BBC Trustees Under Fire for Axing BBC Wildlife Fund

Aug 17, 2011
Elizabeth Batt

The UK has lost about two thirds of its cuckoos in the last 25 years. BBCWF supported tracking devices - belgianchocolate

The BBC Wildlife Fund was formed to save endangered species from near extinction. Now the fund is being scrapped and opposition is gaining traction.

Established with the best of intentions in 2007, the goal of the BBC Wildlife Fund (BBCWF), was to fund groups involved in preservation and help those who needed it the most – species on the verge of extinction. As BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patton and fellow fund trustees claim that resources must be diverted where they will have the most effect, an online petition against fund closure is gaining traction.

Wind down plan implemented

BBCWF recently issued the following statement. "In light of the decision by the BBC to no longer support the BBCWF, with great reluctance the board of trustees has no choice but to implement a wind down plan for the charity," thus, the BBCWF continues, "It is with sadness that the trustees have had to make this decision for they agree the potential of the charity to make a great and lasting difference to threatened wildlife throughout the world is clear."

The BBC Wildlife fund has been incredibly successful since its 2007 inauguration, supported by its ability to showcase a deluge of superb wildlife documentaries on mainstream television. Although donations to the fund dwindled drastically in 2009, a new wildlife appeal program implemented in June 2010, raked in £1.2m; apparently still not enough. A closure of this magnitude however, is not happening without opposition from a large group of conservation activists.

Wildlife activists decry the BBCs decision

Greenpeace UK and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) are just two out of 45 groups protesting the closure of the fund. The Petition to Save BBC Wildlife Fund, supported by a conglomerate of conservation Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including the WWF and the Zoological Society of London, says, "We strongly urge the BBC not to close its Wildlife Fund, and to ensure that the Fund can continue to operate effectively in support of threatened species and their habitats at such a critical time for global biodiversity."

The petition, which is directly addressed to Lord Patton, has been available online since July 27 and has amassed nearly 8,000 signatures. It claims it is gaining traction on a daily basis and is rallying support precisely because of the fund's incredibly successful achievements so far. The BBC it says, "Is uniquely placed to promote the need for international conservation ... [and] ... Has already successfully addressed threats to key endangered species."

The consequences of man

In light of results released yesterday by Conservation International and their camera-trap mammal study, scientists and researchers already know how important preservation and conservation is for all animals, and even humans. The World Wildlife Fund reports, "The rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated by experts to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate."

Scientists generally agree that 80% of the decline in biological diversity is caused by habitat destruction, which is of course, caused in turn by man. There is a common saying in the conservation world, "The Earth is something we are borrowing from our children." Seeing as most of its problems are caused by man, shouldn't man be obligated to put it right? You can pledge your support at The Petition to Save BBC Wildlife Fund.