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Halting the loss of Europe's biodiversity by 2010
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42% of Europe's native mammals are threatened with extinction, 43% of birds, 45% of butterflies, 52% of freshwater fish. The list goes on and makes terrifying reading. Worldwide, the loss of species is even more alarming. These species form part of the Earth's biological diversity, or biodiversity - the complex but fragile web of life on which we all depend for essential goods like food and medecines as well as for vital 'services' such as regulating the climate and providing clean air and water. On 22 May 2006, the European Commission is launching an Action Plan aimed at ensuring that the European Union meets its commitment to halt the loss of biodiversity in Europe by 2010. This target is still achievable if action is greatly speeded up. Much of the damage to our ecosystems is happening as a result of human activity such as inappropriate land use and development. So how can Europe develop its economy while conserving its biodiversity? A Video News Release is being made available which shows a living example of how these two goals can be met at the same time. It focuses on a major industrial development - the expansion of the French port of Le Havre. The one billion euro extension to France's biggest container port destroyed important breeding grounds for birds and was going to have a huge impact on the Seine estuary - a protected natural area. The film charts the remarkable relationship which developed between the port and environmental groups as nearly 50 million euro was spent to build a new resting island for seabirds, restore important mudflats in the Seine estuary and create a new "ecological" beach. Port managers from Le Havre and the Maison de l'Estuaire environmental group explain the project, and the video also includes interviews with EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and Tony Long, European policy director of WWF.
This huge container ship has just arrived in the port of Le Havre from the Caribbean.
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Le Havre is the busiest container port in France, a major hub for world trade.
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To deal with the ever-growing volume of shipping,
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the first phase of a huge port expansion has just been completed.
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The first six berths of Port 2000 cost more than a billion euro.
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Now the giants of the world's container fleet can dock here.
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The port of Le Havre is situated at the mouth of the river Seine,
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and the Seine estuary is also an exceptional area of natural beauty,
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with its water meadows, reed beds and mudflats,
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all home to a wide variety of rare plant and animal life.
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There was no doubt that such a huge port expansion
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was going to have a dramatic impact on the environment,
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not least the destruction of important breeding and resting areas for birds,
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but also damage to biodiversity, the whole natural system.
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In a period of just four months, the port organised more than 40 public meetings
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and a remarkable working relationship developed with environmentalists.
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46 million euro was set aside, and plans agreed for a number of schemes
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to compensate for the environmental damage the port expansion was going to cause.
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Before any work on the port began, the environmental projects were launched.
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A small island was constructed as a new resting place for seabirds in the south of the estuary.
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Half a million tonnes of gravel were shipped over to build the bean-shaped island,
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and a second bird resting area was created in the sand dunes on the shore
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to replace a zone being taken over by the new port.
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Environmentalists took a careful inventory of marine plant and bird species.
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Important species such as sea kale, protected plants in France,
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were moved from the area to be developed and replanted on a newly created ecological beach.
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Rather bleak looking shingle in the shadow of petrol storage tanks,
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but rich in microscopic creatures to feed seabirds,
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and where no human is allowed to set foot.
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For now, we are at the beginning, because the conservatory has done transplantation
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at the level of roots, seeds and plants.
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We have to leave a little time for Charlin Teers to set up,
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and then at the beach to be able to find a certain natural profile.
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The port of Le Havre spent 23 million euro on a huge project
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to restore the mudflats in the Seine estuary upstream from the port.
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Mudflats are a vital part of the ecosystem, home to plankton and algae,
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all food for fish and birds.
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A complex engineering plan altered river levels and currents
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to keep water flowing onto the mud, and to keep the living system alive.
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Now the whole of the surrounding estuary has been given protected status
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as part of the EU's Natura 2000 network.
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The success of the partnership with the port surprised everyone.
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The partnership with the Port of Le Havre was really enriching.
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I think that today they have made great efforts
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in terms of their logic in terms of the preservation of the environment and the species.
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Once the environmental measures were well underway,
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the massive construction work on the port could begin.
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In the past, too few industrial developments in Europe
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have given sufficient consideration to the environment,
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particularly the impact on nature and biodiversity.
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The loss of one species can lead to the loss of another.
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There's a human cause and a human effect.
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The population of the planet is now at its highest level ever.
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We're now 6.5 billion people,
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and those 6.5 billion people are squeezing out nature.
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Let's put it as simply as that.
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The roll call of damage to Europe's biodiversity is astounding.
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42% of native mammals are threatened with extinction,
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45% of butterflies,
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45% of reptiles,
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30% of amphibians,
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52% of freshwater fish.
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Most marine fish stocks are below safe biological limits.
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In 2001 in Gothenburg,
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Europe's heads of government pledged to halt the decline of biodiversity by 2010.
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But on current progress, there's a risk that might not be met.
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But if we continue losing out
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at the rate by which we are losing biodiversity,
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we are going to lose out on our future
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and that of the planet and the future generations.
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We need to take measures immediately
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and in a determined way.
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The EU already has a raft of legislation on air and water,
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birds and habitats directives.
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Conserving biodiversity is already integrated into a large number of policies,
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including the Lisbon Growth Strategy.
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But the European Commission is now launching a new action plan to 2010 and beyond,
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which sets targets to underline the urgency of the situation
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and the need for closer partnerships with national governments.
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The first priority, safeguarding the EU's most important habitats and species
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by making the Natura 2000 protection network fully operational by 2010
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and extending the network to the marine environment by 2012.
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Priority number two looks at supporting biodiversity worldwide.
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For instance, halting imports of wood products which encourage deforestation.
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The aim, to significantly reduce the impact of EU trade on the ecosystem by 2010.
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The third priority sets a target of 2013
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to limit the impact of global warming on biodiversity.
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Protection of the ecosystem can help limit greenhouse gas concentrations
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as forests and peatlands store carbon.
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And the final priority is all about boosting research
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to achieve greater understanding of biodiversity in the ecosystem by 2013.
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All experts know disregarding biodiversity has a high price.
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This is not just about saving beautiful countryside.
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Biodiversity is the basis of much of our economy and livelihoods.
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If you take the collapse of the fisheries off the Grand Banks of Canada,
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eastern Canada,
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thousands and thousands of jobs were lost because the fishing industry collapsed.
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Billions of dollars had to be put into those areas
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just to keep the communities in any way living.
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It's a very expensive operation to try and save
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when nature disappears and when whole industries collapse.
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Back in Le Havre, the new Port 2000 expansion has been inaugurated.
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The EU contributed more than 50 million euro to the building of the port.
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Under its new action plan,
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the European Commission wants to ensure European funding only goes to projects like this,
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which also care for the environment.
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It's clear to everyone that this is the future.
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The success of the cooperation in Le Havre
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demonstrates that economic and environmental prosperity can go hand in hand
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to safeguard Europe's biodiversity and everyone's future.
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- Idioma/s:
- Niveles educativos:
- ▼ Mostrar / ocultar niveles
- Nivel Intermedio
- Autor/es:
- The European Union
- Subido por:
- EducaMadrid
- Licencia:
- Reconocimiento - No comercial - Sin obra derivada
- Visualizaciones:
- 629
- Fecha:
- 24 de julio de 2007 - 12:13
- Visibilidad:
- Público
- Enlace Relacionado:
- European Commission
- Duración:
- 08′ 52″
- Relación de aspecto:
- 4:3 Hasta 2009 fue el estándar utilizado en la televisión PAL; muchas pantallas de ordenador y televisores usan este estándar, erróneamente llamado cuadrado, cuando en la realidad es rectangular o wide.
- Resolución:
- 448x336 píxeles
- Tamaño:
- 45.23 MBytes
