Set-aside - getting it right for game and wildlife.

Abstract

In recent years many groups of wildlife have declined across Europe, particularly those associated with agricultural ecosystems. There is increasing evidence to show that the processes of intensification of production have been responsible for many of these losses. The reform of the Common Agricultural Policy and the widespread introduction of set-aside that accompanied it from the mid-1980s onwards was thought to be a mechanism that would reduce the adverse effects of intensive agriculture and produce habitats for farmland wildlife. In many instances this has not been the case and in fact, the large-scale uptake of set-aside has seen the continuation of the decline of already threatened groups. However, although land abandonment from agriculture per se may not be universally valuable, correctly managed set-aside using the management techniques derived from game conservation has proved successful. Problems of farmland wildlife and how set-aside can be managed for wildlife are discussed.