The harmonization of Red Lists for threatened species in Europe Iongh, H.H. de; Banki, O.S.; Bergmans, W.; Van der Werff ten Bosch, M.J. Citation Iongh, H. H. de, Banki, O. S., Bergmans, W., & Van der Werff ten Bosch, M. J. (2003). The harmonization of Red Lists for threatened species in Europe. Leiden: Bakhuijs Publishers. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/1887/15728 Version: Not Applicable (or Unknown) License: Leiden University Non-exclusive license Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/15728 Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable). Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 1 THE HARMONIZATION OF RED LISTS FOR THREATENED SPECIES IN EUROPE Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 2 Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 3 The harmonization of Red Lists for threatened species in Europe Proceedings of an International Seminar in Leiden, 27 and 28 November 2002 Editors H.H. de Iongh O.S. Bánki W. Bergmans M.J. van der Werff ten Bosch Mededelingen No. 38 November 2003 Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 4 NEDERLANDSE COMMISSIE VOOR INTERNATIONALE NATUURBESCHERMING Netherlands Commission for International Nature Protection Secretariaat: dr. H.P. Nooteboom National Herbarium of the Netherlands/Hortus Botanicus Einsteinweg 2 POB 9514 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands Mededelingen No. 38, 2003 Editors: H.H. de Iongh, O.S. Bánki, W. Bergmans and M.J. van der Werff ten Bosch Lay out: Sjoukje Rienks Cover design: Sjoukje Rienks Front cover photograph: Common crane (Grus grus): F. de Nooyer/Foto Natura Back cover photographs: Tyto alba (D. Nill/Foto Natura); Barbus barbus (W.A.M. Meinderts/Foto Natura); Podarcis muralis (W.H. Klomp/Foto Natura); Cricetus crice- tus (R. Krekels/Foto Natura); Martes martes (D. Nill/Foto Natura); Platalea leucorodia (D. Elliger/Foto Natura); Amanita solitaria (J. Meijvogel/Foto Natura); Pinguicula vul- garis (C. Castelijns/Foto Natura) Photograph p. 1: Usnea subflorida (G.L. de Hoog/Foto Natura) ISSN 0923-5981 This seminar was held on 27 and 28 November 2002 in Leiden, The Netherlands Organisation: Centre of Environmental Science of Leiden University in collaboration with the Netherlands Committee for IUCN and the IUCN Red List Programme Sponsors: Van Tienhoven Foundation, Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries, Institute of Environmental Sciences Address corresponding editor: Hans de Iongh Institute of Environmental Sciences POB 9518 2300 RA Leiden The Netherlands Tel +31-71-5277431 e-mail: [email protected] Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 5 Foreword Red Lists are a valuable part of our species protection policy. Not only are they important as indicators, they are also vital as a tool for sound and unambigu- ous communication between governments and all other parties involved in species protection. Dutch species protection policy and the protection plans resulting from it are for a large part based on these Red Lists and the studies underpinning them. The Wild Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive have given species policy a clear European dimension. However, European species protection policy is impeded by the different ways these Red Lists are being used in the various EU Member States. According to this international seminar ‘The Harmoniza- tion of Red Lists in Europe’ some 3700 Red Lists are in use but the approach, aim and criteria used, vary widely. This does not help communication: it affects the communication between Member States and the communication between Member States and the European Commission. Because of these dif- ferences the Red Lists are hardly used during the regular reviews of the an- nexes to the Wild Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. It is therefore of importance that the Red List criteria are being harmonised. I think that the new IUCN Categories and Criteria (version 3.1) will go a long way to bringing this harmonisation about. The Netherlands therefore intends to use these new IUCN Categories and Criteria in its future Red List reviews. I hope that this seminar, the proceedings presented here and the new IUCN Categories and Criteria will lead to a better and more harmonised interna- tional species protection policy. The Netherlands would be very happy to con- tribute to this aim. Cees Veerman Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality 5 Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 6 Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 7 Preface Perdix perdix (P.P. de Nooyer/Foto Natura) The present Proceedings are the results of a European seminar on the har- monization of National Red Lists in Europe held on the 27th and 28th of No- vember 2002, at the National Museum of Natural History (Naturalis) in Lei- den, the Netherlands. The seminar was organised by the Centre of Environmental Science in Leiden and the Netherlands Committee for IUCN in co-operation with the IUCN Red List Programme. The seminar was attended by more than 90 participants from 23 European countries, most of them involved and interested in nature conservation in Europe, species specialists (botanists and zoologists) who are involved in Red Listing in Europe, European members of the SSC, European members of IUCN, policy makers and politicians. The objectives of the seminar have been defined as follows: 1 to get acquainted with the revised IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, and the regional application guidelines; 2 to exchange experiences with the application of the IUCN Categories and Criteria and the regional application guidelines; 3 to discuss recommendations for a better harmonisation of national Red Listing across Europe. The first day of the seminar was largely devoted to the policy aspects of Red Listing in Europe, with a prominent attention for the European legislation, such Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 8 as the Birds and Habitat directives. A main outcome of this first day was, that the over 3,468 regional or national Red Lists identified in Europe show a high variability in purpose, composition, geographic coverage and Categories and Criteria used. Partly as a result of this variability and lack of a consistent ap- proach, Red Lists species are rarely used for European ecological networks and play a modest role in the updating of the annexes of the Habitats and the Birds directives. During the seminar it became obvious, that harmonization can only be reached on a voluntary basis. Red Lists are often embedded in local legislation and have great political and emotional significance. Changing this system from one day to the other may have large implications. In this context the use of pilots was recommended, to test the new IUCN Categories and Criteria (version 3.1.) on specific taxonomic groups. During the second day the more technical sessions resulted in specific re- commendations for the specialists working with Red Lists. During the seminar all objectives have been reached and the num- ber of participants resulted in the organisation of two parallel work- shops on the second day. The seminar is therefore perceived as a successful meeting, which has contributed significantly to the ongoing discussion on the use of Red Lists for nature conservation in Europe. Special thanks are due to Craig Hilton Taylor and Caro- line Pollock of the IUCN Red List Calopteryx virgo (C. Castelijns/Foto Natura) Programme and Ulff Gärdenfors for their support. I also want to thank the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Man- agement and Food Quality and the Van Tienhoven Foundation once again for their generous financial support and the organisers for their efforts to realise this event. I wish that a follow-up will be given to the recommendations of this seminar. NC-IUCN and CML will continue to work on the follow-up of these recommendations, with your support. Doeke Eisma Chairman NC-IUCN Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 9 Contents Introduction H.H. de Iongh, O.S. Bánki, W. Bergmans and M.J. van der Werff ten Bosch 15 PART I Red listing Policy in Europe; results of the plenary workshop 1 Opening address 21 D. Eisma 2 Welcome address 23 H.A. Udo de Haes 3 The relevance of Red Data lists for EU nature policy 25 M. O'Briain and A. Rubin 4 The revised IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: version 3.1 33 C. Pollock, G.M. Mace and C. Hilton-Taylor 5 The regional application guidelines 49 U. Gärdenfors 6 Inputs of the Netherlands Committee for IUCN and Dutch members in the Red List process 57 W. Ferwerda 7 A statistical survey on European Red Lists 59 C. Köppel, F. Jansen, J. Burton, M. Schnittler and N. Hirneisen 8 Red Listing in Portugal with the new IUCN criteria: state of the art 77 L. Rogado 9 Red Listing policy in the Netherlands 87 P. Joop 9 Red List Book oktober. 11/13/03 12:31 PM Pagina 10 10 Ecological networks and the protection of Red List species 91 G. Bennett 11 Summary of discussion 97 O.S. Bánki and H.H. de Iongh PART II Workshop Session I 12 Threat descriptors and extinction risk – The Austrian Red List concept 103 K.P. Zulka, E. Eder, H. Höttinger and E. Weigaard 13 Red Lists in Flanders: scale effects and trend estimates 111 L. de Bruyn, A. Anselin, D. Bauwens, S. Colazzo, K. Devos, D. Maes, G. Vermeersch and E. Kuijken 14 Red List of reptiles and amphibians in the Netherlands 121 R. Creemers 15 Red Listing in Estonia 127 V. Lilleleht 16 Red Listing’ birds in the UK: A provisional comparison of ‘The population status of birds in the UK’ with the IUCN regional guidelines 137 M.A.