Gaps in Protection Threaten 700 Animals, including 223 Birds

Forest and Bird, Issue 311, 1 February 2004, Page 10

Gaps in Protection Threaten 700 Animals, including 223 Birds

ore than 700 threatened animal species remain completely unprotected according to a recent study by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Conservation International. At least 223 bird, 140 mammal and 346 amphibian species threatened with extinction currently have no protection whatsoever, over any part of their ranges, according to analysis of the world’s protected areas system. In addition, many existing protected areas are so small in size as to be virtually ineffective in conserving species, placing another 943 (and probably many more) bird, mammal and amphibian species, at risk. Without an immediate and strategic expansion of the protected-area system, scientists expect a major wave of extinctions within the next few decades. ‘Nevertheless, by identifying the most urgent priorities that require protection and acting strategically and quickly, we still have a chance to save the vast majority of these species, says Gustavo Fonseca of Conservation International. Tropical rainforests and islands stood out as particular concerns for immediate conservation action. Of the areas identified as urgent priorities for the creation of new protected areas, fully 80 percent of the land area falls within the tropics. Islands, which constitute only 5.2 percent of the planet’s land surface, hold 45 percent of all species analysed. The world’s 1183 threatened bird species, mapped and assessed by BirdLife International, were also

analysed, revealing 223 species were not protected. The largest concentration of unprotected birds is found in the Andes and Indonesia. irdLife International, a B global alliance of conservation organisations including Forest and Bird, has meanwhile launched a guide to prevent the extinction of Asia’s birds, one in eight of which is now under threat. BirdLife International has produced a guide for governments and communities to help avoid the extinction of 324 threatened bird species, 12 percent of Asia’s total. Already 41 Asian bird species are classified as ‘critically endangered’ under World Conservation Union criteria and 11 of these may already be extinct. Six of the species number fewer than 50 mature individuals in the wild. An important finding of the strategy is that more than 100 sites that are critically important for globally threatened birds remain unprotected. These should be a major priority for conservation action, BirdLife says. The strategy highlights that the main habitat for threatened birds is tropical lowland moist forests, holding more than half of the region’s 324 threatened species. Forest loss and degradation due to commercial logging, clear felling for paper production and plantation establishment are the biggest threats to Asia’s birds. Indonesia is home to more globally threatened species than any other Asian country, with 117, only just overtaken by Brazil globally. It urgently needs global assistance to support conservation measures.

Mainland China, with 78, has the region’s second-highest number of globally threatened species, closely followed by India in third place with 73 species, and the Philippines with 70. The second-largest threat to Asia’s birds is the disturbance or conversion of wetlands, which are crucial for the survival of 20 percent of threatened species. Migratory species are also being pushed closer to extinction by wetland loss and large land-reclamation projects, especially along the coast of the Yellow Sea of Korea and China. Other major threats include hunting for food and the pet trade. The BirdLife strategy includes: e protecting wetlands on the migratory flyways of threatened species, particularly along the coast of the Yellow Sea bordered by China and Korea, and including the Demilitarised Zone between the two Koreas, one of the region’s only remaining wildernesses which should be designated a transboundary peace park; e conserving the remaining lowland tropical forests in Malaysia and western Indonesia through legislation, land-use planning, sustainable forest management, and support from the private sector; e conservation measures for key sites for ‘critical’ and ‘endangered’ species that are not currently under any protection, particularly in the Philippines and the Maluku region of eastern Indonesia; e strengthened implementation of the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species (CITES), given the continued high levels of trade in protected species, especially parrots; e surveys for ‘lost’ or poorlyknown species, before they become extinct, so that conservation measures can be advanced. further campaign by Forest and Bird and irdLife International to save the albatrosses has gained heart from South Africa’s adoption of an international treaty to protect albatross and petrels. South Africa joins Australia, New Zealand, Ecuador and Spain as a signatory to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels which will now come into force this month. ‘This treaty is needed more than ever, says Forest and Bird’s senior researcher Barry Weeber. ‘Recently, a number of albatross species were re-assessed and found to be in greater danger of becoming extinct than first realised. The rarest albatross could be extinct within a decade. ‘Unacceptable and unnecessarily destructive longline fishing methods are the main reason, he said. "This agreement assists countries like New Zealand and South Africa to implement a range of measures to protect threatened albatross. This includes reducing by-catch from long-line fishing, protecting albatross from pests, protecting albatross habitats and supporting research. See Forest and Bird website www. forestandbird.org.nz for more on albatross. For further information about ‘global gap analysis, visit www.conservation.org