A hundred wildlife and environmental protection groups from across the UK have joined forces to defend two crucial pieces of EU legislation.
The organisations, calling themselves the Joint Links group, are fighting proposed changes to the European Commission’s Birds and Habitats directives.
Paul Walton, from RSPB Scotland, said the move could pose a risk to biodiversity across the Cairngorms and west coast, as well as the unique marine biodiversity around the north-east coastline.
Mr Walton, head of habitats and species at the organisation, said: “The two directives have been protecting animals, plants and habitats across Europe since the 1970s.
“Based on very specific scientific criteria, they offer a very high level of protection from any encroachment from business developments, but now they are under review and are under threat as part of a move towards de-regulatory politics across Europe.
“The native Caledonian pinewoods in the Cairngorms and the west coast, animals such as the capercaillie, snow bunting and dotterel, and flower-rich habitats such as the machair grasslands on the west coast and Hebrides all owe their continuing existence to these directives, which is why its so important to keep them as they are.”
To take part in a public consultation on the directives visit www.naturealert.eu