Following stark results of this summer’s Big Butterfly Count, wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation has declared a ‘Butterfly Emergency’
Dwindling populations of butterflies in the UK have reached a critical point and a wildlife charity is sounding the alarm.
Following stark results of the 2024 Big Butterfly Count, Butterfly Conservation has declared a ‘Nature Emergency’. The charity’s annual survey revealed that the nation’s butterflies are under unprecedented threat, with some species experiencing their worst year ever recorded.
This summer’s Big Butterfly Count, a citizen science survey designed to assess the health of butterfly populations across the UK, recorded the lowest number of butterflies in its 14-year history. Nearly a third of the butterfly species monitored experienced their worst numbers on record, while more than 9,000 surveys reported not spotting a single butterfly.
The charity said it was the worst year recorded for the for Common Blue, Holly Blue, Green-veined White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Scotch Argus. The total number of butterflies and day-flying moths recorded during the count was down by an alarming 600,000, representing a one-third reduction compared to 2023’s already concerning figures.
When they’re in trouble, we’re in trouble
Dr Richard Fox of Butterfly Conservation, said: “The results are in line with wider evidence that the summer of 2024 has been very poor for butterflies.
“Butterflies are a key indicator species; when they are in trouble we know that the wider environment is in trouble too. Nature is sounding the alarm call. We must act now if we are to turn the tide on these rapid declines and protect species for future generations.”
Experts say this year’s unusually wet and windy spring, along with the relatively cool summer could be contributing to the lack of butterflies.
“Butterflies need some warm and dry conditions to be able to fly around and mate,” explained Dr Dan Hoare, Director of Conservation at Butterfly Conservation.
“If the weather doesn’t allow for this there will be fewer opportunities to breed, and the lack of butterflies now is likely the knock-on effect of our very dreary spring and early summer.”
It’s not only the weather that’s contributing to the fall in butterflies seen this year, according to Butterfly Conservation, who say that habitat loss, climate change and pesticide use have been the main drivers of an 80% decline in butterfly numbers since the 1970s.
Time to act
In light of the survey results, Butterfly Conservation has called for immediate government intervention. The charity is writing an open letter to Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, calling for the Government to declare a ‘Nature Emergency’ and ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.
These chemicals have been linked to widespread damage to pollinators, including butterflies, moths, and bees. Although banned in the UK in 2018, neonicotinoids have been approved four times in emergency situations to combat a virus that affects sugar beet crops.
Dr Fox explains: “When used on farmland, these chemicals make their way into the wild plants growing at field edges, resulting in adult butterflies and moths drinking contaminated nectar and caterpillars feeding on contaminated plants. Many European countries have already banned these chemicals, it’s time for the UK to follow suit and put the natural world first. If we don’t act now to address the long-term drivers of butterfly decline, we will face extinction events never before seen in our lifetime.”
How you can help butterflies
Next year’s count Big Butterfly Count will take place 18 July to 10 August 2025. To take part, all you need to is find a sunny spot to sit outdoors for 15 minutes and count the types and amount of butterflies you see. You can do as many counts as you like.