Rio Convention Pavilion TV, CBD COP11 (12/10/2012) – Dr Simon C. Nemtzov, Wildlife Ecologist and Scientific Ecology at CITES, explains the state of environmental conservation in Israel.

Nemtzov states that although Israel is a small country, it contains a wide variety of biodiversity so the people and government are keen to play their part in implementing the Nagoya treaty.

Nemtzov asserts that the main conservation challenge in Israel is mitigating conflicts between wildlife and the human population. He lists wild boar, porcupines and birds as a major problem in their interaction with agricultural and urban land. He argues that Israel needs to find a way to conserve wildlife that also serves to mitigate these conflicts.

Nemtzov maintains that the Israeli people and government in general support conservation but the issue is always finding the finance and resources to support it. He quotes redirecting funds from defence as the principle barrier.

On the other hand, Nemtzov explains that as most governance occurs at a federal level, is it easier to enact legislation in Israel than in many other nations. He describes successes in encouraging co-operation between ministries and the development of a conservation plan, but he admits that on the ground implementation and public engagement are large issues still yet to be resolved.