AIZA zoos and aquariums commit to the conservation of endangered species on International Biodiversity Day

The Centre for the Survival of Macaronesian Species (CSSM) of Loro Parque Fundación has organised today the Spanish satellite event of the World Species Congress (WSC), coinciding with the celebration of World Biodiversity Day. During the meeting, the head of Animals at Terra Natura Benidorm, Enrique Sánchez, explained the park’s commitment to the protection of honey bees and other pollinators in the province of Alicante.

Specifically, the conservation action, explained Sánchez, is part of the RUMES project, together with (ASAF) association. The aim of this project is to promote the conservation of biodiversity in order to consolidate the migratory routes of wild swarms in the Sierra de Mariola Natural Park.

The RUMES project manages 63 pollinator stations spread throughout the Valencian Community and other autonomous communities. They are made up of NIP (Nest for Pollinating Insect) hives, which have been specifically created for the purpose of housing wild swarms that are not being used for beekeeping. These pollinator stations are the starting point for wild swarming routes, where the bees develop strategies against predators without moving away from their foraging areas and water sources.

These strategies and the lack of exploitation-related pressure on the hive facilitate selective behaviour and, as a result, the proliferation of multi-floral plant stands and balanced and healthy ecosystems. Bees are strategic bio-indicators that play a crucial role in the pollination of a wide variety of plant species. Their presence and activity contribute to biodiversity by maintaining the genetic diversity of plants and promoting the survival of other species.

Among the actions contemplated by the RUMES project are the foundation of new pollinator stations in areas of regeneration after fires, a sustainable production apiary for educational workshops, regular visits to the pollinator stations to record regenerative progress and correct possible deviations, workshops on the manufacture of NIPs, as well as environmental beekeeping, honey extraction and the production of direct wax products, in addition to awareness-raising talks with schoolchildren.

During his conference, the head of Animals at Terra Natura Benidorm reminded us that ‘the future of bees is in our hands’ and ‘the future not only of the human species, but of the health of the entire planet, depends on pollinators’.

According to the FAO and the European Union, the pollinating value of bees is 20 to 30 times greater than the commercial value of honey and its derivatives. In the province of Alicante there are several educational pollinator stations, such as the one at Terra Natura Benidorm. Its hive is visited by thousands of visitors every year, who are given awareness-raising talks to explain how wild colonies and other pollinators work.

Spain’s satellite event of the World Species Congress has enjoyed the collaboration of l’Aquarium of Barcelona, Barcelona Zoo, Parque de Cabárceno, Córdoba Zoo Conservation Centre, Loro Parque, Oasys Mini Hollywood, San Sebastián Aquarium, Terra Natura Bendiorm, the Zaragoza Aquarium Foundation for Biodiversity, Poema del Mar and Seville Aquarium, which are part of the Iberian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AIZA).

Other commitments to endangered species present in Spain were made official during the day, within the framework of the WSC organised by the Reverse the Red movement of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Thanks to these public commitments, the zoological institutions will carry out actions at different levels to fight for the conservation of an important number of endangered species, some of them unique in the world.