 Felly, y gynllun ymgyrch ymgyrch yn dweud yn 17329 yn ddweud gael Julian Martin yng Nghymru Cyfraeg Ysgol Cymru 2019. Felly, mae'r dweud gwneud yna yn mynd i ddweud hynny'n ddweud. Gweithredu hynny yma y byddai'r ddebyg yn dweud yn cychydigol. I will have to be strict on timings to allow us time to get the chamber ready for a 2 o'clock start. Would those members who wish to speak in the debate please press the request to speak buttons? I call on Gillian Martin to open the debate for seven minutes, please. I am delighted to be able to open this debate to celebrate environment day and to highlight the importance of biodiversity to our environment and to give all of our species champions a chance to highlight the importance of their species to the natural balance that must be protected at all costs. From a tiny insect that pollinates our plant life to a giant cetacean that inhabits our seas and everything in between, everything has its place. When the population of a species decreases or is at threat of extinction, that fine balance is disturbed and that will impact us all. That is why the motion highlights the Scotland's nature on red alert report by Environment Link and WWF Scotland, which outlines the key areas of concern. A threat to that natural balance is a fairly successful species and that is us, human beings. There is no doubt that human beings have caused the global warming that is the biggest threat to our plants, birds, insects and animals. It is our moral duty to be actively delivering the solution to that problem. A warming climate has the potential to impact biodiversity both globally and locally. If you are not convinced by the moral obligation argument, you can look at it from an anthropocentric point of view. Biodiversity has a key role to play in many of the ecosystems that we depend on as human beings, such as nutrient cycling and pollination. Any negative impacts on our biodiversity will potentially affect our food and water supply and our air quality—basically, our life support systems. The State of Nature 2016 report indicated that almost one in 10 Scottish species are at risk of extinction. Species that could be affected in Scotland include some of our iconic wildlife, such as the Capercail, the Puffin, Kitty Wake and other seabirds, from the freshwater perm muscle to the Atlantic salmon. Marine species at their southern limit in Scotland, such as the Arctic Char and the Whitebeak Dolphin, might simply not swim in our Scottish waters any more. The same goes for smaller fish and organisms, which are important food source for other species. Increasing acidification of the oceans might also affect not just our wildlife but her shellfish industries. Our world-renowned salmon rivers might lose more fish as water temperatures rise and summer water levels decline. Plant communities will change as populations of upland species are reduced, and if our peatlands dry out, they can no longer store as much carbon for us, and our rivers may no longer protect us from flooding if rainfall levels rise. As any farmer will tell you, last year's dry summer had a massive impact on their crop production and feedstocks for their animals. Changers to human behaviour are the key to halting declines in species populations, and as the newly appointed grey seal champion, I know that only too well. Globally, the grey seal is one of the rarest seal species, and about 50 per cent of the world's population lives in British and Irish waters. At the start of the 20th century, it was estimated that there were only 250 grey seals left in UK waters, and there were near extinction. Certainly in my home village of Newburgh, I rarely saw a seal in the Eithan estuary growing up in the 1980s, as they were routinely shot by those who had fishing interests. As a result of a range of protection measures, the grey seals are thriving, not least on the Eithan estuary where we have the largest colony in the UK. Earlier this week, I promised the pupils of Balmudic primary that I would tell the story of why I feel particularly qualified to be the grey seal champion. Eight years ago, while walking with my daughter in the Eithan estuary, we encountered a small grey seal who had beached herself, exhausted from hauling metres and metres of fishing net and rope behind her that was tangled round her neck. Every time we approached to try and disentangle her, she scarpered back into the river and worried about distressing her further. We left her being, we continued on our walk, but we spotted her on the way back. This time she was so exhausted that she no longer had the energy to move away from us. I managed to get hold of the rope that had embedded itself in the skin of her neck and I pulled it off, but not before she sunk her sharp teeth into my wrist and secured me an appointment at A and E later that day. I still got a fairly large scar. Members will be aware of the origins of Spider-Man. Peter Parker was bitten by a spider and developed spider-like powers. Now, who knows what that seal bite gave me? I have yet to discover an increase in my swimming skills, so being the champion will have to suffice until the powers inevitably reveal themselves. My marvellous seal girl backstory is a funny story to tell to the kids in the schools, but in all seriousness I want to use my position as a grey seal champion to campaign against fishing gear and other debris that causes the entanglement of our marine species seal and cetacean. I also want to help local campaigners who want to educate the public on the best way to view the seals without disturbing them. That would be from the other side of the river Iethin, go to Nubeta Beech instead, and you can view the colony there and get a better view and the seals will come up to you rather than bolting and panicking away from you. I am also lucky enough to be the champion of the world's oldest tree species, the U, which is also a superhero. Members may remember my speech last year when I called it the Doctor Who of Trees due to the trees' powers to regenerate and live on and on and on, defying mortality, not to mention that it is life-saving powers as an ingredient in cancer drugs. Our woodland species champions will know that the decrease in native species of tree means huge loss of species habitat and ultimately no life support for our insects and mammals, including us upright mammals. Nearly half of our native woodland is in poor condition for biodiversity and out of all the ancient woodland that was mapped in Scotland around 40 years ago, around 