That the Parliament commends the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) on its outstanding commitment to reversing the decline of at least 50 species globally by 2030; acknowledges the charity’s leadership in groundbreaking conservation projects, including the reintroduction of wildcats to Scotland following their designation of being functionally extinct in 2019, and the initiative, Feisty Five, to protect and restore five key native invertebrate species; believes that these efforts are essential to halting biodiversity loss and restoring Scotland’s natural environment; understands that projects of this nature depend on long-term and secure financial investment, which is becoming increasingly difficult for conservation charities to obtain; believes that urgent action is needed to support organisations such as RZSS, which are delivering nature-based solutions to the climate and biodiversity crises, and calls on the Scottish Government to increase the level of funding committed to the Nature Restoration Fund and to explore additional avenues of sustained support for wildlife conservation projects across the country.
Supported by:
Paul Sweeney