18/02/2005 – The Catalan
Cork Association (AECORK) and the Cork Institute
of Catalonia (ICS) respectively signed an
agreement with WWF Spain, at the First International
Congress on Cork from February 16-18, to
cooperate on the conservation of cork oak
landscapes. The agreements foresee cooperation
in cork oak conservation and promotion of
the cork values through actions such as
supporting FSC certification.
“There are few occasions in nature conservation
when there is unanimous consent to conserve
an ecosystem. Cork harvesters for whom the
forests are part of a long-living tradition,
industries who process raw cork into useful
products, and authorities in charge of management
regulations have demonstrated their will
to protect and manage cork landscapes,”
said Juan Carlos del Olmo, WWF Spain CEO.
Cork oak landscapes are considered as one
of the best examples of semi-natural landscapes
modelled by man that maintain high levels
of biodiversity while providing an economically
valuable resource. These forests and associated
scrub land host Mediterranean flagship species
such as the Imperial eagle, the genet, the
European mongoose, the Barbary deer, and
several species of endemic plants. Cork
harvesting is environmentally sustainable,
yet cork oak landscapes have been seriously
affected by factors such as land abandonment,
plantation of fast-growing non-native species
such as pine and eucalyptus, destruction
of vegetation and lack of regeneration through
overgrazing,and poor forest management practices.
The Congress gathered more than 300 representatives
from research, forestry, industry and trade
in 7 Mediterranean countries and 6 regions
of Spain. Participants had the opportunity
to share ideas on how to improve cork forests
management and the quality of cork produced.
The event demonstrated that there is an
increased awareness on the threats to cork
oak landscapes.
“Cooperation with WWF, who is experienced
in forging alliances with a variety of stakeholders,
will help in reaching the final consumers
and undoubtedly lead to better conservation
of cork forests, said Joan J. Puig, CEO
of the Cork Institute of Catalonia”. “We
heartily support WWF on the sustainable
management of cork oak landscapes. Reaching
final consumers and giving them clear reasons
for choosing natural cork products is the
ultimate objective of our cooperation,”
added Enric Vigas, President of AECORK.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is
an independent, not for profit, non-government
organization based in Bonn, Germany, that
provides standard setting, trademark assurance,
and accreditation services for companies
and organizations interested in responsible
forestry. Founded in 1993, FSC’s mission
is to promote environmentally appropriate,
socially beneficial, and economically viable
management of the world’s forests.
