Bonn (Germany),
26 October 2010 - New research backed by
the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) reveals European bats to be a major
conservation success.
With a majority of bat
species in Europe stabilising or increasing
in number, European bats are well on the
way to achieving the United Nations Millennium
Development Goal 7 on Environmental Sustainability,
which aims for a significant reduction in
the rate of species loss by 2010.
This bucks the trend
in global conservation targets, which are
currently being discussed in Nagoya. World
governments agreed eight years ago at a
UN summit in Johannesburg to reduce the
rate of species loss by 2010 but in the
majority of cases, the pledge has not been
met. This is mainly due to a lack of conservation
action in the field, which is essential
in protecting vulnerable species.
Among the 26 bat species
in western and central Europe, increasing
or stable population trends have been reported
for at least 14 species, while only two
species have shown a decline. (Reliable
data is not yet available for the remaining
species).
This success is largely thanks to legislation
and treaties that promote specific conservation
measures. These include the UNEP-administered
Agreement on the Conservation of Populations
of European Bats (EUROBATS), the Berne Convention
on the Conservation of European Wildlife
and Natural Habitats (Council of Europe)
and the European Union's Flora Fauna Habitat
Directive.
EUROBATS, which will
mark its 20th anniversary in 2011, provides
concrete guidance and assistance to governments
and non-governmental organizations on issues
where bat conservation action is needed.
Dr. Christine Harbusch,
author of the EUROBATS study, noted that
despite this good news for bats, the conservation
status of many bat species is still largely
unfavourable.
"Some populations
are still at risk or remain conservation-dependent,
being too small and fragmented, due to past
losses. This leaves their long-term viability
in question and also causes problems of
genetic exchange," she said.
With only two species
in Europe exhibiting a clear decline, bats
seem to have benefited the most among all
European wild mammals from international
treaties, conventions and agreements on
conservation.
Andreas Streit, Executive
Secretary of EUROBATS, welcomed the promising
findings of the study and remarked that
successful species conservation does not
always require significant funding.
"It is rewarding
to see that our concerted international
actions on species conservation are clearly
producing results", he said. "But
a lot still needs to be done, especially
in other regions. Population trends elsewhere
are most alarming, particularly where bats
are excessively hunted for bush meat or
deliberately killed out of prejudice. Other
threats relate to habitat loss, such as
deforestation. What all threats to bats
have in common is that they are man-made."
Although biodiversity
is moving onto the global stage, the calculation
of its monetary benefits is still a relatively
new field.
Bats contribute to economies
by performing essential environmental functions.
They control insect populations in agricultural
regions, maintain forests and disperse pollen
and seed over long distances.
On organic coffee plantations
in Mexico, for example, bats consume more
insects than birds do in the summer wet
season. Over 200 insect species feed on
and damage coffee plants. With pesticides
banned on organic plantations, the role
of bats is thus essential to the local economy.
In addition to bees,
bats are the major contributor to natural
pollination, an eco-service which significantly
aids farming efforts, particularly in developing
countries, and is estimated to be worth
US$224 billion a year.
To celebrate the environmental
impact of bats and encourage more international
cooperation on bat conservation, the Convention
on the Conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals (CMS) and EUROBATS have
designated 2011-2012 the Year of the Bat.
The Year of the Bat aims to raise awareness
of these often misunderstood animals and
their diverse biodiversity benefits.
Notes to Editors
The Agreement on the
Conservation of Populations of European
Bats (EUROBATS), a binding international
treaty which came into force in 1994, presently
numbers 32 European states among its Parties
and counts 62 range states plus the European
Union within its territory. The Agreement
was concluded under the auspices of the
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory
Species of Wild Animals (CMS), which recognises
that endangered migratory species can be
properly protected only if activities are
carried out over the entire migratory range
of the species. Administered by UNEP, EUROBATS
aims to protect all 53 species of bats identified
in Europe, through legislation, education,
conservation measures and international
co-operation with Agreement members and
with countries which have not yet joined.
The Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (CMS), also known as the Bonn Convention,
works for the conservation of a wide array
of endangered migratory animals worldwide
through the negotiation and implementation
of agreements and species action plans.
At present, 114 countries are parties to
the convention.
Nagoya 2010: Bridging Business and Biodiversity
