No. 042/04
Berlin, 18.02.2004

Trittin calls for a global network of protected areas

The decline in biological diversity is unacceptable

Federal Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin has called for a global network of protected areas at the UN species conservation conference in Kuala Lumpur. "We cannot simply accept the decline in biological diversity - and thus in the natural basis of life," said Trittin at the opening of the ministerial segment of the conference. In the coming years a system of protected areas needs to be set up in which all essential habitat types are taken into account. "The protected areas must be sufficiently large and interlinked in order to stabilise the ecosystems in the long term." stated Trittin. He also stressed the importance of taking socio-economic factors into consideration and, for example, facilitating the sustainable use of the protected areas.

The Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity have committed themselves to the principles of sustainability and precautionary action. "To my mind this means: we must act, and act now," emphasised the Environment Minister. The continuous global decline in biological diversity is an ecological, social and economic disaster. The unhindered development of infrastructure, overexploitation of the world's seas by fishing and the extraction of raw materials, environmentally harmful agricultural production methods and the overuse of forests are the clear causes for this decline. This is the case, for instance, with the dramatic destruction of cold water coral reefs and underwater mountains as a result of bottom trawl fishing. "I therefore advocate the upcoming UN General Assembly seizing without delay all necessary measures - including moratoriums - that are required for protecting these sensitive deep-sea ecosystems," noted Minister Trittin.

The overexploitation of biological diversity is one of the causes of growing poverty. And conversely, species diversity can only be conserved if the problem of poverty is also tackled effectively. "Combating poverty and conserving natural resources are two sides of the same coin," said Trittin. For this reason Germany has provided around half a billion euros in recent decades within the framework of development cooperation for the conservation of species diversity. Furthermore, Germany also offers massive support to the UN Global Environment Facility, the GEF, which has invested around US $ 1.6 billion in protected areas since 1991.