Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity

Four species of invertebrate are found only in Iceland, two of which are midges and the other two groundwater amphipods. The Arctic fox is Iceland’s only native terrestrial mammal [ ] 122 Emphasis on areas with habitats for the protection of birds Currently there are 101 areas protect- ed for nature conservation, covering approximately 20 per cent of the country. Terrestrial areas cover ap- proximately 1.5 million ha, wetlands 226,000ha, mountainous areas are approximately 1.6 million ha and coastal and marine areas 455,000ha. A number of protected conservation areas have also been established with special legislation. During the last five years, emphasis has been on areas with habitats for protection of a number of species of birds, both species that breed in Iceland and also migrating bird species passing through Iceland. Areas to strengthen protection both in terms of abundance and distribu- tion have been selected for the species concerned. Currently 24 areas are protected for bird conservation, a to- tal of 375,000ha. Five new bird areas have been protected in the last five years and there are plans for further increase in areas for bird protection, especially migrating and marine spe- cies. There has been a general trend of increase in protected bird species and species that have been endangered such as falcons, the white tailed eagle, grey phalarope and Slavonian grebe. The Icelandic falcon (Falco rusti- colus) has been recovering but the population osculates in an 8 to 10 year cycle along with the main prey species, the ptarmigan. The ptarmi- gan is the most popular game bird in Iceland. The population has a fluctu- ating cycle of 8 to 10 years naturally, but the population size has decreased during the last 2 to 3 decades. To address this problem, restrictions have been imposed on hunting, the hunting season was shortened considerably and ban on sale of ptarmigans has been in effect since 2005. The ban, suggested voluntary bag limit, propaganda, and the fear of a total hunting ban has led to reduced hunting and partial recovery of the ptarmigan population. The Slavonian grebe has been increasing in numbers the last 1 to 2 decades and has, at the same time, extended its breeding range in the country. The white tailed eagle has been recovering due to conservation measures for the last 40 to 50 years, including monitoring and regular watching of the nesting sites during the breeding season. The population is now up to 66 breeding pairs from 20 pairs around 1964. A number of threatened bird species have been recovering over the last few years. Protective measures such as wetland restoration and protected areas have been effective for recovery for a num- ber of bird species. Increased public awareness and better information have also been effective. I celand is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, approximately 290 km east of Greenland and 970 km west of Norway, at the junction where the tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia meet. Large and mountainous, Iceland is Europe’s second largest island and the third largest in the Atlantic Ocean, encompassing a land area of about 103,000 km 2 , a coastline of 4,970 km and an exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles which extends through 758,000 km 2 of the surrounding ocean. Due to the geothermal hotspot beneath central Iceland and the divergent movement of the tectonic plates to each side, volcanic eruptions are relatively frequent, averaging two per decade. Fjaðrárgljúfur, Iceland alexiby Iceland