The first meeting of the Bern Convention Group of Experts on European Island Biological Diversity is taking place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands. The main threats to the to the islands’ biological diversity and possible solution will debated at this event.
“Climate change is, for example, a major threat as contrary to what happens in large continents, species here do not have the opportunity to migrate in order to find a new habitat. Despite the difficulties, solutions must be found. However, we face the risk of losing a significant quantity of land species,” stated the Regional Director for the Environment.
Other particularly important threats for the islands, which may jeopardise the existence of endemic species, include the proliferation of exotic species, mainly the invasive ones, change in soil use, over-exploitation of resources, change of centuries-old traditions that were in harmony with the environment. All these issues will be debated at the three-day meeting.
The experts and officials on the different ecologic themes are gathered on the Canary Islands, where they will create strategies and solutions to protect the species on European islands, from Iceland to Ascension Island as well as the Mediterranean islands.
This meeting’s methodology will begin to identify the species inventory techniques, the models to assess the preservation state, the protected areas as tools for environmental preservation, monitoring tools, systems to assess biological richness, including risk assessment such as extreme pollution (oil spills and other maritime events) and the aforementioned climate change. Furthermore, the models that ensure the environmental sustainability on European islands will be debated.
On behalf of the Azores, the Regional Director for the Environment will make a presentation on the islands’ marine biodiversity as well on the nature preservation policies in the Azores. Paulo Borges, Professor at the University of the Azores, will speak about terrestrial biodiversity and its threats.