CONSERVATION FOR THE FUTURE

(from "ISANA" No. 14, 1996)

Charles J. L. McKee
 Journalist


The Congress of the United States is constantly considering various pieces of legislation that many times center on the proper application of the term "conservation." By definition, "conservation" means the planned management, or wise use, of natural resources to prevent exploitation. As conservation of renewable wildlife and marine resources, for example, does not permit over-exploitation it also does not contemplate total protectionism. Any viable conservation, policy must include the concept of sustainable use of renewable resources under scientific management principles and guidelines. This objective is not only valid for deliberations in the Congress of the United States but recognized at the international level.

As to marine resources in particular, of the many international treaties and conventions that are in existence, the sustainable use concept is paramount in their stated declarations. For example, the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling (ICRW), all recognize the necessity of management that incorporates sustainable use principles. Indeed, Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) states that one objective is to "maintain or restore populations of marine species at levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield (Emphasis added) as qualified by relevant environmental and economic factors...."

The key to an appropriate conservation policy is, of course, the recognition of science upon which to base rational management decisions. In addition, multi-species management issues, historical cultural considerations, and economic factors also clearly have a significant role in establishing sound and rational conservation policy. However, any basic conservation policy must have a primary commitment to science-based information that determines management decisions. Such a conservation strategy, in turn, must preclude emotional or misapplied "moral" considerations of protectionism in establishing appropriate management of renewable natural resources.

Too often, the influence of pure protectionism impedes orderly and proper conservation policy from being developed both in the U.S. Congress and fully implemented on the international scene. It is a fact that the over-exploitation of natural resources throughout the world, in most cases, is history and will not be tolerated by the community of nations in the future. This experience should not, however, produce an over reaction to appropriate natural resource management that includes the sustainable use of renewable resources for the benefit of man and, through reasoned conservation management, the benefit of wild species populations. Further, environmental protectionism should not attempt to hide behind the so-called "precautionary principle" that would preclude certain action by the absence of full scientific certainty to "prevent environmental degradation." It must be recognized that all scientific findings have an element of uncertainty and nothing in Principle 15 of the Rio Declaration of 1992 of UNCED regarding the precautionary principle alters the scientific norm. As the 1995 Kyoto Declaration and Plan of Action on the Sustainable Contribution of Fisheries to Food Security acknowledged the "precautionary approach," it also affirmed "to promote and strengthen scientific research as the fundamental basis for sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture activities to ensure food security...."

As we enter the 21st century, the nations of the world must pledge to recognize the absolute need for the true conservation of our precious renewable resources, not only by policy declarations in laws, regulations, treaties and conventions, but by the actual implementation of such policy based on sound science.

As someone once correctly observed the future of our world environment is based on what nature does to man but what man does to nature. Hopefully, future generations will appreciate that we had the commitment today to implement a reasoned worldwide conservation policy that was based on scientific principles that included wise use of renewable resources. Healthy and stable wildlife and marine resource populations will, in fact, be the legacy if we make that covenant today. Policymakers cannot afford to do less.


(CHARLES J.L. McKEE is a Washington journalist who reports on national affairs and is editor and publisher of a regular conservation newsletter.)

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