Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Request for More Protected Nature Areas

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BUENOS AIRES, May 31 2010 (IPS) - The Argentine Wildlife Foundation has called upon the government of Cristina Fernández to increase the total coverage of protected areas, which currently remains below the minimum recommended by the Convention on Biological Diversity. Just 7.7 percent of Argentine territory is protected area, but the minimum the country pledged is 10 percent for each eco-region this year, and the marine areas by 2012.

The Foundation also warns that the existing preserves face problems implementing their management plans.

And there is little consistency. Foundation official Claudio Bertonatti told Tierramérica that there are some eco-regions with 35 percent protected area, while others have just one percent.

“The ideal would be to preserve 15 percent of each eco-region, but we are a long way from that, both in land and marine areas,” said the environmentalist.