Objectives:

• Identifying how sustainable use of renewable natural resources can contribute to management and restoration of ecosystems.
• Identifying and promoting conservation advantages accruing to flora, mycota and fauna from more effective ecosystem management.
• Facilitating research and knowledge sharing that explores how sustainable use of renewable natural resources can foster more resilient ecosystems.

Expected outcomes

Portal systems for outreach to communities:

• Naturalliance for communities of interest in conserving through ecosystem use
• Networks for Multilingual Online Research/Restoration Project Hosting
• System for Community Liaison to signpost Naturalliance & projects for local communities

Targets: Roll-out of portal capacity to 4 continents in 30 languages

Relevance of ecosystem conservation through use

The following examples illustrate the governance and local practice involved in using ecosystems sustainably to meet challenges in conservation and development:

1. Development of Bern Convention charters, based on CBD’s principles from Malawi and Addis Ababa, to inform regulators and practitioners how to conserve ecosystems through hunting, fishing and gathering.  
2. Organization by the Netherlands government of anglers to restore aquatic ecosystems through the establishment of the public-private Sportsvisserij Netherlands.
3. Encouraging multi-functional land-use, non-timber forest products and marine by-catch retention through labeling that attracts premium pricing.
4. Researching optimal management of vegetation, domestic livestock and wild predators on uplands in order for grouse shooting to maintain peatland habitats that are important for biodiversity and carbon storage.
5. Encouraging local projects to restore road verges and enhance gardens for pollinating insects, and tourism that funds the conservation of landscapes needed for watching wildlife, horse-riding, fishing and hunting. 

The examples are detailed, respectively, in www.naturalliance.eu: see best practice for the topics of government, fishing, forestry, hunting and gardening/horse-care.

SUME is supported by the European Sustainable Use Group. More detailed information on our structure and activities can be found on a SUME page in their site.