Non-commercial biodiversity research and benefit sharing – general perspectives and challenges

Christoph L. Häuser - Chair, GTI Coordination Mechanism, and GTI National Focal Point, Germany -State Museum for Natural History, Stuttgart (SMNS)Email: haeuser.smns@naturkundemuseum-bw.de

Outline

• taxonomy = an example for non-commercial, basic / „academic“ biodiversity research;– n.b.: many/most perspectives and statements also

valid for other disciplines and fields of basic biodiversity research

• taxonomists‘ work and perspectives• challenges for taxonomy + ABS regime• opportunities for taxonomy + ABS regime

Taxonomic research

• description of organisms (catalogues, checklists, biodiversity inventories, identifcation tools; „alpha-taxonomy“)

• classification of organisms (classification systems, phylogenetic trees, etc.)

• characterization and interpretation of biodiversity (comparisons & assessments of faunas & floras, evolutionary history, etc.)

Taxonomic work

• daily hands on biological materials (“specimens”), including frequent manipulation, transfer, and exchange

• collaborative effort, constantly comparing and sharing materials and data between different institutions and partners

• international dimension, due to focus on organisms / taxa and scientific questions, but not (political) geography ...

Taxonomic work processes

• transparent and detailed documentation of materials used & methods applied (for scientific credibility = repeatability; standards for exact documentation, especially of origin)

• Ultimate Goal: publication of results, in the public domain, ideally with unrestricted, free & open access to all data & materials

The taxonomist‘s perspective

• non-commercial research: no commercial intent, no gains, no financial benefits [n.b.: many non-professional taxonomists!];

• biodiversity as a common (public) good: material/substrate of research (no ownership): „specimens“, but not biological resources (!!)

• international, collaborative effort, beyond „national“ limits / horizons: “ ... organisms (& taxonomists) don’t respect political boundaries”

Taxonomy and ABS: challenges

• difficulty to accept notion of (national) “ownership” for biodiversity

• cannot accommodate difficult access regulations for „specimens“ - neither nationally nor internationally

• cannot easily cover additional costs for access fees/permits [esp. non-professional taxonomists!]

• usually cannot provide financial benefits• depends on free access and frequent sharing of

data („specimens“) and results (= basic science)!

Taxonomy and ABS: opportunities

• free sharing of - non-financial – benefits (scientific results, knowledge);

• offers best practices for transparent procedures and protocols for handling biological materials and information

• long established, international accepted standards for detailed documentation of „origin“ of biological materials

• provides universal reference framework for all kinds of organisms („classifications“)

ABS + basic research – some suggestions for a way forward

Possible differentiation of scientific materials / specimens and biological / genetic resources (sensu ABS):

• declared non-commercial intent (pure research interest)

• no-commercial benefits• free sharing of derived products

(scientific data/results)• living vs. non-living materials [?]

Taxonomy + the CBD: the real challenges …

Increasing biodiversity loss & shortage of comprehensive (scientific) information:

• unknown dimensions of species/taxa still undiscovered (5 to >100 mio spp.??)

• no global biodiversity catalogue / register at hand !

• no complete national fauna or flora available for many/most countries!

• no complete biodiversity inventory available yet for any protected area in the World !!

Thanks to funding organisations,and very much for your attention!

Contact information:Dr Christoph L. Häuser - Chair, GTI Coordination Mechanism -State Museum for Natural History, Stuttgart (SMNS)email: chaeuser@gmx.de , haeuser.smns@naturkundemuseum-bw.deGTI NFP Website: www.gti-kontaktstelle.de

GTI Programme of Work

COP VI / 8 : Five operational objectives (18 “planned activities”)

• Assessment of taxonomic needs and capacities• Building and maintaining systems and

infrastructure for taxonomy• Improving access to information• Support for CBD thematic areas• Support for CBD cross-cutting issues

GTI Programme of Work

Operational objective 5 (“Include key taxonomic objectives in cross-cutting issues of the Convention”):

Planned activity 14: Access and benefit-sharing:

• increasing access to existing taxonomic information

• facilitating access to taxonomic resources• supporting access to and use of taxonomic

collections

The challenge for taxonomy• Shortage of comprehensive information:

– No global biodiversity register at hand !

– No complete biodiversity inventory available yet for any protected area in the World !

• Numbers of species threatened by extinction have risen sharply over the past decade [IUCN]:

– Mammals: 647 (1990) to 1,330 spp. (2003) = 23%!

– Plants: 5,611 spp. (2000) to 6,744 spp. (2003)

– Insects (= 900,000 spp.): only 0.02% of all species could yet be evaluated!

OECD GSF17Istanbul, 1-2 October 2007

Large varieties of objects

Taxonomic research

• For the purpuses of the CBD, taxonomy, the classification of life, “is taken in its broadest sense and is inclusive of systematics and biosystematics at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels.”

[COP VI/8, Introduction]

trends and figures• Mammals: [IUCN „red lists“]

– (1990): threatened + endangered: 647 spp.– (2003): threatened (CR, EN, VU): 1130 spp.

(= 23% of all mammal species known)!• Reptiles:

– (1990): threatened + endangered: 207 spp.– (2003): threatened (CR, EN, VU): 293 spp.

• changes from: 2000 - 2003– plants: 5,611 : 6,774 spp.– invertebrates: 1,928 : 1,959 spp.– vertebrates: 3,507 : 3,524 spp.