NEW RED BOOKS TO BE PUBLISHED IN ARMENIA

Armenpress
Aug 09 2006

YEREVAN, AUGUST 9, ARMENPRESS: The government of Armenia approved the
2007-2009 program on protection and study of the species of animals
and plants included in the Armenian Red Book. For the implementation
of the program the government has released 31 million drams from the
state budget.

As part of the program specialists from the relevant establishments
of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences will study the flora
and fauna of the whole country. On the bases of their study new Red
Books will be published.

Tatyana Danielian, the head of the department at the Armenian
Environment Protection Ministry, told Armenpress that in the books
the conditions necessary for preserving the species which are on the
edge of disappearance and steps which are necessary to undertake for
their preservation will be described.

Besides, the books will include the new species of animals and plants
which have also been endangered during the recent years.

The present Red Books existing in Armenia were published in
1989-1990. Danielian said that it is mainly the human factor which
causes the disappearance of species of animals and plants.

At present 3,500 species of plants, 500 vertebrate and 17,000
invertebrate animals are registered in Armenia. In the Red Books 387
species of plants and 99 species of animals are included.