The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it an offence to kill, injure or take water vole as well as to damage places of shelter or disturb the species while occupying such places.

Where proposed operations may put water voles or their habitat at risk, it is necessary for a licence to be obtained from Natural England before those operations can proceed. Natural England assesses any applications it receives to ensure that licences are granted only where the impacts will not threaten the local conservation status of the species.

Additionally, Natural England is developing a pilot Species Conservation Strategy for water voles in East Anglia. Enacted by the Environment Act 2021, Species Conservation strategies will identify the most important actions to protect and improve the conservation status of threatened species and enable the regulatory approach to fit the strategic priorities for the species.

Pine martens, red squirrels, adders, water voles and slow worms are all protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

All of these species are also priority conservation species listed under Section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 which requires public authorities to have regard to these species when carrying out their day to day functions.

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) recently commenced its seventh Quinquennial Review of protected species listed on schedules to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Following public consultation, the JNCC will make evidence-based recommendations for the Secretary of State later this year as to which species, in its view, warrant additional legal protections. We will then carefully consider these recommendations before making any decisions.

As part of the recently announced Green Paper, my department will begin a review of species legislation with a view to enhancing and modernising it. We intend to publish the Green Paper and seek views later this year.

The Government is committed to taking action to recover our threatened native species, such as hedgehogs, red squirrels, water voles and dormice. Our Environment Bill includes measures that will help improve the status of threatened species, including setting at least one biodiversity target in law. The Bill will also strengthen the biodiversity duty on public authorities to take action to conserve and enhance biodiversity.

Additionally, through our net gain provisions in the Bill, we are supporting the role of new development in helping protect and create the habitat that our native species need to thrive.

We continue to work with stakeholders to determine the specific actions that will be paid for by our new schemes that will reward environmental land management. The Agricultural Transition Plan sets out examples of the types of actions that we envisage paying for under the schemes, including creating, managing and restoring habitats such as woodland, heathland and species-rich grassland, which could all benefit native species.

Furthermore, Defra and Natural England are bringing together partners, legislation and funding to create the Nature Recovery Network. Through this work, by 2042 we will create or restore 500,000 hectares of additional wildlife-rich habitat which will benefit our native species.

Water vole are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 meaning it is an offence to kill, injure or take a wild water vole as well as damage or destroy places it uses for shelter, as well as disturb them while occupying these. In addition water vole are a priority conservation species listed under Section 41 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 which requires public authorities to have regard to the species when carrying out their day to day functions.

Natural England published ‘A Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’, which identifies and confirms areas of work where continued resource should be placed to conserve and enhance water vole populations.

The Environment Agency works with partners to deliver water vole recovery projects at a number of sites across the South West, including habitat improvements, mink control, surveying and reintroductions. The Agency has partnered with the Westland Countryside Stewards and Biffa to repopulate the Bude catchment. Since summer 2012, approximately 550 water voles have been released. The reintroduction programme is promising with sightings in almost all release sites, as well as sites where they have moved into. Field sightings suggest that the water vole population is stable and the project has been successful. In addition, the River Tale in East Devon now also supports a stable population of water vole following a recovery project in the area.

In June 2018 Natural England published ‘A Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’, which assessed the reasons for population decline in water voles, and identified and confirmed areas of work where resources should continue to be targeted to conserve and enhance water vole populations.

The review identified that a combination of intensification of agriculture, wetland drainage, the encroachment of cultivated land into riparian and wetland habitats, overgrazing, degradation of banks and predation by the American mink have had significant impacts on water vole populations.

The Government is committed to providing opportunities for species recovery as part of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Since 2010 the Environment Agency has delivered 328 projects that included habitat creation or improvement for the benefit of water voles, restoring 6,725 hectares and creating 6,330 hectares of priority habitat in rivers, lakes and coastal waters.

In addition, the Forestry Commission is currently undertaking a flagship project with a number of Trusts to restore water vole populations and habitats in the North Tyne catchment, and has already released hundreds of water voles in the area.

The water vole is a protected species, listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and a species identified as being of principal importance under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. As part of this, the species has a number of priority actions assigned to it, and as this is a devolved matter, the following information refers to actions in England.

Natural England is committed to the actions set out in the Species Action Plan for water voles, alongside partner organisations noted within the plan, and recently published ‘A Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals’, which identifies and confirms areas of work where continued resource should be placed to conserve and enhance water vole populations. Natural England is working with Sussex University, Brighton University, the Wildlife Trusts and People’s Trust for Endangered Species to undertake a habitat suitability mapping exercise to maximise conservation gain using a landscape scale approach. Dependent on these findings and the results of another project, with WildCru (Oxford University) and specialist water vole consultants assessing mitigation techniques used in development, Natural England is considering adapting its licensing policies with the aim of maximising conservation gain for the species at a landscape scale.

