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When writing this newsletter, we try to give space to the news that you both need and want to know. Every edition includes 16 featured stories. We choose them carefully.

Inconveniently for me, the winners of the Wainwright Prize – the most prestigious award in UK nature writing – were announced yesterday evening... after the bulk of the writing for this week was already complete. Every year, this announcement is one of our top-read features. I didn't want to leave you hanging.

Let us join together, then, in congratulating the winners:

This week, we also cover the re-discovery of lost oyster beds, rights for trees, the return of White Storks, irreplaceable ancient woodland soils, and much more.

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National news

Wildlife | There has been mixed – but mostly terrible – news for wildlife this week. Natural England announced that salmon stocks in England have fallen to their lowest level since records began. The assessment found that 95% of the country’s main salmon rivers don’t have enough fish to sustain their populations, while salmon in Wales face a similar crisis. The cause of decline is mostly beyond the control of any one country, according to Natural England, although government agencies are trying to help by removing barriers to migration. Separately, the results of the Big Butterfly Count were superficially encouraging: the hot, dry weather meant that this summer was the second-best for butterflies in the 16-year history of the initiative. However, Butterfly Conservation warned that ‘what comes next could be dire’, with the conditions potentially proving catastrophic for caterpillars and the plants they depend on. The Guardian covered the news.

Oceans | The Scottish government has launched a long-awaited consultation on proposed fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Priority Marine Feature (PMF) areas, covering 166 sites. The proposals would restrict certain types of fishing gear in each site, depending on its wildlife and habitats. Currently, 95% of Scotland’s coastal waters remain open to destructive practices such as bottom trawling and dredging, including within designated areas, according to Oceana UK. The charity, along with other environmental organisations, welcomed the consultation as a crucial step forward, but said it must lead to effective, science-led restrictions. Announcing the consultation, marine minister Jim Fairlie said that healthy marine habitats are ‘not separate from a healthy fishing industry; they are the foundation of it.’ Oceanographic and Fishing Daily reported the news. 

Burnham | Right to Roam campaigners have staged a trespass in Andy Burnham’s constituency in hope of catching the Prime Minister’s attention, reports the BBC. While Burnham may not have responded to that particular protest, he has nonetheless had a moderately active week on the climate and environment fronts. On Thursday, he penned a column for the Guardian on the importance of tackling climate change, announcing nearly £30m in funding for community energy schemes. Senior political correspondent Peter Walker wrote that his tone marked a contrast to ‘a seemingly muted response’ to the summer’s heatwaves and wildfires. The Telegraph and Financial Times also reported that Burnham plans to give mayors greater responsibility for overseeing the water companies in their regions, as part of his plan to increase public control of utilities.

In other news:

  • Scientists say that the damage caused by wildfires in Wales this summer has been ‘catastrophic’, reports the BBC.
  • One in nine migratory birds are threatened with extinction, according to the latest State of the World’s Birds report.

All the news on British nature.
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