New Horizons for Portugal 4 Planet for His Own Welfare
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★ ★ ★ ★ COUNCIL ★ ★ CONSEIL OF EUROPE DE L’EUROPE e u ro p e a n mmujm No. 28 -1977 information Editorial D. a . Munro 3 Man, in common with other species, has — to ensure proper co-ordination of con cally attempted before) and then working always sought to use the resources of the servation and action planning so that in out in detail the shape and content of the c e n tre J. de Almeida Fernandes New horizons for Portugal 4 planet for his own welfare. In doing so he terested bodies support rather than dupli strategy. for has simply obeyed a universal law of cate each other's efforts. The Ecosystem IUCN headquarters is Morges, Switzer Legacy of living landscapes j . Houiet 7 nature and, until fairly recently, his Conservation Group, established by land. This small town on the Lake of n atu re methods have served him well enough. UNEP, FAO, Unesco and IUCN, can be of Geneva is also the headquarters of the Claws of progress H. Wolf 10 conservation Today this is no longer the case as more assistance in this respect; World Wildlife Fund. Our geographical and more his methods are becoming self- closeness is most helpful in ensuring the Perish in silence A.Leiek 13 — to g e t actio n im plem ented. This is, o f defeating. course, the most difficult challenge. It can very necessary close liaison. The World Wildlife Fund provides roughly one third Growing awareness - World-wide responsibility j. Burton 19 The basic reasons are well known: grow be met only if national and local organis ing numbers, growing expectations of ations — governmental or non-govern of lUCN's total funding and in return we Laws of the environment s.Erçman 23 material comfort, growing technological m ental — are ready to do the hard work. provide the scientific support for our prowess. And this in a world whose living many joint projects. UNEP provides Scaling the heights G. Feurstein 27 resources — the animals and plants on another third of our funding because it which man’s welfare finally depends — believes that the development of a global are not increasing. Quite the reverse, in conservation strategy is an essential input fact. Forests are shrinking, particularly in to its task of perfecting and promoting the the over-stressed tropical regions; the techniques of environmental manage harvest of the seas is declining; many ment. species are still threatened with extinc The Council of Europe has a difficult task. tion; formerly productive lands are “los Overfishing in the North Sea and pollution New ing ground” to erosion: 3 thousand mil in the Mediterranean and also the Wad- The symbol for the Council of Europe's lion tons of topsoil annually. And so on. den Seas are but some of the problems nature conservation activities. horizons This destruction and wastage cannot be which are now exercising the nations of tolerated. It is, moreover, quite unneces Western Europe. These are urgent mat sary. The globe’s living resources, wisely ters in which IUCN and the Council of managed and harvested, are self-renew Europe must collaborate to get commer Naturopa is published in English, in ing and inexhaustible. cial and other interests to understand that French, in German and in Italian by the conservation, far from being a fringe Various organisations attempt to ensure European Information Centre for Nature issue, is central to their own long-term Conservation of the Council of Europe, that these resources are wisely managed. prosperity. The good management of re 67006 Strasbourg Cedex, France. Some, such as the International Union for sources such as migratory birds shared, Portugal joined the Council of Europe as that man can live in harmony with nature Conservation of Nature and Natural Re Editor responsible: Hayo H. Hoekstra not only by European nations, but also its nineteenth member country, and in this and thus blend in without causing des sources, IUCN, exist primarily for this pur those of other continents, is still a goal to Editor: Dominique Wolff issue the Centre’s National Agent there truction. Also, and as we have shown be pose; for others such as the Council of be achieved. describes nature conservation in Portugal fore, mountain regions, with their lure to Europe, conservation is but one of a Lay-out and design: Roland Schwoegler (Photo F. Vollmar, WWF) and the beneficial effects he expects from millions of tourists in summer and winter, number of vital issues. It is in the interests The Council of Europe as an intergovern mental political organisation also has real Printed by: Koelblindruck, Baden-Baden, the Council of Europe's Intergovernmen tend to change their character. We must of both our organisations: Federal Republic of Germany strengths. It has, among other things, ac tal Work Programme. In its development now face the existing dangers and con — to make sure that recommendations cess to the considerable expertise that and by entering a new era, Portugal may serve, through management, these zones. for action are