About 450 plant species and 350 animal species are listed in the Red Book of Abkhazia

Red Book will help to protect rare species of plants and animals, the work on which is already going, lists of plants and animals of Abkhazia are almost done. Red Book of Abkhazia will consists of about 450 species of plants and 350 species of animals.

"Red Book - is an annotated list of rare and endangered species of plants, animals and mushrooms indicating their current and former distribution, number and causes of reductions and necessary measures that are done. Destruction of plants and animals is a criminal offense. We are currently cooperating with the plant quarantine service and gave them a list of plants that are prohibited to the ferry across the border, but without the Red Book plants are under serious threat. There are plants which are only 20-30 copies, they are saved from extinction only because they grow in places remote from human habitation, and away from the tourist trails. The law does not protect them",- said in an interview with Apsnypress chairman of the State Committee on Ecology and Nature Protection Savely Chitanava.

According to him, there is now the law "On Environmental Protection" in Abkhazia, and it is planned to adopt the Law "On Specially Protected Natural Areas" in June this year. But we need the laws "On the Red Book" and "On Flora". In the form of projects, they are ready and will soon be submitted to the Parliament.

Chitanava believes that the basis for the protection of flora and fauna of Abkhazia should be a legal framework and environmental education.

"It is necessary to introduce the subject in school - the environment. This issue was discussed with the Minister of Education and Science, and we will negotiate on this issue ", - said the chief ecologist.

On May 22, the world celebrates the International Day for Biological Diversity, proclaimed by UN in 1995. Its main task - to draw public attention to the problem of the permanent disappearance of many species of flora and fauna.

There are 2,190 species of plants that grow in Abkhazia - this is the third part of the flora of the Caucasus, where there are about 6000 species. For the number of species per unit of area Abkhazia is on the first place in the northern hemisphere.

About 400 species are endemic of Caucasus, 83 - found on the planet only in Abkhazia, among them there are some that are common on very small plots with an area of no more than 100-200 square meters. Due to the special physical and geographical conditions - the proximity of the sea and mountains in Abkhazia, with the pre-glacial period some species preserved relic plants which are more than 600 species. Flora of Abkhazia includes more than 440 species of vertebrates. This is one percent of the world fauna. Rare and endangered species make up about 30%. There are species that live exclusively in the territory of the Caucasus in Abkhazia.

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