12.5 per cent has been lost to fragmentation and failed regeneration. That is a trend that must be reversed if we are to protect our most biodiverse habitats and sequester them out of carbon that we need to halt climate change. New woodland curation and natural regeneration will need to happen at a faster and far greater scale than ever before. Natural regeneration across Scotland is severely impacted by grazing from herbivores, particularly ledear, and woodland regeneration could provide both new habitat and extend existing ranges for many woodland-dependent species. Biodiversity loss will affect us all. Before I sit down, I just want to say how heartened I am that so many of my colleagues have asked to speak in this debate to highlight the importance of Scotland's natural heritage. I look forward to hearing about the species that they hold most ear and continue to champion. We move to the open debate and speeches of absolutely no more than four minutes, please. Alexander Burnett, followed by Keith Brown. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. As the species champion for the pearl mussel, I am delighted to take part in this debate today, brought by Gillian Martin, and raise the issues of this face, this endangered species. I am lucky enough to live beside the River Dee, one of the most famous salmon rivers in the world. Anyone who has been there will tell you how incredible it is, and we welcome people from across the world in their bid to cast a fly for our salmon and not to disappoint expectations. I please note members to my register of interests in relation to the Dee. For those who do not know, salmon stocks are very important in the battle to increase pearl mussel numbers, as the larvae rely on host fish such as salmon for their survival. With pearl mussels each releasing around two to three million larvae, they are either inhaled or settled in the gills of salmon. Remaining there in the winter and dropping off into the gravel following spring, you can see why salmon stocks are so important to the survival of pearl mussels. A co-ordinated effort is required to help to save this endangered species. I would like to take this opportunity to talk about three different projects that are happening across Scotland in a bid to improve salmon stock and, consequentially, pearl mussel numbers. First, at Dryhote farm in the Scottish Borders, which won the Scottish land and estates in enhancing our environment award in 2018, the project linked upland peatland restoration with the salmon fishing on the river Tweed from catchment to catching fish. It found that damaged peat and drainage channels were reducing the capacity of peatland to stay wet and regulate water flow. By restoring those, it meant that gravels could be stabilised so that fish over are not swept away and become unviable. This sees an increase in fish stock, which ultimately benefits pearl mussels. As a side note, the project also increases carbon storage, improves water quality and creates better habitats for upland wildlife such as black grouse and hen harriers, which I know the minister for champions. It is a fantastic project for most and much of the local environment. Another project that has created a huge boost for pearl mussel numbers is that of the Ness and Bewyly Fisheries Trust. After obtaining further funding from SSE, it continued the work of the Pearls in Peril project, which meant that over 2,500 fish were exposed to pearl mussel larvae between 2012 and 2018. In 2017, monitoring showed that up to 25 per cent of all fish captured were now carrying the larvae, with over 100 on each gill in some cases. The final project is where Vattenfall UK has committed 3 million euros to several research projects of which the River Dee Trust, Aberdeenshire and Marine Scotland have all gained a share in. Locally, they are looking to provide previously unknown information on salmon and sea trout movements out at sea. I am grateful to Vattenfall for contributing to that important research. While we welcome companies investing in restoring our environment, we also need the Scottish Government to do more. Although legislation has made poaching pearl mussels illegal, not enough is being done to enforce it. We need to take further steps, not only to prevent illegal poaching, but to improve the numbers of the endangered species and host species, such as salmon, which are also under threat. We cannot just rely on private companies to make the investment, so I urge the SNP Government to do more to protect our environment. Keith Brown, followed by Claudia Beamish. I also thank Gillian Martin for securing his debate to celebrate world environment day that was held earlier this month. The theme for this year's world environment day is air pollution, with 9 out of 10 people around the world shockingly breathing in polluted air. Even travelling through to and from Edinburgh, there is a noticeable change between city life and my constituency of Clifmanisher and Dumblane. Luckily, if ever I feel the need for a lung full of fresh air, I am completely spoiled with some of the best hill walking in all of Scotland that have members here, wish to join me and stretch their legs in Scotland's most stunning constituency, they are more than welcome to join me and you can bring your own sticks. Where we might come across the very rare and endangered sticky catch fly, a plant that I am delighted to be the species champion for, and I was going to test your patience to bring a sample of sticky catch fly in today. Unfortunately, it is endangered and it is very fragile. It is restricted to just a few sites in Wales and Scotland, but it can also be found in Arthur's seat just behind us here in Edinburgh. It is most often to be found in the hill-foot cliffs of the South Ocals, and those hills are lit up by clusters of beautiful pink flowers and are home to the largest population of sticky catch fly in the UK. It is a great pleasure as species champion to have the opportunity. I will do it, yes. Bruce Crawford Mr Crawford, your microphone is not on. Okay, it is on now then. I thank the member for giving way, because I have to go to another event that I am cheering at 1 o'clock. I wonder if he would agree with me, given that I am the species champion for the slow worm. It is a grand thing that the slow worm is one of the most sexually active species on the planet. I am not entirely sure to respond to that, but I suppose that in the interest of the sustainability of the species, it must be a good thing. However, to