Context:
The Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS 14) has been concluded in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Relevance:
GS III: Environment and Ecology
Dimensions of the Article:
- Key Outcomes of CMS COP 14: Enhancing Conservation Efforts for Migratory Species
- Migratory Species and CMS: A Conservation Overview
Key Outcomes of CMS COP 14: Enhancing Conservation Efforts for Migratory Species
Species Listings:
- Adoption of listing proposals for 14 migratory species, including Eurasian lynx, Peruvian pelican, Pallas’s cat, guanaco, Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin, and others.
- Aim to bolster protection and conservation initiatives for the listed species.
Cooperation Among Range States:
- Emphasis on collaboration between range states to tackle threats, conduct research, and implement conservation activities.
- Range states crucial in managing, conserving, and protecting species within their geographical range.
Conservation Objectives:
- Focus on maintaining populations, enhancing connectivity, safeguarding habitats, and restoring populations.
- Addressing threats such as habitat degradation, illegal trade, bycatch, and human activities impacting migratory species.
Threats to Migratory Species:
- Identification of threats like habitat degradation, fragmentation, illegal trade, bycatch, contaminants, and various human activities.
- CMS listing aimed at mitigating these threats and promoting species conservation.
International Collaboration:
- Range states working together to propose listing amendments and adopt conservation measures.
- Support from countries like North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, and others for joint efforts in species protection.
Conservation Status Recognition:
- Recognition of species like Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin, Peruvian pelican, and Magellanic plover as ‘Vulnerable,’ ‘Endangered,’ or ‘Critically Endangered’ in the IUCN Red List.
- CMS listings intended to improve conservation status and provide habitat protection.
Regional and Global Conservation Strategies:
- Adoption of proposals reflecting efforts to address conservation challenges at both regional and global levels.
- Recommendations for measures targeting specific populations and broader conservation strategies.
Migratory Species and CMS: A Conservation Overview
Migratory Species:
- Wild animals, or lower taxa, whose entire population or part of it cyclically and predictably crosses national jurisdictional boundaries.
- The term ‘cyclically’ involves any recurring cycle, whether astronomical, life-related, or climatic.
- ‘Predictably’ indicates anticipation of recurrence under specific circumstances, though not necessarily at regular intervals.
CMS (Convention on Migratory Species):
- Intergovernmental treaty under UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), known as the Bonn Convention.
- Established in 1979, in force since 1983, with 133 Parties as of March 1, 2022.
- India has been a party since 1983.
Objectives:
- Aims to conserve terrestrial, marine, and avian migratory species across their range.
- Provides a legal framework for global-scale conservation measures.
- Offers a spectrum of legal instruments, from binding Agreements to informal Memoranda of Understanding (MoU).
Appendices under CMS:
- Appendix I: Lists ‘Threatened Migratory Species.’
- Appendix II: Lists ‘Migratory Species requiring international cooperation.’
India’s Engagement with CMS:
- Signed non-binding MoUs with CMS for conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008), and Raptors (2016).
- India, with 2.4% of the world’s land area, contributes to around 8% of global biodiversity.
- Provides temporary refuge to migratory species like Amur Falcons, Bar-headed Geese, Black-necked Cranes, Marine Turtles, Dugongs, Humpback Whales, etc.
-Source: Indian Express
