Environmentalists wanted stronger safeguards put in place to protect Switzerland's biodiversity, but they were defeated by voters who thought it too expensive.
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The proposal would have boosted public funding to encourage farmers and others to set aside lands and waterways to let the wild landscape develop. It would also have increased the total area allocated for green spaces untouched by human development.
But it was voted out by nearly 66.6% of voters on Sunday, and only 33.4% supported it.
The federal government — including the parliament — opposed the plan, as did many rural voters and the country's main right-wing party. They argued it is too costly; 630 million euros is already spent on biodiversity protection each year; and fear economic development will suffer.
Switzerland, renowned for its pristine lakes and majestic Alpine peaks, ranks among the world's richest countries whose plant and animal life is under the greatest threat.
The initiative would have prohibited the construction of new railway lines through a protected dry meadows — even if such meadow is set aside and developed elsewhere, it says.
“Passage of the biodiversity initiative would severely limit (sustainable) energy and food production, restrict the use of forests and rural areas for tourism, and make construction more expensive,” the campaign for a “no” vote had argued on its website. “YES to biodiversity, but NO to the extreme biodiversity initiative.”
Proponents, meanwhile, pointed to dwindling natural resources in Switzerland and threats to bees, frogs, birds, mosses and other wildlife. They argue that protected green spaces are “the main capital for tourism” and more of them would support local economies.
“Diversified nature guarantees air purity, drinkable water, pollination, fertility of the soil, and our food supply,” said a committee that backs the idea.
“But in Switzerland, biodiversity is suffering. One-third of all our plant and animal species are threatened or have already disappeared.”
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, a think tank that counts 38 mostly rich countries as members, has produced a comparative look at threats to plant and animal life. Switzerland ranks among the top four countries with the highest rates of threatened species in all eight categories of wildlife.
The voting is part of the latest Swiss referendums, which take place four times a year to give voters a direct say in policymaking in the country of some nine million people.
The only other nationwide issue up for consideration this time is a pension reform plan backed by the government that also shows weakening support, the poll showed.