Biodiversity Charters from the Council of Europe
The Council of Europe building in Strasbourg
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has provided guidance on the ecosystem approach to conservation. According to the “Malawi Principles”, humans are to be treated as part of ecosystems because “we are all in it together”. CBD has also provided Addis Ababa Principles and Guidelines on conserving through sustainable use. However, there is a difficult gap between international principles and national laws, regulations and incentives.
The Council of Europe bridged this gap through the work of parties to the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats. They realised that both governments and citizens need guidance for how to manage conservation, and have created Charters which place responsibilities on those governing and those governed.
After the adoption of a European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity in 2007, a Charter on Recreational Fishing and Biodiversity was adopted in 2010. You can find those Charter texts by visiting the page on Production ideas, through the link on the right. A charter on conserving through gathering wild fungi and plants is now in preparation.
On the Web
The European Charter on Hunting and Biodiversity is the first of the Bern Convention charters to encourage conservation through sustainable use.
This is the second Bern Convention charter to encourage conservation through use of wild resources, produced with much help from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation
The third charter in the series. See also Best Practice for Gathering.