On a uniform from the French Biodiversity Office.

(illustration) -

LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP

The situation of wild fauna and flora has deteriorated in thirteen years in France.

On the occasion of World Wildlife Day, this Wednesday, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the French Office for Biodiversity and the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) take stock of the List red of threatened species in France, which establishes the "degree of threat to species of flora and fauna" since 2008, according to a press release.

In thirteen years 13,842 species have been assessed, of which 17.6% are threatened.

This percentage increases in breeding birds (32%), freshwater crustaceans (28%) or amphibians (23%).

The situation is particularly worrying in overseas territories.

187 species have completely disappeared.

For more than 2,100 others, the data is insufficient.

The ultimate goal is to assess all species.

Other species are "almost threatened": "it is an important concern to have, they are the threatened of tomorrow but they are species on which we can still act easily", underlines Laurent Poncet of the MNHN.

Land use planning which remains uncontrolled

Some groups of species - the reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds and water fish of the hexagon - have been assessed twice since 2008. “We thought that in eight or nine years you wouldn't see a lot of evolution.

The surprise is that we are witnessing a clear deterioration in the situation, ”explains Florian Kirchner, from IUCN France.

"For nesting birds, we had a quarter of endangered species in 2008, a third eight years later," he gives as an example.

More worryingly, "we're talking about the species that benefit the most from conservation effort, vertebrates, not insects or molluscs."

"This brings us back to the main threats in metropolitan France: land use planning which remains uncontrolled and the intensification of agricultural practices", with uniform areas and the significant use of pesticides, explains the scientist.

“If we had more data, we think we would put more species in these endangered categories,” adds Laurent Poncet.

"The degradation of nature remains much greater than all the efforts that can be deployed", warns Florian Kirchner.

“We really have to change gear,” he insists.

However, he sees "two sources of hope: public opinion is changing and there is good news" in the protection of species, as in the case of the otter, the Alpine ibex or the monk vulture.

Planet

Why the disappearance of "rare" fish would threaten the entire marine ecosystem

Planet

Eco-bridges, eco-pipelines ... They allow animals to cross the motorway in safety

  • Animals

  • Plants

  • Biodiversity

  • Planet

  • Wildlife