State of the World’s Migratory Species: CMS

News Excerpt:
The Convention of Migratory Species (CMS) 14th Conference of Parties (COP14) at the Samarkand Summit will see several terrestrial animals proposed for listing in the CMS list, among others expecting a new action plan for their protection. 

Convention of Migratory Species (CMS):

  • As an environmental treaty of the United Nations, CMS provides a global platform for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. 
  • CMS brings together the States through which migratory animals pass, the Range States
  • It is the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes, CMS complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector
  • It consists of 2 lists :
    • Appendix I: Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them.
    • Appendix II: Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation.

About CMS 14: 

  • The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14) is set to take place in the historic city of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from 12 to 17 February 2024.
  • The conference will be convened under the slogan, "Nature knows no borders", which, along with the logo, is a reminder that the journeys of migratory species do not adhere to political boundaries and that their survival is dependent on international collaboration and transboundary conservation efforts.
  • It will also provide a unique opportunity for the launch of major new reports and guidelines, including the first-ever report on the ‘State of the World’s Migratory Species’, new global guidelines on light pollution, and best practices for linear infrastructure to minimize impacts on migratory species.

Actions to be Undertaken in CMS14:

  • For 962 species of migratory birds listed in CMS, the COP14 will focus on considering draft decisions on the illegal killing of birds. 
    • For migratory land birds from African-Eurasian region, the summit will see a revised programme of work of the region’s action plan. 
  • The parties will also discuss proposals related to use of modern technologies such as satellite imaging, climate models, and interactive bird atlas tools.
  • The technological tools help to prioritise and implement actions for species and their habitats in the Action Plan for Migratory Landbirds in the African-Eurasian Region range.
  • Proposals of new species: 
    • Eurasian lynx, Guanaco and Pallas’s cat  in CMS Appendix II 
    • Balkan lynx for Appendix I
    • Peruvian pelican
    • Magellanic plover 
    • Bearded vulture 
  • New single species action plans (SSAP)
    • Among migratory aquatic species, COP14 is expected to consider three new single-species action plans (SSAP) to be developed for marine species such as the Hawksbill turtle belonging to Southeast Asia and the western Pacific Ocean region. 
    • Atlantic Humpback dolphin and Angel Shark in the Mediterranean Sea.
    • Sooty falcon, a long-distance migratory bird of prey for the period 2024-36, Christmas Island frigatebird, a threatened migratory shorebird and   Great Bustard.
  • Proposals to amend the appendices
    • Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin 
    • Harbour porpoise in the Baltic sea
    • Sand tiger shark
    • Blackchin guitarfish
    • Bull ray
    • Lusitanian cownose ray 
    • Gilded catfish
    • Laulao catfish or Piramuta.

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