Asian elephants, jaguars and great Indian bustards were among 10 new species added to a global wildlife agreement on Saturday.
The
Thirteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention
on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP13) concluded in Gandhinagar, India, with resolutions and decisions adopted to help conserve migratory species globally.
“With COP13, the important role of CMS in protecting nature around
the world has been strongly embraced”, affirmed CMS Executive Secretary
Amy.
In addition to Asian elephants, jaguars and great Indian bustards,
all slated to receive the strictest protection under Appendix I, Bengal
floricans, little bustards, antipodean albatrosses and oceanic white-tip
sharks also made the cut.
Meanwhile urials along with smooth hammerhead and tope sharks were
listed as migratory species that would benefit from enhanced
international cooperation and conservation actions.
Moreover, 14 species were targeted for newly agreed upon conservation plans.
“CMS is uniquely positioned to address the conservation of migratory
species and their habitats, and to contribute to reversing the trends of
species and biodiversity loss worldwide”, Ms. Fraenkel said.
Yancheng Broadcasting Television
Platalea
leucorodia, or Eurasian spoonbill, a large wading bird in the Yellow
Sea-Bohai Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuaries in China.
Gandhinagar Declaration
Maintaining and restoring ecological connectivity is a top CMS
priority, especially in managing migratory species and their habitats –
as evidenced by the newly adopted Gandhinagar Declaration, which was
affirmed by 130 party countries.
The Declaration calls for migratory species and the concept of
“ecological connectivity” to be integrated and prioritized in the
Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, which is expected to be adopted
at the UN Biodiversity Conference in October.
Declining migratory species
The first-ever report on the Status of Migratory Species was presented at the conference.
In highlighting that the populations of most CMS-covered migratory
species are declining, COP13 agreed that a more comprehensive review be
undertaken to understand the status of individual species and the
threats they face.
“The initial status report has been a real wake up call for the
Convention, and Parties recognized, the importance of a more thorough
analysis. CMS COP13 has given a clear mandate to prepare a flagship
report on the status of migratory species which will give us a better
idea of what is happening on the ground, and also provide a much needed
tool for understanding where we need to focus our work,” the CMS chief
said.
And the conference agreed on a number of cross-cutting policy
measures to address threats to migratory species, such as integrating
biodiversity and migratory species considerations into national energy
and climate policy and promote wildlife-friendly renewable energy.
United Nations
Indian hosts
During the conference, the first CMS COP to be inaugurated by a host-country Head of Government, three CMS Ambassadors were named, seven Migratory Species Champions were recognized and two sets of commemorative stamps were issued.
In his opening address, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged
to focus on the conservation of migratory birds along the Central Asian
Flyway, and announced the establishment of an institutional research
facility for the conservation of migratory birds and marine turtles, the
reduction of pollution from micro-plastic and single-use plastic, and
other things.
As COP13 host, India will assume the role of COP Presidency for the next three years.
“The spirit of ‘Athithi Devo Bhava’… will now resonate from
Gandhinagar into the world: Migratory species connect the planet and
together we welcome them home!”, concluded Executive Secretary
Fraenkel.
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Many animals – including birds, fish and
mammals – migrate along set routes in search of food or breeding
grounds. How best to protect them in a rapidly changing world is the
focus of a major UN wildlife meeting which opened in
Gandhinagar, India, on Monday.
Saturday marks World Migratory Bird Day which,
this year, is raising awareness about the serious threats that plastic
pollution poses to bird life, with a call for urgent measures to end the
problem.
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