Producing Targets for Conservation: Science and Politics at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Campbell ◽  
Shannon Hagerman ◽  
Noella J. Gray
Keyword(s):  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Strategic Plan ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Conservation Science ◽  
Science And Politics ◽  
2010 Target ◽  
Conservation Governance ◽  
Governance Network

Biodiversity targets were prominent at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Having failed to reach the CBD's 2010 target, delegates debated the nature of targets, details of specific targets, and how to avoid failure in 2020. As part of a group of seventeen researchers conducting a collaborative event ethnography at COP10, we draw on observations made during negotiations of the CBD Strategic Plan and at side events to analyze the production of the 2020 targets. Once adopted, targets become “naturalized,” detached from the negotiations that produced them. Drawing on insights from science and technology studies, we analyze the interaction of science and politics during negotiations and discuss what targets do within the CBD and the broader global conservation governance network.

Trends in the abundance of marine fishes

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 1205-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Cóilín Minto ◽  
Daniel Ricard ◽  
Julia K. Baum ◽  
Olaf P. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Maximum Sustainable Yield ◽  
Marine Fishes ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Global Database ◽  
Top Predators ◽  
2010 Target ◽  
Rate Of Decline ◽  
Demersal Species

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) established a target in 2002 to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. Using a newly constructed global database for 207 populations (108 species), we examine whether the 2010 target has been met for marine fishes, while accounting for population biomass relative to maximum sustainable yield, BMSY. Although rate of decline has eased for 59% of populations declining before 1992 (a pattern consistent with a literal interpretation of the target), the percentage of populations below BMSY has remained unchanged and the rate of decline has increased among several top predators, many of which are below 0.5BMSY. Combining population trends, a global multispecies index indicates that marine fishes declined 38% between 1970 and 2007. The index has been below BMSY since the mid-1980s and stable since the early 1990s. With the exception of High Seas pelagic fishes and demersal species in the Northeast Pacific and Australia – New Zealand, the multispecies indices are currently below BMSY in many regions. We conclude that the 2010 CBD target represents a weak standard for recovering marine fish biodiversity and that meaningful progress will require population-specific recovery targets and associated time lines for achieving those targets.

Implementation of Nagoya Protocol and its Ethical Dilemma – the Case Study of Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 24-34
Author(s):  
Endang Sukara ◽  
Safendrri Komara Ragamustari ◽  
Ernawati Sinaga
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Dilemma ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Nagoya Protocol ◽  
New Business ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industries ◽  
Developed Nations

Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands separated for hundreds of thousands of years making both the biodiversity and culture diverse. Strong connection between people and biodiversity form a vast array of traditional knowledges retaliated to the conservation and use of biological diversity. During the last 3 decades, tremendous advancement on science and technology has been able to uncover the intrinsic value of biodiversity. Many lead chemical compounds have been isolated and identified, and has opened up huge opportunities in developing new business based on biodiversity. International cooperation between Japan and Indonesia successfully isolated more than 1,000 species of actinomycetes from diverse ecosystems and more than 30% are new species. This group of microbe is important for future pharmaceutical industries. The consciousness on intrinsic value of biodiversity is, however, only being understood by countries having high science and technology capacity. The intrinsic value of biodiversity remains abstract to most of the people in the developing and less developed nations. The Convention on Biological Diversity (UN-CBD), Cartagena and Nagoya Protocol are legal documents to ensure conservation, sustainable use and sharing of the benefit from the utilization of biodiversity and its components. There is a high demand for the developed nations on access to biodiversity to uncover its benefit. The mechanism on access, fair and equitable sharing of the benefit from the utilization of biodiversity and its component are certainly full of ethical dilemma. For this, there is a great need for the developing country having rich biodiversity find the most appropriate way to manage biodiversity and traditional knowledge for their prosperity.  Trust between countries rich in biodiversity and countries having high science and technology capacity is a crucial factor. Greater transparency and the recognition on comprehensive rights of people providing biodiversity is a key element in maintaining trust. Ethical standards cannot depend solely on rules or guidelines.    

