To have or not to have a Red Book

Many countries do not have a Red Book where the endangered animals and plants are included. But they have lists like Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Armenia has got a Red Book.

Why is the Red Book important? And how can its absence affect the preservation of the biodiversity?

Aram Aghasyan, the head of the Department of Preserves of the Environment Ministry’s Bioresources Management Agency, answered to those questions today.

He mentioned that the Red Book is an international notion and the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has got standards which the countries follow.

“There are species that can be found in Armenia only, however that species are not endangered in Armenia. In that case too it is needed to preserve those species as we have signed the convention of preservation of biodiversity and we are obliged to protect them.”

Azerbaijan and Georgia do not have Red Book but instead they have corresponding lists which as Aram Aghasyan says have informative problems. In the Red Book there is information about this or that species on its appearance, extension etc.

“In the Red Book there are also all the nature protection events that are realized for preserving this or that species,” he said.

“The Red Book is not only for the specialists but for raising the level of being well informed,” Aram Aghasyan stressed.