World Wildlife Fund announced successes for 2009
Last updated 16/02/2010 18:23:10
© WWF
WWF has reported a successful year in campaigning for the protection of wildlife and their habitats worldwide last year.
The climate change conference in Copenhagen has produced disappointing outcome. However WWF's achievements have proven that actions taken by independent bodies can produce significant results.
Here the list of successful campaigns in 2009:
WWF’s Earth Hour 2009 – A massive global phenomenon. On Saturday 28 March, millions of people around the world switched off their lights, sending a dramatic visual signal to world leaders that they must take urgent action on climate change. The next Earth Hour 2010 will be taking place on Saturday 27 March.
UK Marine and Coastal Access Act – A decade of tireless WWF campaigning was finally rewarded on 19 November 2009 with the introduction of the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act.
The UK’s 20,000km coastline is exposed to pressures from fishing, drilling, pollution and climate change. The new legislation puts a duty on the UK government, for the first time, to conserve and protect the species and habitats around our seas and coasts.
One million hectares of Amazon protected – In Colombia, a new protected area half the size of Wales was announced in October 2009.
This local initiative, with significant technical support from WWF, expands the protection of several Amazonian ecosystems. It’s home to at least 362 species of bird, 81 reptiles, 73 amphibians, 201 fish, 443 butterflies and 16 endangered mammals, including ocelot, jaguar, tapir and pink dolphin.
Orang-utan habitat restored – In Malaysia, more than 200 hectares of degraded forest in North Ulu Segama have been restored with fruit and plant species - the first step in expanding orang-utan habitat to 2,400 hectares over the next 10 years.
Arctic park for polar bears – Russia will create a new 1.5 million hectare protection zone on an island in the Arctic between the Barents and Kara Seas - a key area for polar bear populations.
The polar bear is the world’s largest land predator but now listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN’s Red List.
WWF has long been lobbying for the park, which is also in a key area for walrus, wild reindeer and bird populations. The park will exclude all industrial activities such as oil extraction, giving wildlife a better chance of survival.