Section 7: habitats and species of principal importance for maintaining and enhancing biodiversity

Purpose of the Section 7 list 

The Section 7 list is the statutory list of species and habitats of principal importance for the purpose of maintaining and enhancing biodiversity in Wales, established under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016. Welsh Ministers must take all reasonable steps to maintain and enhance the living organisms and types of habitats included in any list published under this section and encourage others to take such steps. Public authorities, in complying with their Section 6 duty, must “have regard” to this list when undertaking their functions, ensuring the needs of priority species and habitats are considered in decision-making.

Reason for the current update 

When the Environment (Wales) Act came into force in 2016 the previous Section 42 list of species and habitats of principle importance for conservation in Wales under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 was adopted to become the Interim Section 7 list. This has now been updated to reflect the most up to date scientific evidence on habitats and species and their conservation status.

The list draws on evidence such as, changes in habitat extent, and emerging pressures such as climate change, invasive species, and land-use change. Updating the list ensures the Welsh Government’s (WG) approach to nature recovery continues to be targeted, robust, and aligned with national and international best practice.

Responsibilities for updating the list

Welsh Government leads the update process, drawing on expert ecological advice from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and evidence contributed by specialist organisations. The update reflects a scientific review supported by the best available evidence and expertise.

Changes proposed in the updated list

The updated list includes a series of additions, removals and refinements based on new and existing evidence of conservation need. Changes include species that have experienced significant declines, species newly recognised as threatened, and updates to habitat groupings to reflect improved ecological understanding. These changes ensure the list remains an accurate representation of Wales’s most vulnerable biodiversity.

Criteria used

The updated Section 7 list was developed using a two-stage selection process. First, each species or habitat had to occur naturally in Wales and, for species, be native and normally resident, breeding, wintering or feeding here rather than being a vagrant. Those meeting this test were then assessed for either their wider importance or their level of threat. A feature qualified if it was recognised as important in a Welsh, UK, European or global context, for example, those listed under relevant international or domestic legislation such as the Habitats Directive or if it was assessed as threatened on the relevant Red Lists, including categories Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. Due to limited threat assessments for many marine taxa, a marine specific allowance was applied whereby species assessed as Near Threatened were also included where evidence showed a declining trend.

Species and habitats

Inclusion on the list does not create new offences or regulatory procedures. Instead, it strengthens the legal duty for public authorities to take account of these species and habitats when developing policies, plans, land management actions or grant decisions. The list acts as a priority setting tool to ensure the most threatened elements of Wales’s biodiversity receive appropriate attention and support.

The Section 7 list can be used to help guide: 

• planning and development decisions,
• land management approaches,
• investment and grant schemes,
• local biodiversity action plans,
• monitoring and reporting.

What public authorities must do

Relevant public authorities must seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity and, in so doing promote the resilience of ecosystems when exercising their functions in Wales (the Section 6 duty in the 2016 Act) and, in compliance with this duty, must have regard to the updated Section 7 list. This means integrating biodiversity considerations into their operations such as planning, grants, infrastructure, licensing, land management, procurement, and demonstrating this in their required biodiversity reports.

While the update does not introduce new legal mechanisms, it provides greater clarity on the species and habitats that should be prioritised in decision making. Public authorities may need to consider potential impacts more routinely, draw on ecological advice and reflect the updated priorities in local biodiversity strategies, planning processes and land management actions.

The private sector and businesses in Wales 

The Section 6 duty only applies to Welsh Ministers and other public authorities exercising functions in relation to Wales that fall within the definition in section 6(9) of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, so private businesses are not required to have regard to the species and habitats on the Section 7 list. However, if a business needs consent from a public authority to carry out an activity which may impact on a species or habitat on the list, for example a planning application, then the public authority giving the consent must have regard to the Section 7 list in exercising its functions. In undertaking activities which require consent from public authorities, businesses are encouraged to avoid negative impacts on the species and habitats on the Section 7 list which will help with the consenting process.

New offences or restrictions

The list itself does not impose restrictions or create new statutory processes. Existing wildlife legislation remains unchanged. However, the presence of Section 7 species or habitats is a material consideration in decision making, and public authorities are expected to avoid harm where possible and take opportunities to improve biodiversity outcomes.

Support for nature recovery in Wales

The revised list strengthens delivery of the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales and responds to the recommendations of the Biodiversity Deep Dive. By identifying where urgent action is needed, it can help direct investment through funding programmes, improve targeting of management interventions, and support collaborative approaches with land managers, eNGOs and Local Nature Partnerships. It also helps our understanding to build resilient ecosystems in line with the requirements of Section 6 and the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in the Environment (Wales) Act, as well as the ‘Resilient Wales’ goal in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

Financial or resource implications for public bodies

The update does not introduce new statutory duties. However, it may help public authorities better direct existing resources toward priority species and habitats. It also aligns with the strategic use of Welsh Government funding streams, which increasingly support nature recovery actions connected to the Section 6 duty and Section 7 list.

