EU report: ‘Dramatic’ butterfly decline impacts on other species

A report by the European Environment Agency released on 23 July 2013, showed that Europe’s grassland butterfly population has dropped 'dramatically' over the past 20 years.

The report showed an almost 50 per cent decline of 17 EU butterfly populations between 1990 and 2011. At least 10 of the species declined across the EU due to intensive agriculture and the failure to manage grassland ecosystems.