Annexes and schedules: rare and protected fish species and the law. Richard Handley

Transcription

1 Annexes and schedules: rare and protected fish species and the law Richard Handley

2 Talk outline what does rare mean? why are rare and protected species important? what is protected?

3 What does rare mean? low abundance and/or small range not necessarily the same as threatened some species are intrinsically rare some have rarity thrust upon them

4 Why are species rare? habitat loss pollution over exploitation disease invasive species climate change

5 Why are rare and threatened species important intrinsic value ecologically significant providing ecosystem services iconic status

6 Species keep conservation efforts honest, and there is no surrogate metric that can reliably assess conservation success or failure without knowing what is happening to populations of plants and animals in the landscape. We would know nothing about the global loss of biodiversity without knowing what is happening to species all over the world.

7 What have fish ever done for us?

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12 What is protected? Habitats Directive Wildlife and Countryside Act Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act UK Biodiversity Action Plan Bern Convention CITES, OSPAR, IUCN Red List

13 Habitats Directive Annex II requiring designation of SACs priority species sturgeon houting non priority species allis shad brook lamprey twaite shad sea lamprey spined loach river lamprey bullhead atlantic salmon

14 Atlantic salmon UK distribution SAC interest feature

15 Bullhead UK distribution SAC interest feature

16 Circles drawn at the set distances Data displayed on the map

17 Habitats Directive Annex IV in need of strict protection sturgeon

18 Habitats Directive Annex V taking in the wild subject to management measures allisshad twaite shad barbel vendace whitefish river lamprey atlantic salmon grayling

19 Wildlife and Countryside Act

20 Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 Species of Principal Importance sturgeon allis shad twaite shad lesser sand eel european eel black scabbardfish gulper shark leafscale gulper shark portuguese dogfish basking shark altantic herring spined loach vendace european whitefish roundnose grenadier kitefin shark blue skate atlantic cod tope shark long snouted seahorse short snouted seahorse atlantic halibut orange roughy shortfin mako porbeagle river lamprey angler burbot whiting european hake blue whiting blue ling ling european smelt sea lamprey european plaice blue shark blonde ray thornback ray undulate ray greenland halibut white skate atlantic salmon trout arctic char atlantic mackerel common sole picked dogfish angelshark atlantic bluefin tuna atlantic horse mackerel

21 UK Biodiversity Action Plan twaite shad (Alosa fallax) investigate life history and habitat requirements progress existing UK BAP programme for Twaite shad genetic analysis to determine origin of UK fish research to determine extent of spawning grounds investigate the impact of climate change on populations monitor populations in protected areas removal of man made barriers to migration

22 Bern Convention Special protection through 'appropriate and necessary legislative and administrative measures sturgeon allis shad twaite shad basking shark spined loach vendace roundnose grenadier houting long snouted seahorse short snouted seahorse river lamprey brook lamprey sea lamprey common goby sand goby bitterling atlantic salmon wels catfish atlantic bluefin tuna

23 CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora three seahorses and sturgeon

24 OSPAR Threatened and/or declining species

25 IUCN Red List extinct critically endangered endangered vulnerable near threatened lower risk least concern data deficient

26 IUCN Red List extinct 1 critically endangered 7 endangered 10 vulnerable 24 near threatened 14 lower risk least concern 76 data deficient 20

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28 Link to habitats rivers and streams including chalk rivers standing open water and canals including mesotrophic, oligotrophic and dystrophic lakes

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30 Water Framework Directive long term program of improvement good ecological status improved habitats, water quality and quantity fish a biological quality elements used to assess water bodies populations are measured and classified into high, good, moderate, poor or bad status classes.

31 Water Framework Directive Key issues industrial and agricultural discharges land management practices acidification damaging fish introductions and movements physical habitat damage water quantity and flow problems over fishing

32 Thank you