EUROPEAN COMMISSION - PRESS RELEASE
Environment: alarming decline in plants, molluscs
and freshwater fish
Brussels, 22 November 2011 – Europe's natural heritage is showing an alarming
decline, according to new research published today. The European Red List, a part
of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, assessed a considerable portion of
Europe’s native fauna and flora, finding that a large proportion of molluscs,
freshwater fish and vascular plants now fall into the threatened category. The
assessment of some 6000 species reveals that 44% of all freshwater molluscs,
37% of freshwater fish, 23% of amphibians, 20% of a selection of terrestrial
molluscs, 19% of reptiles, 15% of mammals and of dragonflies, 13% of birds, 11%
of a selection of saproxylic beetles, 9% of butterflies, and 467 species of vascular
plant species are now under threat.
European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik said: "The well-being
of people in Europe and all over the world depends on goods and services that
nature provides. If we don’t address the reasons behind this decline and act
urgently to stop it, we could pay a very heavy price indeed."
Freshwater molluscs are the most threatened group assessed so far. Spengler’s
Freshwater Mussel (Margaritifera auricularia), once widespread, is now restricted to
a handful of rivers in France and Spain. Currently listed as Critically Endangered, it
was considered to be nearly extinct in the 1980s. The species is one of two for
which a European-level Action Plan was designed, and there are ongoing
conservation programmes which allow hope for its future.
"The figures confirm the worrying condition of European molluscs", said Annabelle
Cuttelod, IUCN Coordinator of the European Red List. "When combined with the
high level of threats faced by freshwater fishes and amphibians, we can see that
the European freshwater ecosystems are really under serious threats that require
urgent conservation action".
Freshwater fish are also highly threatened, especially as a result of pollution,
overfishing, habitat loss and the introduction of alien species. Sturgeon are
particularly at risk, with all but one of the eight European species now Critically
Endangered.
Included in the vascular plant category are the wild relatives of crop plants which
are vital for food security yet are often neglected in terms of conservation. The
Critically Endangered Beta patula is a close wild relative of cultivated beets and an
important gene source for enhancing virus resistance. Other crop plants that show
concerning levels of threat are sugar beet, wheat, oat and lettuce which are
economically important crops in Europe.
IP/11/1387
But there is some positive news, and the assessment highlights the success of welldesigned conservation measures. Many species protected under the EU Habitats
Directive and included in the Natura 2000 network of protected areas now have an
improved chance of survival. Centranthus trinervis, a plant endemic to Corsica, has
been downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered due to strict protection
of its single known site. Additionally, the control of invasive species such as plants,
goats and rats for example has benefited the majority of threatened land snails in
Madeira over the past 10 years.
Background
The European Red List – compiled using the same criteria as the global IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species™, but limited to Europe – is a review of the
conservation status of c. 6,000 European species (mammals, reptiles, amphibians,
freshwater fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, and selected groups of beetles, molluscs,
and vascular plants). It identifies species that are threatened with extinction at the
regional level so that conservation action can be taken to improve their status. The
European Red List is primarily funded by the European Commission. Species are
assigned to one of eight categories of threat. Species listed as Critically
Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as ‘Threatened’.
The list was compiled by IUCN’s Global Species Programme, the IUCN Regional
Office for Europe, the IUCN Species Survival Commission and its expert network,
as well as several partners, including Butterfly Conservation Europe, the European
Invertebrates Survey, and the Natural History Museum of Bern (Switzerland).
The EU is responding to the threats facing freshwater fish, molluscs and other
forms of biodiversity with a new Biodiversity Strategy adopted in May this year. The
ambitious new strategy aims to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services
in the EU by 2020. There are six main targets, and 20 actions to help Europe reach
its goal. The targets cover:
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Full implementation of EU nature legislation to protect biodiversity
Better protection for ecosystems, and more use of green infrastructure
More sustainable agriculture and forestry
Better management of fish stocks
Tighter controls on invasive alien species
A bigger EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss
Further information:
For full details, see http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/redlist
and http://www.iucnredlist.org/europe.
High-resolution photos may be downloaded from http://tinyurl.com/cecpg5c
VNR material is available from tvlink.org
Contacts :
Joe Hennon (+32 2 295 35 93)
Monica Westeren (+32 2 299 18 30)
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