Witnesses to our Inquiry estimate that approximately half of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are not in a good state and are failing to conserve invertebrate biodiversity. Protected sites do not exist in isolation and are therefore influenced by the quality of nature in the surrounding environment. Whilst we welcome the statutory improvements to SSSIs set out by the Environment Improvement Plan, which will go some way to prevent more insect species extinctions, our Inquiry heard it is unlikely that these improvements will be sufficient to halt decline in species abundance. This is particularly the case for more common species, where large numbers of individuals in a population are needed to play pivotal roles such as pollination effectively.