get back to sticky catch fly, it is, as I say, a great pleasure to be species champion for it. Also, to work with organisations such as Stirling and Clutmanusure's Scottish Wildlife Trust local group and the Alva Glenn Heritage Trust and to learn more about the vital work that they do to protect local biodiversity and encourage the growth of sticky catch fly. Incredibly important reintroduction work with seeds collected from the yellow cliffs above Blair Logey, which Bruce Crawford would be very familiar with, and growing in allotments in Bridgavallan. It has successfully seen 40 sticky catch fly plants reintroduced across areas such as Alva Glenn, where sticky catch fly has become extinct. Rumoured to have been King James VI of Scotland's favourite flower 400 years ago, it is down to the invaluable dedication of Stirling and Clutmanusure's welfare trust that it may be enjoyed, hopefully, for a further 400 years in the future. As species champions, I think that we all know just how crucial the local work done by wildlife groups is in order to protect the vulnerable and endangered species that we represent. That great work extends past species to past species and also to the environment itself. We also must see the work to protect species as part of wider efforts to tackle climate breakdown. Under this Scottish Government, the Scotland is seen as a world leader in setting ambitious green targets, and rightly so. Again, in my constituency of Clutmanusure and on Blane, it is seen to be a green leader here in Scotland. Under the Stirling and Clutmanusure city region deal, it will become the base for Scotland's international environment centre, a £22 million investment that will create a research and policy hub at the University of Stirling, an environmental business incubator in Clutmanusure. That will be tasked with providing a comprehensive approach to unlocking inclusive and green economic growth. Stirling and Clutmanusure will therefore be at the forefront of providing the conditions for Scottish business to prosper in a way that ensures a cleaner, sustainable and healthier environment for the generations that follow. Today's debate serves, I hope, as a powerful reminder that now is the time to act, and locally and nationally, here in Scotland, we are stepping up to this challenge. It is my wish to see this ambition matched by our friends across the UK, across the EU and across the world that we tackle climate breakdown to secure a future tomorrow for the species we champion in the chamber today. Claudia Beamish, followed by Shona Robison. I, too, would like to thank Gillian Martin for bringing her motion to debate today. World Environment Day 2019 gives us a poignant reminder of the stark reality facing our natural environment. As Gillian Martin's motion highlights, nearly one in 10 species are at risk of extinction here in Scotland, and one in 25 are under threat worldwide, and the world is on red alert for its future. Progress is being made, and we can and must save our biodiversity for future generations. However, we must act now. Scottish Labour recently announced a climate emergency, as did the Scottish Government, and I was proud to support that in the Parliament. That is an important step in recognising the serious state of affairs. However, I also call on the Scottish Government to declare an environment emergency and what better time to do this than in the context of World Environment Day, and I hope that the minister will consider that call and make comments on it. The interrelationship between the effects of climate change and our environment is increasingly evidenced. We are unlikely to meet our country's internationally binding 2020 biodiversity targets. What we now need is a bold and inclusive set of actions to establish a post-2020 biodiversity action plan. Can the minister give some reassurance about how that will be developed in her closing remarks? I was happy to see the species champions recognised in this motion, and the small part that we can play in highlighting the work of the tireless volunteers and organisations who work to protect the range of rare and wonderful animal, plants and species that we also support. I am the champion of the forest and moth, and it is not well known how they are faring due to their very elusive nature. Despite their beauty being emerald green daytime moths, they are very shy. When I went to the maybe forest in Dumfries to do some forest and moth spotting, I enjoyed being there in the dappled wooded glades with their marshlands as well, that mixed habitat that the moth needs. It is a very specialised one, but I did not see a single forest and moth. However, the Butterfly Conservation Society Scotland now has developed a lure. Do not worry, it is not something scary. It is just to help to attract the moth so that they can be spotted in different places. Better luck next time. A forest and moth has been seen in a new site in Mull, which is very exciting, and the caterpillars are now finding what is probably the first time in Scotland in our guile last year. The Butterfly Conservation Society is also working with farmers promoting the agro environment and climate scheme. That encourages farmers to maintain suitable sites for cattle grazing, which is also essential for the forest and moth. Those schemes and those protecting the rest of our wildlife must not be threatened due to Brexit, whatever the future may hold. All the Scottish Labour MSPs are indeed species champions now, and I am not going to name and shame anyone in any other party who is not. However, I do think that it would be a really good story to tell if the whole Parliament, all the MSPs, were champions. I want to highlight that my friend and colleague Alex Rowley is actually the species champion for the narrow headed ant. He has spotted that in the Perthshire Highlands. In my own motion, I recognise that this year's World Environment Day theme is beat air pollution. I was outside the Parliament to support campaigners on Tuesday in relation to the bill of Mark Ruskell's that we will be looking at this afternoon. I do believe that the Scottish Government will have a change of heart on this and see how much sense it makes. Let's help beat air pollution as a mark of respect for world environment day and give relief to those living in poor local environments. I would like again to thank Gillian Martin for creating the opportunity to look forward to creating robust actions for a better environment from local to global. Shona Robison, followed