The importance of collective action to prevent the extinction of 20% of migratory species.
According to the United Nations’ inaugural report on migrating animals, published on Monday, over 20% of the world’s species that migrate are in danger of becoming extinct due to climate change and human intrusion.
According to the report, a large number of animals undertake long journeys across deserts, plains, or oceans annually for the purpose of breeding and finding food. However, if these migratory species face excessive and harmful pressures that are not able to be sustained, it could not only result in a decrease in their populations, but also negatively impact the availability of food and put people’s means of living at risk.
The report stated that among the 1,189 species protected by a U.N. convention in 1979, 44% have experienced a decrease in population, and a significant 22% could potentially become extinct.
The provided figures were derived from evaluations and data supplied by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Living Planet Index. The Living Planet Index gathers population statistics for over 5,000 species starting from 1970.
Spreading awareness about the importance of migratory species and the threats they face.
According to Amy Fraenkel, executive secretary of the U.N. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, the recently published report provides governments with a clear indication of the actions required to address the perils faced by migratory species.
Before the convention’s meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan this week, she expressed that the focus is consistently on execution.
The primary danger comes from humans, who are responsible for activities such as hunting, fishing, and other forms of excessive exploitation that affect 70% of the species identified on the U.N. list.
Strict laws to prevent poaching and trade in wild animals.
Loss of habitat had a significant impact on as much as 75% of the species, emphasizing the necessity for increased connectivity between separate ecosystems. The authors of the report recommended that governments take precautions to preserve habitats and migration routes by avoiding disruption caused by the installation of infrastructure like dams, pipelines, or wind turbines.
Fraenkel stated that it is essential to examine the highest levels of decision-making in government and understand the proposed plans in order to ensure the fulfillment of human needs without compromising the environment necessary for our survival.
The combination of temperature fluctuations is adding to the pressures by disturbing migration patterns, inducing heat strain, and escalating the occurrence of destructive weather events like drought or wildfires.
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Diversity is threatened: one in five migratory species is at risk
Fraenkel noted that the changes that had been foreseen a few years ago are currently taking place.
Every three years, the Convention participants gather to evaluate potential new species for inclusion in their watchlist. The remarkable Amazon catfish will be one of the animals under discussion during the ongoing Samarkand meeting.
The extinction of migratory species upsets the balance of the ecosystem.
According to Fraenkel, the agency plans to introduce a new initiative that offers countries support in safeguarding habitats with more efficiency.
Conservationists are calling on governments to fulfill their commitment made in 2022 under the new international agreement on biodiversity to allocate 30% of the Earth’s land and oceans for conservation purposes by 2030.
Susan Lieberman, the vice-president of international policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society, who is currently participating in the Samarkand meeting, expressed that there would be positive outcomes in the next U.N. report if governments fulfill all their promised actions.
