More than a fifth of internationally protected migratory species, including nearly all nomadic fish, are at risk of extinction, according to an initial assessment by UN experts.
From humpback whales to Dalmatian pelicans, billions of animals travel across sea, land, and air each year with the seasons. But a new report from the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) finds that many migratory species are at risk of extinction due to human pollution, the spread of invasive species, and the climate crisis. did.
of Migratory bird evaluation According to biological surveys under the Convention, 22% of the 1,189 species listed in the CMS are at risk of extinction, nearly half (44%) are in decline, and many found to be under unsustainable pressure from habitat loss and overfishing. 97% of listed sharks, rays and sturgeon are at high risk of extinction, and populations have declined by 90% since the 1970s.
Wild animals can cover long distances during migration, such as a million wildebeest migrating from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Masai Mara in Kenya, or Pacific salmon migrating up the west coast of the United States to breed. culminating in some of nature’s most dramatic journeys.
Analysis shows that almost half of the gorillas and turtles covered by the treaty are endangered, while the giant flying fox, the straw-foxed flying fox, flies more than 13,000 miles non-stop between Alaska and Australia. Colored flying foxes and other species are said to be in decline. The European eel is on the largest migration of any mammal across Africa and is on the verge of extinction.
The report was released at a meeting where governments called on: Summit meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, discuss how to better protect the world’s migratory birds. Director-general Amy Frankel told the Guardian that while the trend towards increasing extinction risk was “hugely alarming”, there was also much the government could do to address the decline.
“The reason there are species covered by the Convention is because they are endangered, and it is not surprising that some of them are endangered. “The problem is trends: 44% of listed species are in decline, and the increased risk of extinction also applies globally to migratory bird species,” Frankel said.
“Three out of four species are affected by habitat loss and seven out of 10 species are affected by overfishing, which includes the intentional killing of species through hunting, poisoning, and bycatch. “People may not know that whales, lions, gorillas, giraffes and many birds are migratory…that’s a big concern,” she says.
To protect what remains and help populations recover, the report authors recommend that human infrastructure along major flight, swimming and migratory routes should be minimized. . They also said more efforts should be done to understand and better protect areas important to migrants. Despite conservation efforts, 70 registered species, including the steppe eagle, Egyptian vulture and wild camel, have suffered population declines over the past 30 years.
UN environment chief Inger Andersen said: “The international community has an opportunity to translate this cutting-edge science… into concrete conservation action. Given the precarious situation of many of these animals, we cannot afford to delay.”
Frenkel added, “There is much work to be done to address the drivers of environmental change, including agriculture, urban sprawl, railroads, roads, and fences that destroy habitat.” Among the most important for migratory birds: One is something called ecosystem integrity, meaning that migratory birds need specific locations to breed, feed, and migrate. If these sites become inaccessible or no longer exist, Then it becomes clearly harmful.”
The Convention targets migratory bird species whose survival requires international coordination. The report’s authors identified 399 endangered species that are not listed in the Convention.
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