by Alison Johnstone. I would like to also thank my fellow champion Gillian Martin for securing this important debate and declaring an interest as the species champion for the wild cherry, a tree with white flowers as distinct from the more common and familiar pink cherry tree. When we think of Scotland's natural heritage, our biodiversity and the threats faced by many species across our land, it is the threat to our native fauna, which tends to make the headlines. However, our flora is of equal, if not more, importance as plants underpin all life on earth. I recently had the pleasure to visit a great example of the wild cherry tree in bloom in Dawson Park in my constituency. The visit was organised by the Woodland Trust Scotland, who I would like to thank for the work that they do in the creation, restoration and maintenance of our woodlands. The trust has identified that at least 46 per cent of our native woodland is in poor condition and around 12.5 per cent of our ancient woodland has been lost to fragmentation and failed regeneration over the past 40 years. We also spoke of the benefits of woodlands in tackling climate change and its effects from carbon capture, moderating the local climate and saving energy, flood management and improving our health and clean air. A recent study in Chicago has shown that the trees in the city remove 10.8 tonnes of pollutant material a day, and a University of Columbia study has shown that the asthma rates among children aged 4 to 5 fell by 25 per cent when in areas where there was a concentration of trees. Given that the UK has one of the world's highest rates of childhood asthma, with around 15 per cent of children affected and with a higher prevalence in lower socioeconomic groups in urban areas, that is an important benefit of urban woodlands. Therefore, I am encouraged that the Scottish Government recognises the importance of woodland and is to be applauded for its work on forestation efforts, which in 2017 saw 14 million new trees planted, accounting for more than three quarters of tree planting in the UK. The Scottish Government's Scottish Forestry Strategy also notes the importance of urban woodlands and aims to increase urban tree canopy across Scotland's towns and cities, which Dundee does quite well for, but there is progress to be made. Something I very much welcome and we are interested in learning from the minister what specific steps the Government is considering in order to further support this aim. Another benefit that was highlighted on my visit was the positive effect trees in woodlands can have on people's wellbeing. In Dawson Park, alongside the beautiful cherry blossoms, sits the Duntrwn community gardens, which is managed and maintained by the Scottish Association for Mental Health in partnership with Dundee City Council. From the gardens, Sam H runs its chrysalis project, a therapeutic or to cultural service that works with people to support their recovery journey by developing self-resilience and employability skills. Examples such as chrysalis are important to highlight, for they illustrate the important part that green spaces of all shapes and sizes play, not only in protecting the environment but in the benefit that they bring to the people around them. If we are to protect Scotland's nature, flora or fauna, raising awareness, engaging with local communities and encouraging them to take action individually and collectively as paramount, I must be part of our future thinking on those issues. In Dundee, I am proud of the fact that this thinking is already firmly embedded in our approach to the protection and enhancement of our urban woodlands. Dundee's strategic plan states that the woodlands are a vital element in delivering our vision for the city by helping to build stronger communities, promote social inclusion and act in citizenship through community ownership and local participation in the management of our green spaces. Having identified the importance of local woodlands and supporting health and wellbeing, Dundee City Council applied for funding from a variety of sources and was successful. To be congratulated on following through on 21 projects and using the funding to increase community involvement working through the establishment of Dundee trees and woods in green space, I wonder if the minister could take the opportunity in responding to outline what the Government's current thinking is on funding such projects. Species are starting to go over that four minute mark, which may disadvantage those later on. I thank Gillian Martin for bringing this important debate to the chamber as we mark world environment day. It has taken decades, but we finally reached a point where news about our natural environment makes daily headlines and where we can no longer claim ignorance of the impact human activity is having on the natural ecosystems that sustain us. Although, sadly, a few prominent individuals continue to do so. I congratulate the efforts of environmental NGOs who have contributed to the growing awareness, including the members of Scottish Environment, Link and Scotland's Nature on red alert report. The report brings home the realities of what biodiversity loss might look like in Scotland. Fewer wild salmon is the water temperatures of our rivers and oceans rise. Fewer kittywakes, a common sight along our coastlines, have already seen their population decline by 66 per cent, and some native woodland plants could disappear as climate change intensifies. As the report makes clear, our habitats and our species are of value not just in their own right but also for the ecosystem services that they support and on which we all depend. That is why the findings of the intergovernmental science policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services should be a call to action. The scientists show that nature is facing more trouble now than at any other point in human history. Due to pressures from human society, including expanding agricultural lands, overfishing and pollution, 1 million species may be pushed to extinction in the coming decade, with extraordinary consequences for life on this planet. That has major implications for our food systems, for human health and for water security. The future might seem bleak, but the co-chairman of the IPBES report, Dr Joseph Zetallew, has stressed that society can mitigate many of the worst effects by changing the way that we grow our food, the way that we generate energy, by our response to the climate emergency and how we