Marine turtles are critically endangered. (Photo by Anton Raharjo/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Nearly half of migratory species listed under a United Nations biodiversity treaty are showing population declines.
This is according to the first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report, which was released on Monday by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
“The conservation status of migratory species overall is deteriorating,” said the report. “Species listed for protection under CMS, despite positive successes, reflect this broader trend.”
As the first comprehensive assessment of migratory species, it provides a global overview of the conservation status and population trends of migratory animals, combined with the latest information on their main threats and successful actions to save them.
The report’s main focus is the 1 189 animal species that have been recognised by CMS parties as needing international protection and also features analysis linked to 3 000 additional non-CMS migratory species.
On the move
Billions of animals are regularly on the move every year, it said. “Migratory species include some of the most iconic species on the planet such as sea turtles, whales and sharks in our oceans, elephants, wild cats, and herds of hooved species that cross plains and deserts, raptors, waterbirds and songbirds that cross through the skies, and even insects such as the monarch butterfly.”
With their incredible journeys connecting different parts of the world, migratory species provide a “unique lens through which we can understand the scale of the profound changes affecting our world”.
Migratory species rely on a variety of specific habitats at different times in their life cycles, noted Amy Fraenkel, the executive secretary of the CMS. “They regularly travel, sometimes thousands of miles, to reach these places. They face enormous challenges and threats along the way, as well as at their destinations where they breed or feed.
“When species cross national borders, their survival depends on the efforts of all countries in which they are found. This landmark report will help underpin much-needed policy actions to ensure that migratory species continue to thrive around the world.”
The listing of species under the CMS means that these species require international cooperation to address their conservation.
Major threats
According to the report, urgent action is needed to prevent the extinction of species that are categorised as critically endangered and endangered, which includes a substantial proportion of all marine and freshwater fish species (79%) and marine turtles (43%) that are listed under the CMS.
Nearly all CMS-listed species of fish — including migratory sharks, rays and sturgeons — are facing a high risk of extinction, with their populations declining by 90% since the 1970s. The report, too, highlights nearly 400 threatened species not covered by the Convention that deserve greater attention.
Over-exploitation emerges as the greatest threat for many migratory species, surpassing habitat loss and fragmentation. This includes the taking of species from the wild through intentional removal, such as through hunting and fishing, as well as the incidental capture of non-target species.
Bycatch of non-target species in fisheries is a leading cause of mortality of many CMS-listed marine species. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and barriers to migratory movements continue to be a major threat facing migratory species. Climate change, pollution and invasive species, too, are wreaking havoc on migratory species.
Over the past 30 years, 70 CMS-listed migratory species, including the steppe eagle, Egyptian vulture and the wild camel, have become more endangered.
This contrasts with just 14 listed species that now have an improved conservation status — including blue and humpback whales, the white-tailed sea eagle and the black-faced spoonbill.
The report suggested that a key priority is to map and take adequate steps to protect the vital locations that serve as breeding, feeding and stopover sites for migratory species.
Nearly 10 000 of the world’s Key Biodiversity Areas are important for CMS-listed migratory species, but more than half (by area) are not designated as protected or conserved areas. The report said that 58% of monitored sites important for CMS-listed species are under threat because of human activities.
There are 399 migratory species — mainly birds and fish, including many albatross and perching birds, ground sharks and stingrays that are categorised as threatened or near-threatened but are not yet CMS-listed.
Urgent intervention
Examples of successful policy change and positive action, from local to international, include coordinated local action that has seen illegal bird netting reduced by 91% in Cyprus, and highly successful integrated conservation and restoration work in Kazakhstan, which has brought the Saiga Antelope back from the brink of extinction.
Among the priority recommendations include strengthening and expanding efforts to tackle illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species, as well as incidental capture of non-target species.
Increased action must be taken to identify, protect, connect and effectively manage important sites for migratory species, and to urgently address those species in most danger of extinction, including nearly all CMS-listed fish species.
Efforts to tackle climate change as well as light, noise, chemical and plastic pollution must be scaled up and CMS listings must be considered for expansion to include more at-risk migratory species in need of national and international attention, the report said.