Results from the most recent Big Butterfly Count show an ecosystem in serious decline, according to nature charity Butterfly Conservation. A ‘butterfly emergency’ has been declared by the charity Butterfly Conservation, after the results of a recent survey revealed ‘a marked and hugely concerning decline in numbers’. The Big Butterfly Count , the world’s largest butterfly survey, helps scientists track not only butterfly numbers, but also the state of nature in the UK, as they are key biodiversity indicators.
According to Butterfly Conservation, if numbers continue to decrease, ‘we will face extinction events never before seen in our lifetime’. The results of this year’s survey have been described as ‘disturbing’ by a senior scientist at the charity. From July 12 to August 4, just over 935,000 butterflies and day-flying moths were recorded across the UK, down by 600,000 when compared to last year.
9,000 counts saw zero butterflies, the highest number in the Big Butterfly Count’s history. On average, participants saw just seven butterflies per 15-minute count, a reduction of almost 50% on last year’s average of 12, and the lowest in the count’s history. ‘The previous lowest average number of butterflies per Count was nine in 2022, this latest figure is 22% lower than that, which is very disturbing,’ says Dr Richard Fox, head of science at Butterfly Conservation .
‘Not just that, but a third of the species recorded in the Big Butterfly Count have.