RSPB MOA 2016-17

AfBiE acts as an umbrella for joint projects between Natural England and the RSPB relating to work on priority birds. The Addendum in 2017/18 will consist of 12 ongoing projects funded by NE's Species Recovery Programme (SRP). Natural England's contributions are made against delivery of specific outputs and outcomes as set out in a delivery schedule appended to the Addendum. The main driver for the work programme is the need to take action for birds listed on 'Section 41' (ie those birds which are considered by government to be 'of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity in England' following the NERC Act 2006), and ultimately to contribute to the delivery of 'Outcome 3' of Biodiversity 2020, which seeks 'an overall improvement in the status of wildlife in England and prevention of further human induced extinctions of known threatened species by 2020'. More specifically, Priority action 1.3 of Bio2020 states the need to 'Take targeted action for the recovery of priority species, whose conservation is not delivered through wider habitat-based and ecosystem measures'. The projects undertake research action underpinning the population recovery of the species concerned which have been identified as 'urgent/high priority' by the Bio2020 Birds Taxon Group and approved by the Terrestrial Biodiversity Group (TBG). They include research to understand the causes of decline, identify factors limiting populations and trialing interventions that address them, including trial reintroduction and land management measures that, if successful, could be 'rolled-out' in environmental schemes such as Countryside Stewardship.