Farmland birds in Europe fall to lowest levels

treesparrow

The Living Force
FOTCM Member
The Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme has compiled population figures for 145 common and widespread bird species in 25 European countries between 1980 and 2009. Amongst those species covered, farmland birds are the most threatened group, with 20 out of 36 species in decline, and overall numbers at an all-time low, down by 48% since 1980.

Some of the species that have declined the most over the last three decades include familiar farmland birds like Grey Partridge Perdix perdix (–82%), Skylark Alauda arvensis (–46%), Linnet Carduelis cannabina (–62%) and Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra (–66%).

Conservationists say the results prove the need for urgent reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) so that it rewards and encourages farmers who put conservation measures in place on their land. Proposals for the upcoming reform of the CAP are set to be published in October, but BirdLife Europe is concerned that they do not go far enough. It fears that the proposal does not contain enough support for agri-environment schemes which fund wildlife-friendly farming measures.

Ian Burfield, European Science and Data Manager, said: “These shocking new figures confirm that farmland birds have halved in number across Europe since 1980. While the rate of decline may have slowed in recent years, it’s clear that attempts to halt the loss have been insufficient, and that massive efforts are needed to reverse the trend.”

Trees Robijns, EU Agriculture and Bioenergy Policy Officer, added: “The CAP is an EU-wide policy tool that has visible effects on the landscape. Until recently however, this policy has helped farmers to produce more food, but the environment and biodiversity have suffered as a result.

“Therefore we need to reorient the policy towards delivering public goods for public money. We need proper targeted funding for wildlife-friendly farming and effective and efficient schemes in place that can reverse these declines and make our countryside richer and healthier for birds, plants, insects and people – as well as producing food, feed, fuel and fibre.

“We know what the problem is and we have identified a lot of the solutions already. Now we need the decision makers to take up their responsibility and deliver a real green reform. This reform is often dubbed a ‘green reform’ so we should ensure it delivers for the environment. Otherwise, this bad news cycle will continue and this policy will come even more under attack.”

Recent EU Budget announcements have made it clear that decision makers plan to allocate less money to Pillar 2 which contains very valuable environmental payments. A recent leaked CAP document has also revealed that they plan to allow Member States to move money away from agrienvironment schemes and into other areas.

The results of the European bird population survey suggest that after missing its 2010 biodiversity conservation target, the EU will go on to miss the 2020 biodiversity conservation target unless decisive and urgent action is taken.

Trees Robijns adds: “The integration of the biodiversity target into other areas like agriculture, where the threats are so evident, is a real must. If we fail to provide the adequate tools to tackle the roots of this problem, we are in fact undermining any possibility of achieving the biodiversity targets.”

The new EU Biodiversity Strategy commits the EU to “halt the deterioration in the status of all species and habitats covered by EU nature legislation”. Although Member States endorsed the new strategy in June this year, they have yet to agree on commitments to deliver the actions needed to achieve its aims.

_http://www.birdlife.org/community/2011/08/farmland-birds-in-europe-fall-to-lowest-levels/
 
300 million farmland birds lost in 30 years


The weaknesses of Europe's current agricultural policies are brutally highlighted by a massive decrease in farmland bird species.

The latest scientific measurements of the intensification of European agriculture show a shocking decline of 52 per cent over 37 indicator bird species. Data collected by BirdLife International and the European Bird Census Council show that common farmland birds continue to decline across the EU, and that 300 million farmland birds have been lost since 1980.

The news was released last week, on the eve of a major civil society debate organised by the European Commission and the new Cypriot Presidency of the EU on Friday 13. Decision makers and civil society organisations discussed support for the so-called 'green reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)', amid growing fears that this latest reform might not deliver on its promises. Today’s news should have a serious sobering effect and remind all member states what is at stake.

The current CAP results in a range of activities that damage the environment, and especially biodiversity. Intensification, which is accompanied by over-use of chemicals and the loss of landscape – and therefore habitat – diversity, has been one of the main causes of destruction of many farmland ecosystems around Europe. Another is the abandonment of the concept of High Nature Value (HNV) farming systems, threatened by our inability to change the economics of these precious systems in rural areas. Birds are one of the best indicators available for measuring ecosystem health, and the newly published figures show that many species are at their lowest since monitoring began.

The Farmland Bird Indicator (FBI) combines the aggregate population trends of 37 species classified as farmland birds. Of these species, 22 are decreasing and only six are increasing, with a further six being stable and three having uncertain trends. Overall, the indicator shows a decline of 52 per cent since 1980. This equates to a loss of more than 300 million birds breeding in farmland over the last three decades, despite the best efforts of many nature-friendly farmers and conservation organisations.

The loss of such a large number of farmland birds matters because it also suggests a wider disregard for nature and its value: There is growing recognition that biodiversity loss can affect lives and economies directly and indirectly through the loss of a range of 'ecosystem services' upon which we all depend – these include the production of food and clean water, the control of climate and disease, the maintenance nutrient cycles and crop pollination, as well as the less tangible 'spiritual' and recreational benefits of a healthy natural world and clean atmosphere.

BirdLife Europe maintains that these depressing trends can only be reversed if the whole of the CAP is 'greened'. This would involve a 'bottom line' international compliance with all of the key pieces of environmental legislation, namely direct payments that are clearly linked to basic good agricultural practices and a strong rural development plans that contains measures to reward farmers that go beyond good practice and carry out specific management to improve the environment.

Such reforms would ensure the CAP provides much better value for money, a must at times of financial crisis such as this, when EU citizens expect even more that each euro is well spent.

BirdLife Europe hopes that this information will create a more sustainable agriculture policy that will ensure our long-term food security while respecting the environment.

_http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/channel/newsitem.asp?c=11&cate=__12380
 
Back
Top Bottom