recycle our waste. The key message from the scientists is that we need transformative change. Of course, individuals connect. We can change our diets. We can choose active travel. We can reduce our consumption to limit demand on those natural resources, but we have to acknowledge that 90 companies are responsible for two thirds of all greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial age. They have got to change their behaviour. The situation also puts a responsibility on national governments and indeed parliaments around the world to respond, including here in Scotland. We are fast approaching the end date of Scotland's 2020 biodiversity roadmap, but 111 Scottish species are at risk of extinction, and we are on track to meet only seven of the 20 targets set by the international community to protect biodiversity. I do think that there is a tendency for us to focus overwhelmingly on the aspects of the interlinked climate and environmental emergencies that affect us humans, but our policies and actions need to recognise that the value in our plants and animal species is valuable in their own right. As a passionate species for the brown and mountain hair, I am well aware of the impact that climate change is having on the mountain hair, whose snow-white winter coat is marking them out to predators in our warmer winters, where some hillsites see no snowfall. Thankfully, many of the actions that we need to take to address the climate emergency involve restoring our natural habitats, and they will be critical to tackling the biodiversity crisis, too. That includes restoring our peatlands, planting native woodland species, holding back from building new roads and applying smarter planning principles to ensure that our towns and cities incorporate the maximum amount of green space. In closing, Presiding Officer, I would like to mark the work of the late Polly Higgins. She was an inspirational lawyer who campaigned throughout her life for the crime of ecocide to be established in international law. Ecocide is the loss and damage of ecosystems by corporate and state actors and she was determined that there should be higher accountability for crimes against nature. In 2010, she presented her proposal to the UN and she continued to champion the cause until her untimely death in April this year. I hope that the Scottish Parliament can continue to find the opportunity to work to strengthen the protections for wildlife and habitats in this country, fighting the climate and environmental emergency. Can I ask the remaining speakers to consider coming in at three and a half minutes, please? Angus MacDonald, followed by Finlay Carson. Okay, thanks Presiding Officer. During the fifth was indeed World Environment Day, as is highlighted in Gillian Martin's welcome motion, which has helped to give focus to the need for nature-based solutions to be deployed to tackle both climate change but also help to make our nature more resilient. The Scottish Government is clearly making significant progress in tackling climate change, but we also need to up our game in addressing biodiversity loss as well. We are, as we know, in our climate emergency and, according to Scottish Environment Link at an event that I hosted yesterday, an ecological emergency as well. There is no doubt that we must redouble our efforts to protect our environment and reverse the effects of climate change. Of course, the importance of protecting our environment cannot be overstated. It is a fact that sea levels are rising and we are seeing more extreme weather than ever before. Insects and invertebrates are in decline, although not entirely because of climate change but also through habitat destruction and biodiversity loss, which in turn clearly affects climate change and our environment. One way to help to keep the issue on everyone's radar is through the species champion initiative. So, BugLife Scotland tasked me with being the species champion for the bog sun jumper spider or heliophanous dampfie to those of us who are more acquainted with the wee critter. I can assure the chamber that it is cuter than it sounds. Okay, it's not cuddly, but it is cute. Unfortunately, I, like Gillian Martin, have not acquired any spider-like powers since becoming the species champion for the spider, but I live in hope, I think. So, at just three millimetres long, the spider might be very small, but it's huge in character, mainly black in colour, but it has distinctively striking iridescent green mouth parts. And they're also incredibly rare, found only in six places across the UK, five in Scotland and one in Wales, two of which are in my constituency of Falkirk East. Now, Colbed methane extraction in my patch was a further threat to this little spider, so that's another otherwise unknown positive unintended consequence arising from our Scottish Government's effective ban on fracking. Now, these little spiders live in lowland-raised bogs habitat, which is crucial in tackling climate change. Unfortunately, raised bogs have declined by over 90 per cent over the past 100 years, with the majority of bogland left damaged and in poor condition. Protecting our remaining peatlands is essential, however. Not only are they important for threatened wildlife, but they also store and regulate huge amounts of carbon and water, helping to reduce greenhouse emissions and prevent localised flooding. Now, the RSPB proposed a levy for peat use in horticulture around eight years ago, and the UK Government published a white paper setting out its ambition for the horticultural sector to end its use of peat by 2030 through voluntary partnership. No levy has been forthcoming, unfortunately, but the Scottish Government could act where the UK Government has ultimately failed and look into the possibilities of implementing a levy on horticultural peat use. A welcome development would also be to look at the new regulations to be put in place to label products containing peat that are sold in Scotland, and perhaps another positive step would be to look into stopping the use of peat by public bodies, including local authorities, altogether. Scotland's peatlands are internationally important, yet, despite that, peat extraction continues. I hope that it stays on the Government's radar over the next few years. Presiding Officer, I thank Gillian Martin for bringing this debate to the chamber, and I welcome the opportunity to speak on it. I am delighted to follow on from Spider-Man. You will be aware that Robert Pattinson has been confirmed by the new