based on the best scientific Articles may be reprinted providing ref has developed within its member states. erence is made to the source and a copy thus profit from the experience gained knowledge available — and that the International organisations can propose a sent to the Centre. The copyright of all We publish our second and last article on Funds, though still too scarce, are more elsewhere. sociological, economic and political general framework for action, help to pro photographs is reserved. the losses of wildlife due to such human readily available than in some other re aspects of issues are also taken into vide ammunition for those fighting on the Fish: important as a source of protein and actions as pollution, haymaking, high ten gions of the world. Government depart Information concerning Naturopa, the account so that recommendations are, spot, primarily in the form of guidelines as a means of diversion for millions of sion wires, etc., hoping that these articles ments handling environmental problems European Information Centre for Nature indeed, feasible. lUCN's long suit is its and expertise, and encourage govern are getting high recognition and Conservation or the Council of Europe vacationing sports fishermen. However, have contributed to an increasing system global network of consultants and scien ments which are slow to implement may be obtained on application to the many species of freshwater fish appear to of prevention. thousands of non-governmental organ appropriate National Agency (see addres tists, numbering in all well over a agreed conservation principles. be endangered through loss of habitat, isations are doing their best to promote — ses inside back cover) or to the Centre To round off this issue of Naturopa, as thousand. The Council of Europe can rely For IUCN, strategy is the key word. IUCN itself. water pollution, and over fishing. The and implement — conservation. diverse this time as nature itself, a legal on the co-operation of IUCN to bring in commands slender resources but a Council of Europe is in the process of formation from these key people to bear As the new Director-General of IUCN I am, The opinions expressed in this publication expert of the Secretariat of the Council of wealth of experts. We are therefore con on actual conservation problems; of course, ready to continue the close are those of thé authors and do not neces producing a study on this subject which Europe shows modern trends in conser vinced that our main role should be to sarily reflect the views of the Council of relationship which exists between the Naturopa now already highlights in this vation legislation. — to determine the priorities for allo pinpoint priority areas of concern and Europe. Council of Europe and the Union, and to issue as yet another endangered aspect of cation of resources and manpower, which then to design the global strategy within The next issue of Naturopa will be entirely look for ways to act together to withstand our natural environment. unfortunately seem unlikely to be suf which we and others should operate — dedicated to the plight of the oceans and the pressures which threaten the natural ficient until the long-term value of invest these others being both international Although not a subject of pure nature heritage of Europe's lands and the welfare the efforts made to safeguard the intricate ment in conservation is fully recognised bodies and governments. We are now in Cover: Genetta genetta conservation, the conservation of rural ar life in the seas. Thus it will be a contri of her peoples. Back: Iris boissieri by decision-makers. Thus we need to be the process of determining exact criteria (Photos Parco nacional de Peneda Gérés) chitecture as part of the landscape is bution to the world-wide campaign on absolutely sure that we focus on the prob for assessing priorities (no simple task — important, and we decided to show here this subject. H. H. H. lems which require the most attention; and one which has never been systemati David A. Munro Public action pose of implementing integrated meas A nature reserve is an area “calling for ures in all sectors influencing the environ protection yet not corresponding to either ment: the space or recreational criteria required Ever since they were set up, in April 1974, — nature conservation, for the setting up of a nature park . Here the new Portuguese authorities have giv attention is concentrated on preserving — protection of landscape and sites, en proof of their eagerness to protect the certain specific aspects of the natural set natural environment of their country. — rational management of natural re ting taken as a whole (flora and fauna, Consequently they divided responsibility sources, and soil, geology or water resources), by tak between the Ministry of Agriculture and — protection of their faculty of recovery ing the requisite measures compatible with the idea of protection, scientific Fisheries and the Secretariat of State for and renewal, the Environment set up for this purpose studies or a variety of uses.