scholarly journals Forest science and technology in Canada: Entering the new millennium

1998 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
Carl Winget
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Agenda 21 ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Government Mandates ◽  
Changing Roles ◽  
Forest Science

Recent reviews of government mandates and restructuring of the forest industry are changing roles and responsibilities in forest management in Canada. Companies are increasingly responsible for operational management while federal and provincial governments are focusing more on forest-related policies and regulations, altering in turn the context for forest research.The adoption of sustainable development as a policy framework is forging stronger links among policy makers, operational forest managers and researchers. Collaboration is growing among research organizations, often in partnerships with clients, in spite of a more competitive fiscal environment. The need to bring the relevant expertise to bear on the issues of sustainable forest development is reinforcing interaction among biological scientists, economists and social scientists, often through computerized communications and information exchange.Mechanisms have been established by government to develop a common agenda for forest science and technology by all stakeholders, similar to China's Agenda 21. International agreements such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Convention on Biological Diversity are exerting increasing influence and demand for additional scientific and technological information.

scholarly journals Linked indicator sets for addressing biodiversity loss

Oryx ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim H. Sparks ◽  
Stuart H. M. Butchart ◽  
Andrew Balmford ◽  
Leon Bennun ◽  
Damon Stanwell-Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
The Status ◽  
2010 Target ◽  
Response Pressure ◽  
Anthropogenic Threats ◽  
Aid Decision ◽  
Pressure State ◽  
Indicator Sets

AbstractThe target adopted by world leaders of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 was not met but this stimulated a new suite of biodiversity targets for 2020 adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October 2010. Indicators will be essential for monitoring progress towards these targets and the CBD will be defining a suite of relevant indicators, building on those developed for the 2010 target. Here we argue that explicitly linked sets of indicators offer a more useful framework than do individual indicators because the former are easier to understand, communicate and interpret to guide policy. A Response-Pressure-State-Benefit framework for structuring and linking indicators facilitates an understanding of the relationships between policy actions, anthropogenic threats, the status of biodiversity and the benefits that people derive from it. Such an approach is appropriate at global, regional, national and local scales but for many systems it is easier to demonstrate causal linkages and use them to aid decision making at national and local scales. We outline examples of linked indicator sets for humid tropical forests and marine fisheries as illustrations of the concept and conclude that much work remains to be done in developing both the indicators and the causal links between them.

scholarly journals The Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010 target

1970 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 43-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Balmford ◽  
Leon Bennun ◽  
Ben Ten Brink
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Geochemical Processes ◽  
Short Term ◽  
2010 Target ◽  
Policy Forum

Governments are often accused of responding only to short-term and parochial considerations. It is therefore remarkable that representatives of 190 countries recently committed themselves at the Convention on Biological Diversity to reducing biodiversity loss. This presents conservation biologists with perhaps their greatest challenge of the decade. The authors of this Policy Forum describe approaches to identifying more of the earth’s biological diversity; understanding how biological, geophysical, and geochemical processes interact; and presenting scientific knowledge in time to contribute to and achieve the 2010 target. Himalayan Journal of Sciences 3(5) 2005 p.43-45

scholarly journals Scientists who become activists: are they crossing a line?

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (02) ◽  
pp. C03 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Isopp
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Public Communication ◽  
Political Consequences ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
Science And Politics ◽  
Communication Work ◽  
Context Dependent

This commentary explores a traditionally supposed boundary between science and politics, with particular attention to activist scientists who engage in public communication. Work in fields like science and technology studies shows that framing this boundary in terms of epistemological rules fails. Boundaries dictating proper scientific activities are at best pragmatic, context-dependent, and fluid. Certainly, certain kinds of politics can undermine the integrity of scientific knowledge, but it is imperative to recognize that all science is political. As we see with activist climate scientists, certain scientific knowledge carries far-reaching political consequences. It is thus problematic to call for the “de-politicization” of science or science communication. A turn from epistemic to ethical concerns perhaps offers a more constructive way forward.

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