Since 2010 the Environment Agency has delivered 328 projects that included habitat creation or improvement for the benefit of water voles. It has restored 6,725 hectares and created 6,330 hectares of priority habitat in rivers, lakes and coastal waters. The Environment Agency has delivered training to relevant staff across its organisation to raise awareness of water voles and their protection, and screens its activities to ensure water voles and their habitats are protected from damage.

Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide suitable habitat for wildlife including water voles and other small mammals. Scheme options that benefit water voles include buffer strips alongside ponds, ditches, and other watercourses and fencing alongside watercourses to protect bankside vegetation.

In addition, the Forestry Commission is currently undertaking a flagship project for water voles in Kielder Forest. Having eradicated the mink there, the Forestry Commission is working with the Tyne Rivers Trust, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and the University of Aberdeen on the restoration of water voles and their habitats across the North Tyne catchment, and has already released hundreds of water voles into the area.

Wildlife protection is a devolved matter. In accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) the water vole and its habitat receives full protection in England and Wales. The species has been identified as one of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity in England.

Water voles and other protected species benefit from a range of initiatives including Defra’s agri-environment schemes, river and wetland restoration projects and water quality improvements.

The Environment Agency has created nearly 5,000 hectares of wetland and river habitats in the last 10 years and is working in partnership with the Wildlife Trusts to improve and protect over 15,000 km of rivers, lakes and coastal waters, creating healthy riverside habitats benefiting animals such as water voles.

Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide suitable habitat for wildlife including water voles and other small mammals. Scheme options that benefit water voles include buffer strips alongside ponds, ditches, and other watercourses and fencing alongside watercourses to protect bankside vegetation. Long-term strategic conservation work includes re-introduction schemes such as a recent scheme in Hertfordshire, combined with mink management projects (such as the Norfolk Mink Project) and habitat management.

In addition the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme, launched by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species in collaboration with the UK Water Vole Steering Group (The Wildlife Trusts, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, Environment Agency, Natural England and RSPB), aims to bring together all surveying work that is being carried out across the country, as well as monitor selected historical sites, to establish any changes in the water vole population and to help guide future conservation efforts.

Wildlife protection is a devolved matter. In accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) the water vole and its habitat receives full protection in England and Wales. The species has been identified as one of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity in England.

Water voles and other protected species benefit from a range of initiatives including Defra’s agri-environment schemes as well as river and wetland restoration projects, and water quality improvements.

The Environment Agency has created nearly 5,000 hectares of wetland and river habitats in the last 10 years and is working in partnership with the Wildlife Trusts to improve and protect over 15,000km of rivers, lakes and coastal waters, creating healthy riverside habitats benefiting animals such as water voles.

Agri-environment schemes such as Countryside Stewardship provide suitable habitat for wildlife including water voles and other small mammals. Scheme options that benefit water voles include buffer strips alongside ponds, ditches, and other watercourses and fencing alongside watercourses to protect bankside vegetation. Long-term strategic conservation work includes re-introduction schemes such as a recent scheme in Hertfordshire, combined with mink management projects (such as the Norfolk Mink Project) and habitat management.

In addition the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme launched by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) in collaboration with the UK Water Vole Steering Group (The Wildlife Trusts, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, Environment Agency, Natural England and RSPB) aims to bring together all surveying work that is being carried out across the country, as well as monitor selected historical sites, to establish any changes in the water vole population and to help guide future conservation efforts.

Water voles and their habitat receive full protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and have been identified as one of the species of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity in England.

This protection ensures that the welfare of water voles and their habitat is taken into consideration in planning and development (they are highlighted under planning policy guidance). Water voles and their habitats are also taken into consideration in agri-environment schemes such as Higher Level Stewardship where suitable habitat is protected, enhanced or created for their benefit through appropriate land management.

Natural England, the Environment Agency, The Wildlife Trusts, People's Trust for Endangered Species, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency are all members of the UK Water Vole Steering Group. This group supports and coordinates water vole initiatives across the UK, including the Water Vole Database and Mapping Project, which aims to manage and store water vole data, collate data on American mink, enable mapping of this data arid ensure effective use of the datasets for the benefit of water vole populations.