Milestone in the conservation of migratory birds

Toespraak | 04-08-2010

Toespraak (Engelstalig) van de secretaris-generaal Van der Zande van het ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit tijdens een internationaal symposium ter gelegenheid van de 15e verjaardag van de African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) in Den Haag, 14 juni 2010.

I would like to extend a warm welcome to the many delegates who have come here today from all over Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, and particularly to representatives from AEWA Contracting Parties, from those countries about to join, and from those considering joining.

A special welcome, of course, to the representatives of the AEWA Secretariat, the Convention on Migratory Species, the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the European Commission. And also to Wetlands International, Birdlife International, and other NGOs and research institutes who have played a key role in the conservation of migratory birds, and provide a scientific basis for the measures taken.

Last but not least I would like to welcome Gerard Boere, who was responsible for preparing the Agreement and who has devoted his career to the conservation of migratory birds and wetlands.

Today we are here to celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of AEWA, even if the exact date is in three days. We are proud and pleased that the Netherlands provided the setting for the creation of an Agreement that currently boasts sixty-two Contracting Parties.These sixty-two parties provide a solid foundation, but the house is not yet complete. We would like to see countries in key geographical and ecological positions, such as the Russian Federation, Morocco, and Turkey join the AEWA, in addition to the other 53 Range States that are not yet parties to the Agreement.

After all, that was our great dream: An intercontinental network of staging areas along the birds' migration route. The AEWA's current sphere of influence roughly comprises the route of the Arctic Tern, extending from the northern reaches of Eurasia to beyond the southernmost tip of Africa. And this area covers most migratory birds, that is to say, the birds follow part of this route during migration.

Take for example the millions of water birds that migrate from Russia to Western Europe. Or other birds that set off from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to the Dutch Wadden Sea and on to Africa. And there's also our Black-tailed Godwit, which flies from the Netherlands to Southwest Europe and then on to its overwintering areas in West Africa.

Whatever path they take, all species of migratory birds need a network of stop-over sites which act as stepping stones along the route. There should also be sufficient alternative sites to mitigate the effects of drought or disaster. The ecological network put forward in the AEWA's Strategic Plan must be made a reality. This can be achieved by building on existing networks, such as the one protected under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, and the EU's Natura 2000 network.

Of course, the AEWA Parties also take measures in their own countries. And that's by no means easy - look at how efforts to ban lead shot have faced such strong opposition. Another issue that requires our attention is the implementation of the Single Species Action Plans.

The Netherlands is pleased that Plans were adopted in 2008 for the Eurasian Spoonbill and the Black-tailed Godwit. In the latter case, the Plan had an immediate effect when France, which then held the EU Presidency, announced a five-year moratorium on the hunting of the Black-tailed Godwit, so that the plan could be adopted.

But we still have long way to go. To implement the Black-tailed Godwit Single Species Action Plans , we must strive for active cooperation between the countries that are important for the conservation of this species. The Netherlands recognises that it has work to do: the breeding success of the Black-tailed Godwit must be improved in this country, and we are currently working on better agreements with farmers to address this issue.

After fifteen years of AEWA, we cannot rest on our laurels. There are new issues to deal with, new challenges to meet. The current focus on endangered species in the Single Species Action Plans must continue. yet the AEWA Action Plan also asks Parties to develop Single Species Action Plans for populations that cause major damage to agriculture and fisheries, such as geese.

As you know, the goose population of the Netherlands is doing well, and this is partly due to conservation efforts. The number of Barnacle Geese in the Netherlands, for example, has increased more than forty-fold in as many years. Some two million geese overwinter in this country. But there is also a downside to this success, because geese can cause considerable damage and pose a threat to air traffic, as we experienced last week with the collision of a Moroccon plane with geese near Schiphol Airport. Countries are wrestling with these problems. AEWA can help by encouraging cooperation among countries and by developing Single Species Action Plans. An example is the initiative taken by Norway and Denmark to develop an Action Plan for the Pink-footed Goose. And while the Netherlands understands that some countries want to take measures to control certain species, sustainable maintenance of populations must take priority. That's why the Netherlands will not resort to culling the Pink-footed Goose, but is pushing for agreements with other range states to prepare a Single Species Action Plan. After all, the Netherlands and Belgium together form the most important overwintering sites for the Svalbard pink-footed goose population.

Catastrophes such as oil spills and epidemics pose another challenge for AEWA. Take the Avian Influenza outbreak of 2005, to which the AEWA responded swiftly, in cooperation with the CMS, Ramsar, and Wetlands International.

A new catastrophe, although one which has developed gradually, now threatens migratory birds in sub-Saharan Africa. You will hear more about it during the presentation of the book Living on the Edge, about the situation faced by birds in the West African Sahel. Not only water birds are at risk. Overgrazing and increased logging activities in the Sahel are seriously threatening migratory songbirds. I would therefore urge action to be taken, through the CMS, to also protect migratory songbirds, and to see whether the AEWA can play a role too.

The relationship between agriculture and nature also has a special role in Europe, but in a different way. And this role is both positive and negative. Agriculture can offer habitats to many sorts of species. Take our meadow birds, such as the Black Tailed Godwit, for example. However, the intensive farming systems developed in the twentieth century have caused a sharp drop in the natural value of farmland.

The relationship between agriculture and nature is also important in the global context. The global population is estimated to increase from six to nine billion by two thousand and fifty. We must therefore meet the challenge of significantly increasing food production. Although if we do this by substantially increasing the agricultural area, the costs to the environment could be catastrophic.

The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency has researched this issue. It concluded in a scenario study that, by using technology and innovation, it should be possible to double agricultural production without needing to increase the amount of hectares of agricultural land.

That is of course great news. However, there are still some tough nuts to crack. And there are choices to be made. We must soon arrive at a vision for the organisation of land use. We must determine which areas are most suitable for agricultural production in an eco-efficient way, those areas that generate high yields and require a low input of energy, fertilisers and pesticides. And also the areas - in terms of certain natural and agricultural sites - that are important from the perspective of biodiversity conservation. Because increasing world food production while preserving biodiversity remains a major challenge. For that matter, I have arranged a conference on this issue with the World Bank, FAO, Ethiopia, New Zealand and Norway to be held here in The Hague in autumn. This initiative is a follow-up to the minister's presidency of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in 2009 and should provide a concrete roadmap for action, including a message to the climate summit in Cancun in late November of this year.

The minister is also arranging, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a conference on a related topic entitled "Eco-regional Economic Development". This conference focuses on the possibilities for implementing integrated land use planning concepts in development cooperation and other foreign policies.

And all of this must of course take migratory birds into account, as they are a part of biodiversity. A very helpful book in this respect is "Farmland birds across the globe," released by the Centre for Agriculture and Environment. It is a book on farmland biodiversity and for the first time shows on a global scale how important certain areas of agricultural land are for birds. It gives me great pleasure to announce that this book is available to all participants of this meeting.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to wish you a successful conference. There is much to discuss. With an eye to the future, and a focus on the further development of the AEWA, but also on the protection of migratory birds worldwide. Protecting water birds using flyways outside the AEWA region, according the AEWA model, but also protecting other migratory species. The AEWA is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. And it is now time to take the conservation of migratory birds beyond its teenage years, into adulthood and maturity. Thank you.