The National Action Plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Finland 2013-2020 aims at urgently undertake effective actions designed to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2020 and ensure that by 2050 the state of the natural environment in Finland is stable and capable of ensuring people’s future well-being. It takes measures to preserve habitats and to sustainably use natural resources. 1.1 Biodiversity is vital to plant breeding and thus to national and global food security. Conservation of genetic resources will secure their availability to meet the needs of farmers, plant and animal breeding and research, and future generations. 6.3 Ecosystem services maintained by biodiversity are a key factor in almost all of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. Ecosystem services provide livelihoods, maintain and safeguard health, and provide food security and shelter from natural disasters. Biodiversity is also vital to plant breeding and thus to national and global food security. The action plan was prepared by a broad-based working group promoting the implementation and monitoring of the national strategy and action plan 2006–2016 for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Finland. The working group included representatives of the relevant key national actors from the public and private sectors, as well as stakeholder groups and non-governmental organisations. In accordance with the Fishing Act, efforts must be taken when practicing fishing in Finland to maintain the maximum permanent productivity of the waters in question and special consideration must be given to ensure that the fish stock is exploited rationally, in line with the principle of sustainable use. Fish stocks are managed by means of fishing arrangements, fish stocking, restoration of fishing waters and fish passages. 1.1 Loss of biodiversity is still overshadowed by other environmental problems, despite the fact that more weight and visibility have been given to biodiversity issues in recent years. Traditional nature conservation issues related to individual species and conservation areas arise more easily as topics of debate. The connections between biodiversity loss to issues such as the degradation of ecosystem services due to climate change have attracted less attention. In order to enhance general awareness and that of communications work, the loss of biodiversity should be more closely linked to other key environmental issues, such as climate change, the services obtained by people from nature, food safety, human well-being and protection of water resources. 1.3 The targeting of agriculture and environmental management in rural areas at locations and for purposes considered key to biodiversity is another important task, alongside communications work, advisory services and practical guidelines. This goal is promoted by safeguarding the operating conditions of Finnish food production that help to direct environmental management in agriculture towards the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of natural resources. 6.3 Biodiversity is thus very broadly linked to development as a whole, not only the environmental aspect of sustainable development. Biodiversity is an essential aspect of sustainable development, because it produces ecosystem services vital to humankind, and contains future opportunities for utilising genetic resources. At the same time, the significance of biodiversity is emphasised in preventing global socio-economic threat factors, such as the poverty issues facing developing countries. At present, the decline in biodiversity is mainly due to the loss and fragmentation of habitats, to environmental pollution, to the excessive use of animal and plant species to meet human needs, and to other direct consequences of human action. Besides habitat reduction and invasive alien species, climate change is viewed as one of the most serious global threats to biodiversity. The impacts of climate change are already evident in many ecosystems, due to the shift in climatic zones. Invasive alien species spread from their natural distribution range to new geographical areas, through either intentional or inadvertent human action. Globalisation and the greatly increased international movement of people and goods by sea, land and air have accelerated the spread of invasive alien species. Other environmental changes caused by humans, such as climate change, may aggravate the problem further.
National Action Plan for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Finland 2013-2020.