Saturday, November 7, 2009 Previous editions
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
JUST one endangered species in every six is being properly protected by EU member states and hundreds are threatened with extinction.
The European Commission yesterday issued a stark warning on the state of more than 1,000 vulnerable species and hundreds of protected habitats across the EU.
According to the most detailed bio-diversity study ever carried out in Europe, the vast majority of endangered animals have not achieved acceptable levels of conservation.
The report found the condition of grasslands, wetlands and coastal habitats were particularly poor, with only 7% of those checked deemed to be in satisfactory condition. The report has laid the blame on intensive agriculture, the abandonment of land and poor land management.
The survey also said wetlands and mountain glacier regions were being damaged by global warming.
According to the European Commission’s environment spokesperson Barbara Helfferich, just 17% of protected habitats and species are returning to health under human protection with more than half at risk of destruction because of human activities.
Species in danger range from the Iberian lynx of Spain and Portugal, with just 80 of the giant cats still alive worldwide, to frogs and newts, which are under pressure from climate change and disease.
"Butterflies may also disappear altogether due to the pressures on grasslands and wetlands," said Ms Helfferich.
The commission ordered the report on some 1,150 species and 200 types of habitat from member states to build up a comprehensive picture of the status of endangered species in the 27-member bloc.
Some larger mammals, such as the wolf, beaver and otter, have begun to thrive under human protection, returning to areas in which they were wiped out generations ago.
However, many more species are in danger of extinction as farming and tourism expand and climate change continues to reduce wild animals’ breeding and feeding grounds.
Last month, the commission said it planned to take France to Europe’s highest court for failing to protect the great hamster of Alsace, a species in danger of extinction.
The rodent requires around 240,000 hectares of protected land to thrive, but the species has been forced into under 3,500 hectares in eastern France.
Once considered a pest for farmers in the region of Alsace, the hamster has been protected since 1993 and is considered one of the most threatened mammals in Europe.
However, EU environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas insisted the picture was not all gloomy, with some "emblematic" animal species deemed at risk – the wolf, the brown bear, the beaver and the otter – beginning to recolonise.
The report said the habitats associated with farming are in particularly poor condition compared to others (7% compared to 21% being in favourable status), with grasslands suffering most from intensification or abandonment.
The report singles out Cyprus, Greece, Spain and Portugal, who all indicated "unknown" for more than half of their species.
Of the nine countries with territory within the Atlantic biogeographical region, Germany with 29% has the largest extent of threatened habitats in "favourable" condition, followed by Portugal (21%); Denmark (19%); Netherlands (8%); Ireland (6%); UK (6%); Belgium (4%) and France (3%).
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