Biodiversity Protection Efforts Earn Failing Grade

Newswise — Disappearing coral reefs are among a host of ecological markers that showcase how promises to protect the planet’s biodiversity are not being met, according to a new study this week in the journal Science. Marine scientist John Bruno, Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is part of a team of international researchers who contributed to the paper, which represents the first global assessment of targets made by world leaders through the 2002 Convention on Biological Diversity (note: see below for the embargoed news release from the study’s lead author). The paper, published online at the Science Express website, includes information from Bruno and colleagues that shows the cover of live hard coral on reefs in the Indo-Pacific and Caribbean declined on average by almost 40 percent between 1980 and 2004. “Coral reefs are a key canary in the coal mine for gauging the health of the oceans, one of our richest veins of biodiversity,” said Bruno, associate professor of marine sciences in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences. “Problem is, the canary’s singing a lot more quietly now than it was several decades ago.” Bruno’s contributions to the new paper reflect similar findings he published in the journal PLOS One earlier this year, that showed how dedicated marine reserves can help safeguard coral reefs. That report – the first comprehensive global study to gauge the impact of marine protected areas on the health of corals – showed that, on average, coral cover in protected areas remained constant, but declined on unprotected reefs (for more information see http://bit.ly/aXRY0d and http://bit.ly/bqhv0c). “This shows that if we walk the talk on protecting biodiversity, it pays off,” Bruno said. “Given the time it takes to maximize these benefits, it makes sense to establish more marine protected areas. Authorities also need to strengthen efforts to enforce the rules in existing areas.”

(The following is the EMBARGOED news release from the study’s lead author)

Embargoed: Not for Release before 2:00 pm US Eastern Time (18:00 GMT) Thursday, 29 April 2010

World governments fail to deliver on 2010 biodiversity target

World leaders have failed to deliver commitments made in 2002 to reduce the global rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, and have instead overseen alarming biodiversity declines.

These findings are the result of a new paper published in the leading journal Science and represent the first assessment of how the targets made through the 2002 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have not been met.

Compiling over 30 indicators – measures of different aspects of biodiversity, including changes in species’ populations and risk of extinction, habitat extent and community composition – the study found no evidence for a significant reduction in the rate of decline of biodiversity, and that the pressures facing biodiversity continue to increase. The synthesis provides overwhelming evidence that the 2010 target has not been achieved.

“Our analysis shows that governments have failed to deliver on the commitments they made in 2002: biodiversity is still being lost as fast as ever, and we have made little headway in reducing the pressures on species, habitats and ecosystems”, said Dr Stuart Butchart, of the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre and BirdLife International, and the paper’s lead author.

“Our data show that 2010 will not be the year that biodiversity loss was halted, but it needs to be the year in which we start taking the issue seriously and substantially increase our efforts to take care of what is left of our planet.”

The indicators included in the study were developed and synthesised through the 2010 Biodiversity Indicators Partnership – a collaboration of over 40 international organisations and agencies developing global biodiversity indicators and the leading source of information on trends in global biodiversity.

“Since 1970, we have reduced animal populations by 30%, the area of mangroves and sea grasses by 20% and the coverage of living corals by 40%”, said the United Nations Environment Programme’s Chief Scientist Prof Joseph Alcamo. “These losses are clearly unsustainable, since biodiversity makes a key contribution to human well-being and sustainable development, as recognised by the UN Millennium Development Goals.”

The results from this study feed into Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, the flagship publication of the CBD, to be released in Nairobi on May 10th, when government representatives from around the world will meet to discuss the 2010 target and how to address the biodiversity crisis.

“Although nations have put in place some significant policies to slow biodiversity declines, these have been woefully inadequate, and the gap between the pressures on biodiversity and the responses is getting ever wider”, said Dr Butchart.

The study recognised that there have been some important local or national successes in tackling biodiversity loss, including the designation of many protected areas (e.g. the 20,000 km2 Juruena National Park in Brazil), the recovery of particular species (e.g. European Bison) and the prevention of some extinctions (e.g. Black Stilt of New Zealand).

But despite these encouraging achievements, efforts to address the loss of biodiversity need to be substantially strengthened, and sustained investment in coherent global biodiversity monitoring and indicators is essential to track and improve the effectiveness of these responses.

“While many responses have been in the right direction, the relevant policies have been inadequately targeted, implemented and funded. Above all, biodiversity concerns must be integrated across all parts of government and business, and the economic value of biodiversity needs to be accounted for adequately in decision making. Only then will we be able to address the problem,” said Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Notes for EditorsJournal article: Butchart S et al (2010) “Global Biodiversity: Indicators of Recent Declines” Science. Copies of the Science paper may be received from the AAAS Office of Public Programs. Tel.: +1-202-326-6440; E-mail: [email protected]