The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) announced that a total of 32 species have been proposed for listing into Appendix I, which requires strict protection and Appendix II, which requires coordinated management by the countries in which the species migrate.
Two types of Hammerhead shark, the Silky shark, three species of Thresher sharks (Appendix II); the Asiatic lion (Appendix I) and African lions (Appendix II); and the polar bear (Appendix II) are among the species proposed for listing.
11 June 2014: The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) announced that a total of 32 species have been proposed for listing into Appendix I, which requires strict protection and Appendix II, which requires coordinated management by the countries in which the species migrate. Two types of Hammerhead shark, the Silky shark, three species of Thresher sharks (Appendix II); the Asiatic lion (Appendix I) and African lions (Appendix II); and the polar bear (Appendix II) are among the species proposed for listing.
“One of the clear messages indicated by the listing proposals is that CMS Parties deem the plight of sharks to be so serious that they proposed over twenty species of sharks and rays for listing. It might also be seen as a vote of confidence in CMS as a forum in which to advance the global conservation of sharks, but also for an increasing number of other threatened migratory species of wild animals,” said Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of CMS.
The proposal submitted by Kenya to list the Asiatic lion under Appendix I, quotes a study conducted across West and Central Africa, between 2006 and 2010, where 15 lion conservation units were surveyed. The study found concrete evidence of lions in only two such units and none in Central Africa. The study concluded that 450-1,300 lions may remain in West Africa, and 550-1,500 in Central Africa, with many populations declining or having disappeared altogether.
Norway’s proposal to list the polar bear under Appendix II draws attention to the Convention’s role in facilitating international attention to polar bear habitat and in ensuring that seasonal polar bear migrations remain intact, including through the restriction of activities such as petroleum exploration, petroleum extraction and shipping in the Arctic.
The eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 11) to the CMS will be held under the theme, ‘Time for Action,’ in Quito, Ecuador from 4-9 November 2014. [CMS Press Release] [Proposals to Amend the Appendices of CMS] [Publication: The Lion in West Africa is Critically Endangered]