Los humanos provocamos la extinción de 72 especies al día

Un paleontólogo de la Universidad de Zaragoza e investigador del Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón (España), Eustoquio Molina, ha indicado que el mundo vive el sexto gran periodo periodo de extinción debido a que cada hora desaparecen tres especies, con lo cual dejan de existir 72 variedades de animales a diario y alrededor de 30.000 cada año, según un comunicado difundido por la Academia Mexicana de Ciencias y publicado por el portal mexícano Infórmate.

'Super ants' from Asia invading British gardens faster than ever

An invasive garden ant hailing from Asia continues to conquer new territory in England. The species, Lasius neglectus, is capable of building super colonies boasting dozens of queens and several thousand ants.

Γενετικά τροποποιημένοι αρουραίοι για τη διάσωση της βιοποικιλότητας στα Νησιά Γκαλαπάγκος

Η μοναδική βιοποικιλότητα των Νησιών Γκαλαπάγκος βρίσκεται σε κίνδυνο, καθώς χωροκατακτητικά είδη αρουραίων, τα οποία έχουν φτάσει στα νησιά μέσω πλοίων, τρέφονται μαζικά με αυγά και νεοσσούς από απειλούμενα είδη.

Invasive Argentine ants successfully eradicated from New Zealand

One of the world's most destructive eco-invaders has been eradicated from a popular wildlife sanctuary.

Asian wasp causes havoc in N. Portugal

The University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) have alerted the public Monday to destroy the Asian wasp which is causing havoc through northern Portugal and poses a health concern.

Swarms of Killer Honeybees Continue March Across California

The Africanized honey bee is a hybrid created by crossbreeding in Brazil; the subspecies began its journey north when 26 bee swarms escaped from quarantine in 1957.

More work needed to assess risks to Antarctic wildlife

More resources and coordination are needed to assess the unique wildlife of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean after an international agreement earlier this month to set out a biodiversity plan for the continent, a New Zealand Antarctic expert said Wednesday.

Turistas podrían causar un desastre ecológico en la Antártida

Los ambientalistas advierten de que la creciente popularidad del turismo polar podría amenazar seriamente al ecosistema de la región: los visitantes traen bacterias patógenas, que pondrían en peligro la salud de los pingüinos de la Antártida.

Una operación eliminará ratas para conservar la biodiversidad de una isla

  Photo rohrmannspace.net

La mayor operación de eliminación de ratas con veneno en la historia empezará en febrero para conservar la biodiversidad de una de las Islas Georgias, en el Atlántico Sur que pertenecen al Reino Unido.

Bird populations across Europe declining rapidly

Bird populations across Europe have experienced sharp declines - a staggering 421 million birds over the past 30 years - with the majority of losses from the most common species, a research shows.

The decline in bird populations can be linked to modern farming methods, deterioration of the quality of the environment and habitat fragmentation, the study noted.

Around 90 percent of these losses were from the 36 most common and widespread species, including house sparrows, skylarks, grey partridges and starlings.

Australia targets wildlife extinction

Australia's Environment Minister Greg Hunt has pledged to end the extinction of native mammal species by 2020, with a focus on culprits such as feral cats.

Hunt said Australia had the worst rate of mammal loss in the world and the nation's "greatest failure" in environmental policy was protecting threatened species.

"Our flora and fauna are part of what makes us Australian," he said in a speech late Wednesday.

Guangzhou using invasive species against mosquito-borne fever

Southern Chinese authorities' introduction of an invasive fish species to combat a surge in dengue fever has sparked fears that the practice will break the environmental balance.

The water bureau in Guangzhou Municipality, China's third-largest city, has reacted to the mosquito-borne disease by adding mosquitofish to "controllable static waters." While the fish are named for their diet of mosquito larvae, they are also known for harming indigenous species worldwide.

Commission welcomes the Council's adoption of the Invasive Alien Species Regulation

European Commission, Statement, Brussels, 29 September 2014:

Today the EU adopted legislation that will tackle the rapidly growing threat to biodiversity from invasive species. The Regulation is a crucial step towards achieving the EU's 2020 biodiversity targets, while also delivering on a commitment under the Convention on Biological Diversity to establish rules to address the threats posed by these species.

European Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik said: "This new Regulation fills a long-recognised gap in EU biodiversity protection.

BLUEFIN TUNA: THE LONG PATH OF RECOVERY

Bluefin Tuna is an emblematic species, fished and appreciated all across the globe. But when I took office four years ago, the state of the stocks was extremely alarming. We were exporting and eating more bluefin tuna than we were expected to catch!

In 2012 we managed to take action at global level: we implemented, within the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), a very strict recovery plan based on advice by scientists.

New snake species found at Mt. Qomolangma known in the West as Mount Everest

Chinese scientists have discovered a new species of brownish pit viper in the largest scientific study since the 1970s on wildlife at Mount Qomolangma, known in the West as Mount Everest.

A genetic analysis revealed Protobothrops Himalayanus, which was first spotted at Jilong Valley in southern Tibet Autonomous Region in 2012, to be a new snake species, Hu Huijian, co-chief of the research team, told Xinhua on Thursday.

The new species was named in honor of its home, the Himalayas, said Hu.

Invasive alien species: "The damage and costs continue to increase"

One of the worst threats to Europe's biodiversity and ecosystems is plant and animals species coming from other countries and continents, which often cause the near extinction of native species. On 16 April MEPs approved new rules to tackle this issue. “Invasive alien species are the second most significant threat to biodiversity after habitat loss and they are also recognised as a major cause of species extinction,” said Pavel Poc, the MEP responsible for steering the proposal through the EP.

Environment: Commission takes Greece to court over failure to protect iconic species

European Commission, Press release, Brussels, 28 March 2014:

 The European Commission is taking Greece to Court for a failure to provide adequate protection for endangered sea turtles. The case concerns developments in Kyparissia Bay in the Western Peloponnese, one of the most important nesting beaches for caretta caretta loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean, and an area protected under EU legislation. A high number of developments and construction activities are being tolerated and given permits in the area, and the developments are having a significant negative effect on the endangered turtles. On the recommendation of Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik, the Commission is referring the case to the EU Court of Justice.

Invasive alien species: MEPs reach agreement with the Greek Presidency

Plans to prevent the introduction or halt the spread of “invasive alien species” of plants, animals or insects that cause ecological and economic damage were agreed by MEPs and the Greek Presidency of the Council on Wednesday. The draft legislation, which would require EU member states to coordinate their efforts, provides for a ban on species declared to be of “Union concern”.

“Invasive alien species cause damage worth at least €12 billion every year in Europe and many member states already have to spend considerable resources in dealing with them”, said MEP Pavel Poc (S&D, CZ) who is steering the legislation through Parliament.

Una especie invasora destruye hasta el 95% de la biodiversidad en el Atlántico

Los peces leones en menos de 35 años invadieron el área oeste del Atlántico, superior al territorio de EEUU, suplantando a otros predadores y destruyendo hasta el 95% de las especies, informó la Universidad de Oregon.