One in six European mammals at risk of extinction

Nearly one in every six species of European mammals is now threatened with extinction, finds the first assessment of all European mammals, requested by the European Commission and carried out by the World Conservation Union, IUCN. The findings were released on May 22 to mark International Biodiversity Day. The IUCN assessment shows that 27 percent of all European mammals have declining populations, and trends for a further 33 percent are unknown. Only eight percent of mammal species were identified as increasing. But while some 15 percent, or almost one-sixth, of mammals are threatened in Europe, the situation of marine mammals is even grimmer–22 percent are classified as threatened with extinction. The true number is likely to be even higher, as almost 44 percent of marine mammals were classified as data deficient due to missing information. European marine mammals include six species of seals, walrus and many whale species. There are narwhals and 10 species of dolphins, in addition to the common porpoise. "Although Europe is one of the best studied regions of the world, little of this knowledge has been brought together and until now, we have had no overall view of the conservation status of mammals across the continent," said Helen Temple of IUCN's Red List Unit, who led the assessment. The assessment shows that Europe's mountains and the Balkan Peninsula are home to the greatest diversity of species. This wealth of biodiversity forms an arc which extends from the Pyrenees through the Alps towards the Carpathians and Rhodopes in southeastern Europe. The greatest concentration of threatened species was found in Bulgaria. Within the European Union, six species have been classified as critically endangered. This category includes the Arctic fox and the European mink, which both have very small and declining populations. The Mediterranean monk seal population has decreased to between 350 to 450 individuals, and this species is considered the world's most endangered seal. The main threats to European mammals are habitat degradation and loss such as deforestation or wetland drainage, followed by pollution and over-harvesting. For marine species, pollution and accidental mortality from fisheries by-catch or ship collisions are the main risks. These threats are most severe in the enclosed seas–the Baltic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. To reverse the decline of Europe's mammals, the study recommends urgent implementation of the European Union's nature conservation policies, to develop species action plans and integrate nature conservation into the European Union's land use policies.