By Professor Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency - 29th May 2006
While there is some progress, the news on biodiversity loss is not very good, says the European Environment Agency's Jacqueline McGlade.
In June 2004, EU environment ministers, meeting at Malahide in Dublin, recognised that Europe did not have the necessary information and indicators to truly report on whether it was going to meet its 2010 target on biodiversity.
This target committed the EU to protecting and restoring habitats and natural systems and to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010.
The ‘messages from Malahide’ led directly to SEBI 2010 (Streamlining European 2010 biodiversity Indicators), a programme dedicated to streamlining Europe’s biodiversity indicators with the intention of developing an early warning system to detect potential losses of biodiversity, as well as areas where progress is being made.
Green Week coincides with only the second anniversary of messages from Malahide’ but already, we can see that the news on biodiversity is not very positive.
Several European species that were considered threatened have increased in numbers. These include the beaver, the vulture and many other raptors – birds at the top of the food chain.
But they are the exception. The most vulnerable are what we call the top predators – large carnivores at the top of the food chain – but endemic species that are only found in very local small places are also under major threat.
Migratory populations are also under pressure as corridors for movement across Europe continue to be fragmented. In farming, for example, progress towards the 2010 targets are not really apparent and work by the agency on agri-environment schemes shows that despite their widespread application they are not delivering their expected responses in terms of halting biodiversity loss.
Action is required to reassess the effectiveness of agri-environment schemes. In terms of Europe’s forests – there are clear signs of progress to reducing threats to biodiversity.
In fact forests are growing older and becoming more valuable to biodiversity. However, clear dangers still exist from the presence of invasive species and increasing fragmentation.
Around our coasts, the story is not encouraging. Fisheries management interventions have failed to lead to significant improvements in many of Europe’s key commercial species.
And as a result of climate change and geographical shifts in marine ecosystems zones, certain fish species are finding it increasingly difficult to locate their normal sources of food. More importantly, oil spills and pollution from land continues.
Continuing efforts to retain wetlands are undermined by poor planning: even those wetlands that have been conserved are now becoming increasingly cut-off from each other.
This is important, because wetlands often
act as key stopping-off points along the migratory routes of bird species. Pressures from water abstraction, drainage, damming, hunting and fishing are also having a direct impact on the health and resilience of these
special habitats.
In mountain ecosystems, there is some evidence of progress. But these areas are particularly prone to climate change, so that even small changes can mean that many species literally have no where else to go
once they have lost their particular niche.
Besides climate change, there is also evidence of tourism and long range transport of pollutants causing destabilisation. Overall rapid and immediate action is needed in alpine and mountainous areas.
These messages are consistent with what is being seen globally. The millennium ecosystem assessment (MEA) documented just how extensive the impacts of human activity have been on the global environment.
The MEA experts reported that there has been a largely irreversible loss of biodiversity on earth with some 10 to 30 per cent of mammals, birds and amphibian species currently threatened with extinction. There have also been significant ecosystem changes caused by widespread human appropriation of natural resources.
The European commission has recently adopted a communication on biodiversity outlining the extent of the problem and reviewing the adequacy of the EU response so far.
The European parliament and member
states must also rise to the challenge of addressing the loss of biodiversity. The EEA of course stands ready to put its expertise at the disposal of decision-makers as they tackle this pressing issue.
One issue of relevance is how Europe will follow the MEA, published in 2005. In particular, how will the assessment of European ecosystems be strengthened?
The EEA is already looking at ways in which it can contribute to this process in the context of its next state and outlook of the European environment report, due in 2010.
During Green Week, the EEA would like participants to focus on the impacts they are having on biodiversity through activities that are taken for granted, such as agriculture, transport and energy production.
By looking more closely at these, the EEA hopes to underline the fact that we are fragmenting not only our own continent and threatening Europe’s biodiversity but also that of the rest of the world.
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