This summer, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency was tasked with proposing species that should be nationally protected, based on criteria set by the government. The agency has now submitted a preliminary proposal.
Among other things, it is proposed that hedgehogs, eels and lampreys be protected.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) welcomes the review, but sees shortcomings: the policy has been too strict and has set too narrow criteria. Only the most endangered species should be included and no species that require active management should be included.
This has led to species in the agricultural landscape being underrepresented, according to WWF.
Among the species missing from the proposal are the fragrant mite, the wattled net butterfly and the horned ox – which are currently protected.
“Many exceptions”
The government has simultaneously proposed changes to the conservation regulations, which according to WWF risk making the list toothless.
There are an incredible number of exceptions in the proposed rules. Among other things, land use for agriculture and forestry is completely exempted – except for protected, critically endangered species, says Emelie Nilsson, conservation policy expert at WWF.
In other words, in such cases it is not enough for a species to be protected, which relatively few species are. It must also be critically endangered in order to be protected, says Emelie Nilsson.
There are so many exceptions that there is hardly anything left of the conservation concept.
Equivalent protection
The new conservation regulations are proposed to come into force in July next year.
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's list of species that should be nationally protected contains 255 species. According to the agency, many other species have equivalent protection through EU directives and are therefore not included on the list, including birds.