Batman, but you may not know that I am the Scottish Parliament's very own Batman, as the leisure bat species champion. I have not been bitten by a bat, either, and I have not brought my cape. From the outset, I thank Liz Ferrell for her help in providing a briefing ahead of this debate, outlining how bats can enhance the national environment and the threats that they face. As a predator of common insects, bats can tell us a lot about the state of the environment, and they are also very sensitive to changes in land use. Many of the pressures that bats face—whether it is landscape changes, agricultural intensification or development, habitat fragmentation—are also relevant to other wildlife species, making them an excellent indicator for the wider health of UK wildlife. While bats can provide valuable service for agriculture, some historical agricultural practices had a detrimental impact on bats. The use of pesticides meant that bats suffered from the lack of insect prey. In the practice of removing hedge rows and woods in farmland, it is also concerning that bats often rely on these features for roosting, hunting, and, indeed, the Leisler bat roost not in roosts but in woodlands. There is a large colony just up the road from my home in the wood of Cree. It is welcome to see that the national bat monitoring programme says that populations of bats are recovering and beginning to stabilise, although that has not always been the case. We want to continue to pursue a positive environmental legislation, and it is vital that that continues. That is why I am backing calls from the Bat Conservation Trust to ask the Scottish Government to immediately take action to reverse biodiversity loss and to clearly lay out what it hopes to achieve post-2020. It is disappointing that, at the moment, we are seeing the Government's fail on targets in relation to habitat loss and control of invasive species and extinction of other species. The Government needs to significantly increase the efforts ahead of 2020 and look at measures that can be implemented to ensure that biodiversity is not reduced. One way that could be achieved is to look into a national ecological network that would give practical, strategic and long-term a way to invest in natural assets such as peatland and woodland, which can, as we know, store carbon. However, it is not just bats that are affected by changes in our natural environment. I want to touch on the fantastic work that the Galloway Fisheries Trust, in my constituency, has been doing to save the sparling in the river Cree. The sparling or the cucumber fish, because they smell like cucumbers, were found in various Scottish rivers in the past, but died out mainly because of overfishing, pollution or barriers preventing them from reaching their spawning grounds. Historically, records show that in the Cree alone up to six tons were being caught, which equates to about 50,000 fish. Children would grab them out of the river and take them for their tea during their annual migration. However, there has been a huge decrease, and in the river Cree is only now one of three rivers in Scotland where they are found. The Galloway Fisheries Trust project was a two-year scientific and educational initiative aimed at restoring those fish populations. Local schools have been involved as well as they are holding community events to help them to reconnect to the community with the sparling's heritage. The lower Cree has been designated a site of special scientific interest to protect the rare fish, and I hope that the population can be increased if it is successful. That is an important debate at a time when we are all looking to protect our environment, and I hope that some of the points raised today can be taken forward positively. Gail Ross, followed by Lewis Macdonald. I would also like to thank my colleague Gillian Martin for bringing this important debate to the chamber today. I am the species champion for the red squirrel, but I am proud to say that I am also the very first species champion for seagrass. Seagrasses are flowering plants that have adapted over millions of years to life in the sea, the meadows that seagrasses form play an important role in keeping our oceans healthy and stocked with food. They provide a home for all kinds of marine life, including food fishes like juvenile cod in place, but also endangered species such as seahorses. Additionally, seagrasses absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide from the surrounding seawater and have an important role to play in tackling the climate emergency. However, like so many species, seagrasses have not been immune from global declines. Current research that is taking place at University College London provisionally estimates the current extent of UK seagrass to be a little over 8,500 hectares, down from around 76,000 hectares at the turn of the 20th century. That is an estimated loss of nearly 90 per cent of our coastal seagrass meadows in just 100 years. Even if we take a cautious estimate from the data, it is abundantly clear that we have lost over three quarters of our seagrass meadows and with it the ecosystem services that seagrass meadows provide. Today, we are tackling both a climate crisis and a biodiversity crisis that was started many generations ago and that has only increased in severity through the decades of intensified industrial production and global economic expansion. However, it is clear that our response to those challenges is twofold. We need to consider what we can do now to stop further losses from current practices and what can be done to restore habitats degraded by what has happened in the past. The good news is that, over the last decade, increasing levels of understanding about the reproductive biology of seagrasses and their environmental requirements has led to vast improvements in the capacity of scientists to restore those meadows. In Scotland, we have two seagrass species, eelgrass and dwarf eelgrass, which have both suffered losses. The reintroduction into previous known sites provides significant opportunity to enhance recovery and support biodiversity. The UK is a signatory to the Paris climate agreement that emphasises the critical importance of conserving seagrasses and other blue-carbon ecosystems. That is because seagrass meadows rapidly store organic carbon from within and external to the meadow into sediment that remains locked up and stable for very long time periods. Presiding Officer, I could go on and on, but I know that my time is limited and I will respect that today. However, our seagrass meadows are very precious. Organisations such as Project Seagrass are undertaking fantastic mapping and restorative work. I would like to thank Dr Richard Lilley and his team for all the hard work that they do, not just here but all over the world. If you are watching this, please help us to save our seagrass, join Project Seagrass, become a seagrass spotter and ensure the survival of the vital part of our ecosystem. Last month's UN report on biodiversity was clear that our global ecosystem faces a crisis on a par with the threat from climate change and that urgent action is required. That is implications for policy makers everywhere, including here in Scotland. I have been a species champion for the curlew since 2013. The curlew is a barometer of biodiversity. It has suffered catastrophic decline in Ireland. It is now one of the most pressing conservation priorities for Scotland and across Britain, and I believe that it is time to step up the actions taken in its defence. I want to highlight just two of the issues that affect the future of the curlew for which Scottish Government ministers have a responsibility and to ask if public policy priorities need to change in those areas. One is the issue of predator control in Strathbram. MSPs recently received an open letter from those involved in curlew conservation action in that area, and their conclusions should cause concern for us all. They argue that measures to control predation on breeding curlew by ravens are essential as part of a balanced programme of waiter conservation and that without such targeted conservation action, species such as the curlew will be lost. They call for the Scottish Government and Scottish Natural Heritage to press ahead with bold conservation measures this year in Strathbram and elsewhere. They say, if not, that this may come to be seen as a defining moment when the battle to save the curlew was lost. I will, of course, be seeking a detailed response from ministers and SNH as species champion for the curlew, but I would welcome any comments that the minister may wish to offer on that topic today. A second specific example that I would mention is in Gillian Martin's constituency, where Transport Scotland is considering rerouting the A96 away from Inverruri and building a new dual carriageway through farmland and through semi-natural habitats to the north and east of the town. That area contains what RSPB described as moderate clusters of breeding curlew, which would be disrupted and potentially displaced if that option was selected for the A96 project. If we are serious about tackling the crisis in biodiversity, the breeding sites of endangered species need to be given the priority that they deserve, and they need to be given that priority by transport and infrastructure ministers, as well as environment ministers. There are, of course, good things going on, and we should celebrate those too. RSPB's trial curlew management project monitors breeding numbers, predator activity and habitats in key sites in Scotland and across Britain to establish what more should be done to protect the species. I know that SNH has been supportive of such work in past years, and I hope that it will be again. I was lucky enough last month to visit the demonstration farm run by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust at Dochneran near Tarland, which I know that the minister is familiar with, and to see how efforts to support one species bring benefits to others. For example, in that case, curlew and lapwing and oyster catchers all thrive in what is both an eco-friendly and a commercial agricultural environment. We need more such projects to support biodiversity. We need policy makers in government here and worldwide to be clear about priorities and to take decisions that will make a difference to species such as the curlew for the sake of future generations. Thank you, Mr McDonald. I now call on Mary Gougeon to respond to the debate for seven minutes, please minister. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I'll do my best to try and get around all the many points that were raised today, because, as ever, this is always such an interesting and enjoyable debate, and that's why I really want to thank Gillian Martin, because this debate, I always look forward to either responding to or speaking in when it was in the Government, because it's one of the highlights of the year, and not least because of all the weird and wonderful stories that it tends to bring to light. We discovered that we have a number of superheroes across the chamber in Finlay Carson and Angus MacDonald. I like Gillian Martin and the tales of our goth days that she regaled us with last year in relation to the U-Tree. Today, it certainly didn't disappoint, but when we look at the potential superhero powers that Gillian Martin has, I managed to do a quick search of some of the powers that she's got to look forward to. We might need a more catch-your-name than seal women, but I think that we've got some great powers and behaviours such as, well, high intelligence, of course, that Gillian Martin has already, travelling, foraging, resting, mating, pipping, digesting, socialising and molting, to look forward to. There you go, Gillian. We also had a very interesting intervention about the sexual activity of slow worms from Bruce Crawford, while hearing about Keith Brown's sticky catch flag. That brings us to a good point. As much as the species champion initiative covers all sorts of species, it covers species on land, and on sea, and whether they are plants or animals, I think that when we look at plants, Shona Robison raised an important point, that plants underpin all life on earth. That's why I think that this initiative is so important in covering such a wide variety and diverse range of species. I really want to thank everyone for their enjoyable contributions, which were, like I say, enjoyable, but also really got to the heart of some of the most serious issues that are facing us today. I think that what we realise from listening to all the contributions today is what a very delicate balance that we have in our environment. As Lewis MacDonald just talked about, we have those species that act as a barometer for biodiversity and to gauge how our environment is doing, such as the curly. That's why I also want to thank Gillian Martin for the event that she held in Parliament last week with Scottish Environment Link on World Environment Day. That