Where there is evidence to show that it is necessary and effective to do so, the government may consider providing protection through legislation to regulate activities impacting on our native species.

In doing so it is important to consider whether the legislation will deliver the intended effects or whether there are more appropriate routes to delivering the same outcomes. With respect to hedgehogs, the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1996 already prohibits action which would cause unnecessary suffering to a wild mammal. While the government is concerned about their conservation status, there is no clear evidence to indicate protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 will be effective in supporting the recovery of the species. It does not regulate the activities linked to its decline, which are primarily habitat loss and fragmentation due to removal of field margins, hedgerows and scrub; the use of herbicides and insecticide; and road traffic.

The government is committed to taking further action to recover our threatened native species, to include hedgehogs. In England, the government will publish a revised Environmental Improvement Plan, EIP25, later this year, as our long-term plan for improving the natural environment and enjoyment of it. It will include actions to help meet the legally binding Environment Act targets, including those for biodiversity; to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; then to reverse declines by 2042; to reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042; and restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are bringing local authorities, communities, landowners and conservation groups together to agree priorities to help nature recover and protect locally and nationally important species. They will also map specific proposals for habitat creation and improvement such as woodland, heathland and species-rich grassland, all of which will benefit vulnerable species including hedgehogs.

In addition, environmental land management schemes have provided a significant source of funding for habitat creation and management for threatened species, including hedgehogs. These provide farmers, foresters and other land managers with an opportunity to secure financial support in return for delivering environmental benefits.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship schemes include several actions that benefit hedgehogs. These include hedgerow creation and management, creation and management of scrub, management of field margins and field corners, and reducing the use of pesticides.

Natural England, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the Forestry Commission have contributed to the first National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy. This strategy has identified several actions to facilitate and encourage data sharing on hedgehog ecology and conservation. In addition, Natural England is co-funding the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme. The information gathered will produce insights into the factors causing hedgehog population decline, leading to the implementation of practical conservation measures to address this challenge.

Defra has worked with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and Peoples Trust for Endangered Species to provide advice on five easy ways everyone can help hedgehogs thrive in back gardens. This can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/five-simple-steps-to-transform-gardens-in-to-hedgehog-havens.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs