Priceless or Worthless?

What is a species worth?

September 2012: Tarzan’s chameleon, the spoon-billed sandpiper and the pygmy three-toed sloth have all topped a new list of the species closest to extinction released by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

For the first time, more than 8,000 scientists from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) have come together to identify 100 of the most threatened animals, plants and fungi on the planet. But conservationists fear they'll be allowed to die out because none of these species provide humans with obvious benefits.

While the utilitarian value of nature is important conservation goes beyond this. Do these species have a right to survive or do we have a right to drive them to extinction?

Difficult conservation
Professor Jonathan Baillie, ZSL's Director of Conservation said: “The donor community and conservation movement are leaning increasingly towards a ‘what can nature do for us’ approach, where species and wild habitats are valued and prioritised according to the services they provide for people. This has made it increasingly difficult for conservationists to protect the most threatened species on the planet.”

Priceless or Worthless
The report, called Priceless or Worthless?, will be presented at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in South Korea this month (Tues 11th Sept), and hopes to push the conservation of ‘worthless’ creatures up the agenda that is set by NGOs from around the globe.

Co-author of the report, ZSL’s Ellen Butcher says: “All the species listed are unique and irreplaceable. If they vanish, no amount of money can bring them back. However, if we take immediate action we can give them a fighting chance for survival. But this requires society to support the moral and ethical position that all species have an inherent right to exist.”

Decline often caused by humans
The decline of these species has mainly been caused by humans, but in almost all cases scientists believe their extinction can still be avoided if conservation efforts are specifically focused. Conservation actions can deliver results with many species such as Przewalski's Horse (see Reintroducing an extinct species to the wild - www.peter-lynch.co.uk/wildlife-conservation-volunteering.html) and Humpback Whale have being saved from extinction.

The 100 species, from 48 different countries are first in line to disappear completely if nothing is done to protect them.

Wilderness knows no boundaries

Today PAN Parks announced Europe’s first successful verification of a trans-boundary wilderness area between Oulanka (Finnish) and Paanajärvi (Russian) National Parks. This verification will strengthen the protection of wilderness across political boundaries.

Oulanka and Paanajärvi were certified PAN (Protected Area Networks) Parks, but artificially divided by the country border between Finland and Russia. After a decade of working hard to harmonise the two areas management plans, the third-party verification conducted by PAN Parks’ experts confirms that natural values of the two areas are taken care by the two management bodies in close cooperation.

Home to some of Europe’s rarest creatures - bear, wild reindeer, lynx, wolf and wolverine this collaborative approach will aid their survival.

Photo: Andy Gehrig

The trans-boundary status of the area is the largest protected area within the European Wilderness Preservation System set up through the PAN Parks’ network. The two parks cover over 132,000 hectares, from which 103,000 hectares are managed according to wilderness principles. ‘These principles mean there is no extractive use within the wilderness zone! No hunting, no logging, no grazing with domestic animals, but nature developing on its own!’ explains Vlado Vancura, conservation director of PAN Parks Foundation.

This approach is still unique in Europe and unfortunately the few existing wilderness areas cover less than 1% of Europe’s land territory compared to 5% covered by artificial surfaces (roads, industry, housing, etc).

Find out more about PAN Parks

Our Wetland Wildlife weekend – 8th and 9th September

The UK’s wetlands range from small ponds and trickling streams to gushing rivers and massive reservoirs, and all are vitally important natural resources.

As well as supporting a huge variety of wildlife, including charismatic species like otters and marsh harriers, they also provide a range of crucial ecosystem, economic and cultural services – such as food, fuel, flood prevention, water storage, recreation and transport.

Despite this, wetlands are some of our most damaged habitats, and are still being lost at an alarming rate. 

The Wildlife Trusts are in the forefront of efforts to protect and restore the UK’s precious wetland habitats, in the face of threats from climate change, drainage and development. 

Wildlife Trusts across the UK are holding a series of ‘Our Wetland Wildlife’ events on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 September.  The events form part of The Wildlife Trusts’ Centenary celebrations.

Be among the first to visit the new lagoons and hides at Rutland Water, spot water birds in Lincolnshire, identify moths in Cumbria, or take a wetland bat walk in Cheshire. Celebrate the wetland restoration work carried out in Radnorshire, go pond-dipping in Warwickshire, or check out the beavers back in Scotland after 400 years of extinction.

First 2012 turtle hatchlings reach the sea at Zakynthos

The turtle hatching season has begun once more in Greece, with Sekania beach being the first to produce hatchlings. On the night of July 24th 2011, Archelon (www.archelon.gr/index_eng.php) volunteers spotted five baby turtles beginning their precarious life journey.

After an incubation period of 49 days, the first five female hatchlings emerged and two more nests on the same beach followed suit the next day. The remaining nests will continue to hatch until the end of October.

Every year, hundreds of baby turtles begin the journey to the sea, but it is estimated that only one in a thousand will manage to survive and return as an adult back to her birthplace after 25 to 30 years. During hatching season it is very important that no artificial lights exist at the back of the beach, because baby turtles become disoriented and crawl away from the sea and dying. People should also resist going onto nesting beaches at night, as there is a good chance that baby turtles will be accidentally trampled and killed.

Indian tiger numbers down from 100,000 to 1,700 in a century

The number of India’s tigers has shrunk alarmingly in recent decades. A 2011 census counted only 1,700 tigers left in the wild, compared to 100,000 a century ago. Poaching and human-wildlife conflicts between tigers and people living in and on the periphery of tiger reserves are the biggest threat.

A landmark ruling, this month, by India’s Supreme Court has ordered a ban on tourism in "core zones" of more than 40 of the country’s central government-run tiger reserves.

The ruling seeks to protect the core zones of the tiger reserves, but tourists will still be able to visit buffer areas, up to a distance of 10km from the core areas. However, court fines of 10,000 rupees (£115) on states not complying with its earlier tiger protection directives seem unlikely to be a major deterrent.

Saving the Whale in Brighton

30 years ago today the International Whaling Commission met at the Brighton Hilton Metropole on 23 July 1982 and made the decision to ban whaling. This year, the world’s leading whale charities and whale watching businesses are returning to the same location to join forces on behalf of whales worldwide.

Help save our seas during The Wildlife Trusts’ National Marine Week

To mark the start of National Marine Week 2012 - from Saturday 28 July to Sunday 12 August, The Wildlife Trusts are recruiting ‘Friends of Marine Conservation Zones’. 

The UK’s seas host some of our most fascinating wildlife – and some of the most diverse animals and plants in Europe – but they are in serious decline from overfishing, pollution and other harmful human activity.

To help restore and protect this vitally important habitat, 127 Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) in English and offshore Welsh waters have been recommended to the Government for protection, following consultation with more than a million stakeholders. 

However, there are indications that only a small proportion of these will actually be designated.  To put pressure on the Government to designate the full suite of 127 recommended sites, The Wildlife Trusts are encouraging people to become ‘friends’ of their local MCZ.  Only by designating all the recommended MCZs can we provide protection to the full range of habitats in our waters, ensuring that species are able to move between protected habitats. 

To help inspire people about the amazing diversity of our seas, and to encourage them to befriend their local MCZ, The Wildlife Trusts are hosting more than 80 exciting events around the country for National Marine Week 2012.

With your local Wildlife Trust you can really make the most of the UK seaside this summer – enjoy an educational ‘Shark, Skate and Ray Day’ in Cornwall, ‘Lunch and Limpets’ in Sussex, trips to the shore in Yorkshire, sea dipping in Norfolk, or a rock pool ramble in Durham.

In addition to the events, The Wildlife Trusts are also providing online details of locations, species and habitats for all 127 recommended MCZs.  People can also help to save our seas by signing our ‘Petition Fish’, which is calling for the creation of an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas.

  

Click here for a full list of The Wildlife Trusts’ National Marine Week events:

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/whats-on/nationalmarineweek 

To read more about befriending your local MCZ, see here: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/MCZfriends-signup

Sign our Petition Fish: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/petitionfish