Every five years the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) advises Government on which animals and plants should be legally protected by listing on Schedule 5 (animals) and Schedule 8 (plants) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. The Quinquennial Review of protected species is carried out by staff from JNCC and the three country agencies (Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage), who together comprise the Fourth Quinquennial Review Working Group. The Quinquennial Review considers whether those species that are already protected should remain on the schedules and assesses whether other endangered species (such as those listed in Red Data Books) should be legally protected in order to conserve them.

 

The first report and recommendations from the Fourth Quinquennial Review Working Group were published on the JNCC website in December 2001 at the same time as a consultation with other organisations began, which ended in February 2002. Following this consultation, a revised set of proposals was approved by the Joint Committee and the advice submitted to Secretary of State for Environment in September 2002 and copied to Ministers in England, Scotland and Wales. The advice recommends increasing the level of protection for the Water Vole, to giving partial protection to the Roman Snail, and to giving full protection to seven marine fish and two Burnet moths. No species are recommended for removal from either Schedule 5 or Schedule 8.

 

The next stage of the Quinquennial Review process will be a consultation by Government with a wide range of organisations and individuals concerned with, or affected by, the Quinquennial Review proposals. Following this consultation, the Secretary of State will decide on the changes to be made to the schedules and these will be implemented by Statutory Instrument.