Butterfly Emergency

That the Parliament recognises that wildlife charity, Butterfly Conservation, has declared a national Butterfly Emergency on 18 September 2024, following the Big Butterfly Count 2024 outcome, which stated an alarming decline in butterfly numbers; understands that participants spotted nearly 50% fewer butterflies in 2024 compared with the 2023 count, resulting in the lowest count in the 14-year history of the Big Butterfly Count initiative; further understands that just over 935,000 butterflies and day-flying moths were recorded across the UK from 12 July to 4 August in total, down by almost 600,000, which is the equivalent to more than a third of the 2023 total; understands that 9,000 participants logged their counts as seeing zero butterflies, the highest zero-butterfly count in the citizen science programme’s history; thanks over 5,000 citizen scientists who took part in the count this year, submitting 143,241 counts; believes that butterflies are a key indicator species for the state of nature, and calls on the Scottish Government to consider the outcome of the Big Butterfly Count 2024 and prioritise its response to the nature emergency.