic version is available on our internal intranet and on our website, www.environment-aqencv.aov.uk.

Background 1.3 In July 2000 we published “Focus on biodiversity: the Environment Agency’s contribution to wildlife conservation"^. It set out comprehensively our role, obligations and involvement in wildlife conservation, and in particular our actions under the UK BAP in the 5 year period 1995-99. We said that this would set the baseline reference document for tracking progress and that we would report annually to this effect, making more detailed appraisals every 5 years. This document is the third annual progress report, covering the year 2002.

Structure and content 1.4 Feedback on Focus on Biodiversity was extremely good, both in terms of its design and content and the 2000 edition was given a Communication in Business (CiB) award for excellence. We have tried to repeat the successful presentational style by using a simple format with a minimum amount detailed text and jargon. To make the 2002 edition even more attractive and informative we have included some case studies and photographs o