International Day for Biodiversity 2007

Malta Independent Sunday, 20 May 2007, 00:00 Last update: about 14 years ago

BICREF, the Biological Conservation Research Foundation, is an environmental NGO that works to promote research and conservation of our biodiversity since 1998.

As part of its efforts to promote the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, BICREF has produced three colourful and educational posters for secondary schools.

This year’s theme for the day is Biodiversity and Climate Change.

Too often we tend to focus on life forms we can see and forget the beautiful and useful life forms that are less visible like those that fill our seas. Climate change will affect them too.

For this reason the three posters focus on our sea: its biodiversity, dolphins and BICREF’s work. These posters aim at promoting conservation values and awareness for biodiversity research and protection.

All photos were taken by BICREF members as part of ongoing research projects, including biodiversity around the coasts, and offshore creatures such as cetaceans and turtles.

The posters were done with the HSBC-Earthwatch research fellows’ assistance.

As BICREF is also partner of ACCOBAMS and supporter of UNEP’s International Year of the Dolphin campaign, one of the posters is dedicated solely to the Common Dolphins in Maltese waters. This species is reported as endangered in the Mediterranean by the IUCN.

BICREF has increasingly worked to promote awareness on the threats to vulnerable species from offshore Blue fin tuna and sharks to coastal biodiversity, that may be affected by numerous human impacts from over-fishing, sewage, fish farms, tuna penning, coastal developments, toxic run offs from land to sound disturbances and lights.

On top of all this there is global warming and consequent environmental changes. Being able to discuss these issues, as part of formal and informal educational activities and to develop conservation research and management skills is what BICREF is promoting through its awareness campaigns.

Thanks to the Education Department, all secondary State, Church and private schools are being given a set of these educational posters to make students aware of these vitally important issues.

Relevant websites to discuss the biodiversity issues are:

www.biodiv.org/programmes/outreach/awareness/biodiv-day-2007.shtml