Conservation at work
Conservation
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Of the three Newts native to Britain the Great Crested Newt is the one that has suffered a major decline, nobody knows quite how many Great Crested Newts there are in Britain, or where they are, and new sites keep turning up. This lack of information of the whereabouts of newts may lead to areas in which they live being destroyed because their presence is not recognized. Great Crested Newts are thought to occur in about 18,000 ponds nationally, although only about 20 percent of these have been identified. Even where populations have been identified, inappropriate and unsympathetic management or uninformed conservation work may have contributed to their decline.
One of the main impacts on Great Crested Newt populations has been the destruction of habitat; both ponds and places newts use when on land. Ponds are deliberately filled in for development or for agricultural purposes. Other causes for newt decline are ponds being left to deteriorate through neglect or misuse. Contamination from rubbish that has been dumped in ponds, introduction of fish and release of exotic species that compete with or eat newts is another problem. Great Crested Newts need areas of dry land around their breeding ponds to find food and shelter. Loss or unsuitable management of these areas may affect newts because they spend a great deal of time on land.
English Nature, Froglife and the Herpetological Conservation Trust fund a national Great Crested Newt Conservation co-ordinator to ensure that the conservation actions proposed in the national plan are carried out, and to provide information and support to people involved in Great Crested Newt conservation.
The Great Crested Newt is specially protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act and The European Union’s Habitats and Species Directive, as well as through the Council of Europe’s Bern Convention. In section 9 (4) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is stated that:
It if an offence to intentionally damage, destroy or obstruct access to any structure or place which these species use for shelter or protection.
A Great Crested Newt conservation leaflet is available on line at:
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