FAQ: Why is it important to protect native species?
Protecting native species is part of a conservation framework which values biodiversity. "Biological diversity" is the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
The red squirrel is one of the first species identified as requiring conservation under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, and the UK government has signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity which obligates signatory nations to take care of their native wildlife.
Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) aims to halt the decline of red squirrel populations in key areas of north Scotland and improve habitat conditions to allow red squirrels to thrive and increase in number. This project is part of Scotland's Species Action Framework, which sets out a strategic approach to species management in Scotland.
