Gland,
Switzerland – According to a series of surveys
carried out by WWF and its partners as part of
the European Habitats Forum (EHF), the diversity
of Europe’s wildlife and habitats continues to
be lost at a dramatic rate.
The case studies, presented
in Brussels today in the closing stages of the
European Commission’s Green Week, assessed 19
different species and eight habitats across Europe.
They show that over 60 per cent of the species
and habitats studied have a “bad” conservation
status under EU criteria. Another 22 per cent
could not be classified due to lack of data.
Among the species surveyed,
the conservation status of Eurasian lynx in the
Alps and brown bear in Austria was assessed as
“bad” and loggerhead turtle as “inadequate”. The
small population of bears in central Austria has
decreased by about 50 per cent in the last seven
years.
These new assessments confirm
the European Environment Agency’s previous figures
on biodiversity loss — 52 per cent of freshwater
fish, 42 per cent of native mammals and 45 per
cent of butterflies and reptiles are threatened
in Europe.
Populations of butterfly and
bird species linked to different habitat types
across Europe have declined by between 2 and 37
per cent over the past 30 years.
EHF experts blame direct human
influences as the main reason for reported trends.
These include the use of pesticides or fertilisers,
urbanisation, soil pollution, drainage, modification
of cultivation practices, development and infrastructure
issues, agriculture and forestry practices, as
well as trapping, poisoning and poaching.
WWF says this is an indication
that the EU must take immediate action to meet
its target to halt biodiversity loss by 2010 set
in Göteborg, Sweden, in 2001.
“On this evidence, the European
heads of state and governments will miss their
goal to save nature in Europe,” said Tony Long,
Director of WWF’s European Policy Office. “WWF
and its partners are revealing the appalling conservation
status for many European species and habitats.
Only political commitment to put the loss of nature
on a par with climate change will be enough to
turn these alarming trends around.”
EHF experts urge the EU Member
States to properly implement the Birds and Habitats
Directives — the cornerstones of European environmental
legislation — by designating enough Natura 2000
sites, managing threatened species, and financing
measures which are needed for the survival of
species.
Natura 2000 is a European-wide
network of protected areas. The report shows that
the successful and effective implementation of
Natura 2000 sites is crucial to safeguard biodiversity
in Europe.
“The EU has the necessary legislation
to protect threatened species and habitats,” said
Gerald Dick of WWF’s Global Species Programme.
“But it must close the implementation gap. This
means managing these special conservation sites
in the right way. Member States must prepare their
national financial plans to finance the 2010 target.”
END NOTES:
• The report, Towards European
Biodiversity Monitoring, was produced by WWF,
IUCN, NABU, Birdlife, RSPB, Plantlife, KORA, Veronica,
CVL, The Bat Conservation Trust, The Herpetological
Conservation Trust, Countdown 2010 and Daphne.
• The species and habitats surveyed
by EHF experts are:
Animals: wolf (Canis lupus);
lynx (Lynx lynx); brown bear (Ursus arctos); loggerhead
Turtle (Caretta caretta); bearded vulture (Gypaetus
barbatus); stone curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus);
great white egret (Casmerodius albus); nightjar
(Caprimulgus europaeus); white tailed eagle (Haliaeetus
albicilla); European fire-bellied toad (Bombina
bombina); yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata);
natterjack toad (Bufo calamita); sand lizard (Lacerta
agilis); and lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus
hipposideros)
Plants: slender green feather-moss
(Drepanocladus vernicosus); early gentian (Gentianella
anglica); petalwort (Petallophyllum ralfsii);
warnstorf's peat moss (Sphagnum warnstorfii);
and acute-leaved peat moss (Shpagnum capillifolium)