The updated list helps public authorities and others to make more strategic use of: 

• Local Nature Partnerships,
• Nature funding programmes,
• The Sustainable Farming Scheme
• Planning Policy Wales

Wider communication with stakeholders

The updated list will be published on the Wales Biodiversity Partnership website, replacing the previous interim list. It will also be published on the Welsh Government website with this FAQ document to ensure consistency in application across sectors.

The published list will be supported by communications to key stakeholders such as Local Authorities, Public bodies, Local Nature Partnerships, eNGOs and interested working groups.

When will the updated Section 7 list come into effect?

The updated Section 7 list will take effect upon formal publication. Public bodies will be expected to integrate the changes into their planning cycles and reporting requirements.

Technical development of the updated Section 7 list 

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) led Stage 1 of list development for Welsh Government (WG), working with an internal technical group (marine, freshwater, terrestrial, ecosystem resilience leads) and engaging external experts (including Wales Environment Link members) via facilitated workshops.

The overall programme comprised:

• Stage 1 (NRW): refine/test selection approach, compile draft lists, sense check with external experts, and complete Quality Assurance. This stage involved interim policy review and feedback from WG;
• Stage 2 (WG): final policy review, publication formatting and guidance, Ministerial sign off;
• Stage 3 – Next steps (WG, NRW and partners): awareness, integration into delivery (NRAP, statutory biodiversity targets). 

Number of species and habitats considered and scale of change

NRW assessed 3,156 species across marine, terrestrial, and freshwater groups, resulting in 1,322 species proposed for inclusion (up from 557 species on the interim Section 7 list, which was transposed from the former Section 42 list). Habitats proposed for inclusion total 69 types (50 terrestrial/freshwater and 19 marine), up from 55 on the interim Section 7 list, which was transposed from the former Section 42 list). This represents a significant increase and is a result of the availability of new data and the systematic assessment approach that was taken to determine the status of species and habitats that occur in Wales.

It is not possible to directly compare the total numbers of species on the new Section 7 list and those on the previous interim list as the interim list (derived from the original Section 42 list) includes some species assemblages, whereas the proposed revised list contains only single species. However, the biggest increases were in the number of vascular plants (+232, 300% increase), invertebrates (+277, 147% increase), birds (+88, 173% increase) and fungi (+79, 293% increase). Marine species also increased (+16, 29% increase) whereas there was no overall change for herps and freshwater and migratory fish

Treatment of some species on the interim list which didn’t meet the new criteria 

Following feedback and discussion with WG policy leads, a precautionary approach was adopted. Any species on the interim list without evidence of a positive recovery trend would not be removed at Stage 1, even if the new tests weren’t fully met. Where criteria are met or recovery evidence is lacking these species have been retained with a justification recorded. 

Quality assurance and subsequent changes made after drafting

NRW applied internal QA to ensure consistency and to fix omissions/technical errors. After initial submission to WG, further updates were made as new evidence became available, including:

• +19 marine species (18 fish, 1 seal) qualifying under the criteria;
• Retention of 4 cetaceans incorrectly treated as vagrants (now recognised as rare);
• Birds list updates to reflect Birds of Conservation Concern Wales 4;
• Beaver added, reflecting incoming changes to its legal status.  

What is ffridd and why was it proposed as a Section 7 habitat?

Ffridd is the transitional land found on slopes between enclosed farmland and upland pasture. Habitats within the ffridd typically comprise a mosaic of wood pasture, bracken, heath, and grassland. Collectively, these habitats deliver high biodiversity value by supporting a wider range of species than any single habitat alone and by strengthening ecological connectivity between lowland and upland landscapes.

Why was ffridd not included in the updated list?

The important biodiversity value of ffridd is best understood at the landscape scale, arising from the combination and interaction of multiple habitats, rather than from a single, distinct habitat type in its own right. The core habitats that make up ffridd are already included individually on the Section 7 list. In addition, unlike other habitats included on the list, ffridd does not have a unique or exclusive plant community and is not recognised as a standalone habitat within formal habitat classification systems – such as Phase 1 and UKHab. For these reasons, ffridd was not included on the updated list. 

Future review to manage change

Stage 3 work will include setting a review mechanism for boundary cases between UK nations, data deficient taxa, revised threat definitions, ad hoc additions/removals, and how to admit newly occurring or reintroduced species in addition to regular review cycles. This will mostly be led by evidence triggers and expert panels.