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European freshwater ecosystems are seriously threatened
03 February 2012
03.02.2012 - Biodiversity in Europe's lakes and rivers is decreasing. This warning comes from a recently published report by the European Commission, according to which water pollution, overfishing, habitat loss, and the introduction of invasive species into freshwater ecosystems threaten a large number of fish, mollusk, worm, and plant species in Europe's freshwater.
This report also assesses that the situation with terrestrial fauna species is not in a better state either, warning of an alarming decline in the number of endangered species. According to the Report, freshwater fish, amphibians, vascular plants, and above all, mollusks are under particular threat. European freshwater ecosystems are seriously threatened, therefore urgent conservation actions are required, the study recommends. Water pollution, overfishing, habitat loss, and the introduction of non-native species are some of the main causes of the decline in the number of aquatic species in Europe.
The report has been prepared based on a study conducted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which assessed the status of 6,000 freshwater species in the rivers and lakes of Europe included in the European Red List. According to it, around 44% of all freshwater mollusks, 37% of freshwater fish species, and 23% of amphibians are now under threat. Similarly, about 20% of terrestrial mollusks, 19% of reptiles, 15% of mammals, and 13% of birds are also threatened, the research estimates. Unfortunately, in Kosovo there is still no detailed assessment of endangered species. Kosovo still does not have a Red List of species despite initiatives from the Kosovo Environmental Protection Agency and the Kosovo Institute for Nature Protection.