Alien and invasive species such as the Ruddy-duck and the grey squirrel pose a significant threat to Europe’s biodiversity.
Environmental campaigners, activists and experts discussed the issue on the first day of the Bern Convention’s annual session.
They will vote later this week on a series of recommendations designed to control the problems arising from the presence in Europe of imported species, which are now considered a global, regional and national environmental concern.
In this interview, Robert Palmer, the Council of Europe’s Director of Governance, Culture and Diversity, gives the background to the main themes under discussion during the three-day conference.
In this interview, Staci McLennan (photo) of the Brussel’s-based Eurogroup for Animals outlines her concern about current imports of pets and the value of a voluntary code to restrict the sale of certain animals in Europe.
In this interview, Wojciech Solarz, from the Institute of Nature Conservation in Poland, expands on the threat to biodiversity from the Ruddy-duck and the grey squirrel. He explains how the American grey squirrel triumphed over the native red squirrel and the impact it is having on Italy and the United Kingdom. He also highlights the role of pet shops in a pan-European awareness-raising campaign.
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Information: Bern Convention
