In a few years, without adequate protection and conservation policies, the natural environment of Sardinia could definitively say goodbye to griffon vultures. Or bearded vultures, gray shrikes, eagles, hawks. And, among mammals, the earlobe.
The Ministry of the Environment and Federparchi, in collaboration with the Italian Committee of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently published the "Red List of Italian Vertebrates", which illustrates the risk of extinction of the species that populate the different Italian regions.
And, scrolling through the long list of marine animals and birds present in the dossier, there remain – unfortunately – many specimens of Sardinian fauna that have seen their status worsen compared to 2013, the year taken as a point of reference, which in some cases , from "vulnerable" has gone to "Endangered", or officially endangered.
In detail, as regards the species that populate the island, the animals whose population has seen a clear "worsening" - marked in red - are about ten.
Below is the list:
- the leopard shark or lesser dogfish (Scyliorhinus stellaris) which previously was not at risk and which has now been included in the "Near Threatened" category
- the Sardinian long ear, which from "endangered" is now classified as "at risk of extinction"
- the gray shrike, which in 2013 was "Vulnerable" and is now endangered
- oystercatcher from "Near Threatened" to "Vulnerable"
- the cormorant, which was and remains "Critically endangered" (CR), or now critically endangered
- the osprey, also moved to the worrying CR level
- the lesser shearwater
- the Sardinian magnanina
- the kingfisher
- the lonely sparrow
- the storm petrel
- the Tyrrhenian tree frog
In some cases, compared to 2013, there have been improvements. Bonelli's eagle, for example, has gone from “Critically endangered” to “Endangered”, the griffin from “Critically endangered” to “Near Threatened”, but this is cold consolation.
As for the species present in Sardinia, among the species present in Sardinia which are most at risk of extinction today, in addition to the long-eared shrike, the gray shrike, the cormorant, the bearded vulture and the osprey, there are the red-headed shrike, the Sardinian goshawk, the little bustard.
And neither are the Eleonora's hawks, marsh harriers, little bittern and greenfinch, which were and remain "Vulnerable".
THE EXPERTS – «The rich diversity of animal and plant species present in Italy is subject to concrete threats due to human activity», reads the report. "The average human population density is currently 202 inhabitants/km2, higher than the average for already populous Europe."
"Although the abandonment of rural areas in favor of cities has favored the renaturalization of some environments - add the experts who worked on the report - the consumption of natural resources by the population in cities has grown, as has the intensification of agriculture that has reduced or eliminated natural spaces in cultivated areas, reducing them
drastically the suitability for the fauna».
THE SCENARIOS – «Currently, – continues the dossier – 24 National Parks, 146 Regional Parks, 147 State Nature Reserves, 32 Marine Protected Areas, about 400 Regional Reserves are established in Italy, in addition to a vast network of protected sites, most of which included in the Natura 2000 network. Overall, the surface area protected amounts to 21%, including the Natura 2000 sites. On a global level, it has been demonstrated that conservation actions are still largely insufficient to counter the increase in human pressure on animal and plant species, and the consequence they are a general deterioration of the state of biodiversity and an approach of species to extinction".
Hence the need to increase monitoring and, at the same time, implement policies that strengthen the protection of the environment and fauna.
"Local extinction is a phenomenon that is difficult to reverse, because it necessarily requires costly reintroduction interventions with often uncertain outcomes", say the experts. Adding: "Taking action to conserve species before they are too close to extinction reduces costs and increases the likelihood of successful conservation actions."