highlighted some of the major challenges that we face, as well as how everyone across society can play a role in doing something about it. Not least, a lot of that fight has been led by our young people, too. We had the Sunnyside ocean defenders attend that event last week, who personally handed over to me their contributions to our consultation on environmental governance and principles proposals that we have put forward. We also have the Alla Poole sea savers, too. I think that young people are really at the vanguard of some of the action that we are seeing at the moment. It is important to remember, though, that Scotland isn't only taking action. We are leading the world with ambitious targets. Our recent amendments to the climate change bill will aim to see net zero emissions by 2045, and if we achieve that, that means that, within a generation, Scotland will no longer negatively contribute to climate change. The recent global assessment of biodiversity highlights the serious impacts of biodiversity loss that is happening around the world, and that was a report that was mentioned by a number of members today. The report underlines the links between biodiversity loss and climate change, and members will have heard the First Minister say in response to a question from Claudia Beamish, that biodiversity loss is as important as climate change. As with climate change, we want Scotland to be at the forefront of addressing those issues. From the hard-working pollinators that sustain our ecosystems to our keystone species, we have taken action to address the climate emergency. Pollinators are a vital part of our biodiversity and widening environment. Many of our native wildflowers, shrubs and trees will not be able to exist without them. Bees and hoverflies also provide the backbone for much of Scotland's agriculture and contribute around £43 million to the economy each year. In 2017, we set out a 10-year pollinator strategy for Scotland to make our country more pollinator-friendly and halt and reverse the decline in native pollinator populations. When it comes to our species, our red squirrel population, as we heard a bit about you, which is championed by Gail Ross, who, again like others, is champion of land and sea, like Gillian Martin, with a few species to their name. The red squirrel was seriously in decline due to its invasive, non-native cousins, grey squirrels. However, thanks to the work of Saving Scotland's red squirrels project, red squirrels are now returning to some of the areas in Aberdeenshire and Tayside where they had previously disappeared. However, as always, I think that there is so much more that we need to do. I know that question was asked by a number of members around the chamber today, particularly Claudia Beamish, Alison Johnson and Finlay Carson. When it comes to biodiversity and what we are looking to do there, we want Scotland to be the first country to carry out a thorough analysis of what we are already doing, where we need to do more and what we need to be doing differently. By the end of 2019, we aim to have written to the environment committee with our initial assessment on that. As it was already mentioned, I think that it was Alison Johnson who talked about this and where we are in relation to our biodiversity targets. We are on track to achieve 7 out of 20 agreed by the international community in HAN 2010. Another 12 are progressing towards the target, but of course we need to be able to step up and do more if we want to meet that 2020 deadline. That is where species champions have such a key role to play. It comes as no surprise that, of course, it is mentioned today as well. I am the species champion for the Hen Harrier and the species champion initiative is one that I feel very passionate about, and clearly so do many others around this chamber. The species champion initiative was relaunched in September 2016, and today 104 MSPs are now species champions. That is 80 per cent of the Parliament. That is where I would also echo Claudia Beamish's call for the remaining 20 per cent to join into that, because it is not too late to sign up. I really want us to increase that number and get to 100 per cent of MSPs. Just before I finish, I want to do my job as species champion and draw people's attention to the Hen Harrier. I represent a constituency where the Hen Harrier should be thriving, but it is not. As we are all aware, deliberate and illegal persecution continues to threaten the very existence of raptors. We need to end that persecution, and there are a number of on-going projects geared towards growing and sustaining raptor populations in Scotland. The Heads Up for Harriers project works with the States to identify, monitor and protect hen harrier nests. At the end of 2017, we set up an independent group to conduct an in-depth review of how grousemure management can be made sustainable and compliant with the law. One of the key issues being examined there is raptor persecution. Led by Professor Wyrity of Dundee University, the group is due to report later in the summer. We also have the partnership for action against wildlife crime in Scotland, comprising a variety of organisations and sectors, including the police, shooting industry, science community and conservation groups, whose ultimate aim is to reduce raptor crime. However, just to address Alexander Burnett's point, I chaired a meeting of that group yesterday, where there is a subgroup on freshwater perl mussels and where they are considering all the issues there. However, with so many groups working together, unfortunately, harrier conservation efforts are continually let down because in the last few months, we have seen the disappearances of hen harriers, Marcy and Skyler. However, as a Government, we are committed to doing more and doing all that we can to end the persecution. To bring that to a close, I think that it is fantastic that we have a focus today on the wonderful diversity of species that we have in Scotland and to hear the enthusiasm and commitment of those in chamber. Again, it has raised awareness of some of the serious issues that we face in Scotland, but this is something that the Scottish Government takes very seriously. We are taking action to act on that and to prevent any further biodiversity loss. I hope that the debate has prompted us all to consider what further action we need to take to protect our native species and enhance biodiversity right across Scotland. That concludes the debate, and this meeting is suspended until 2 o'clock.