Action Anxiety

In the 14 years since it began at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the achievements of the CBD have been few. Every word, every comma, every full stop has to be negotiated, debated and then renegotiated by over 180 countries.

In 2002 at the World Summit on Sustainability Development in South Africa, the world promised to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 on land and 2012 in the ocean. Yet here we are in 2006, just 4 years away from that deadline, and they haven't even started the 'Programme of Work', the main vehicle for the creation of a global network of protected areas Unfortunately, the world's plants and animals are running out of time.

If reducing the rate of biodiversity loss was their promise in 2002, then 2006 is a wake up call with life on the planet continuing to be consigned to the history books. Extinctions are now running at 1,000 times normal levels and will increase up to 10,000 times normal levels by 2050 if urgent action is not taken.

Whilst the delegates at the CBD slowly negotiate, we are working to stop biodiversity loss right now. Our ship the 'Esperanza' is in the Atlantic working to expose the pirate fishing fleets that operate without sanction across the world's oceans. Teams of activists are also working in the heart of the Amazon to stop the rainforest being destroyed to grow agricultural products, such as soya.

On the other side of the planet, volunteers from around the world are protecting the rainforests of Papua New Guinea. Working from the Global Forest Rescue Station, they are helping traditional landowners and eco-forestry experts establish the rights of traditional landowners.

The CBD needs to speed up its work to protect life on earth. The delegates need to agree without delay to:

● Create a global network of protected areas on land and in the ocean.

● Properly fund the protection of life on earth and if additional resources can be found, help other countries in the protection of life on earth.

● Stop bottom trawling on the high seas and vote in favour of a moratorium on high seas bottom trawling in the United Nations General Assembly.

● Stop illegal logging and the trade in illegal timber products.

● Share the wealth created from biological products with communities from which they came.

● Ensure companies are held to the highest international standard of practice and not privatise natural resources