Tournant dans la protection de la nature, des océans, des baleines et des dauphins
La semaine dernière, le Parlement européen a voté en faveur de projets ambitieux de protection et de restauration de la nature. Pour la restauration de la biodiversité, la protection des océans et des forêts et la reconnaissance de l'écocide – la destruction ou les dommages à grande échelle des écosystèmes – comme un crime international. D'ici 2030, trente pour cent de toutes les zones terrestres et maritimes devront être protégées, selon le Parlement. Absolument nécessaire, selon la députée européenne Anja Hazekamp du Parti pour les Animaux néerlandais : « Pas moins d’un million d'espèces sont menacées d'extinction. » Elle a contribué aux projets et a appelé avec succès à la protection des forêts vierges entre autres, contre le déboisement pour la biomasse et à une interdiction mondiale de la chasse à la baleine.
Les plans font partie d'un rapport sur la stratégie européenne pour la biodiversité. Cela accentue que la déforestation, le changement climatique, l'agriculture à grande échelle et le commerce d'espèces sauvages constituent une menace non seulement pour la biodiversité, mais aussi pour les humains. « Nous pouvons réduire considérablement le risque de pandémie en minimisant les activités humaines nocives. Prévenir une pandémie coûte cent fois moins cher que la combattre », a déclaré la députée européenne Anja Hazekamp.
Short animation by the British artist Steve Cutts about the relationship between the emergence of pandemics and the loss of nature and biodiversity through human activities.
Nature reserves and forests
To protect nature, harmful industrial activities and the construction of new roads and airports in and near nature reserves should no longer be authorized, according to a majority of MEPs.
The current EU renewable energy rules should also be revised to bring them in line with nature conservation targets. This call was partly made at Hazekamp's initiative: `The current EU rules mean that the few European primeval forests that remain are used as a factory for wood pellets. Which is anything but sustainable; it is disastrous for biodiversity and causes enormous CO2 emissions," says Hazekamp.
Oceans
To better protect our seas and oceans, a third of these waters must be given protected status. `This is an important step,’ says Hazekamp, who is also a member of the European Parliament's Fisheries Committee. `If we do nothing, half of all sea plants and animals will be extinct by 2100. Our waters are still being overfished and only about 11% of Europe's seas and oceans currently have protected status. Fishing is still allowed in the majority of these “protected” areas, even using the most harmful fishing techniques.’
According to Hazekamp, the call for fishing bans in protected nature reserves is therefore crucial. `It is vital that we start to truly protect those protected areas. Which means no fishing or drilling for oil or gas, but letting nature take its course so it can recover. This ensures the recovery of fish stock, both inside and outside the protected areas.’
Whale and dolphin hunting
The Dutch Party for the Animals' proposal to maintain the global ban on commercial whaling also received support in the plenary vote. Parliament furthermore called on the International Whaling Commission to act against illegal commercial whaling by Norway.
A call on the Faroe Islands to stop the controversial hunt of pilot whales - the second largest dolphin species - was adopted by a large majority as well. The European Parliament has ordered the 27 EU countries and the European Commission to continue to exert pressure on the archipelago to eliminate the hunt of these large dolphins.