Convening under the theme of ‘Connecting Nature to Sustain All Life,’ delegates to the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) adopted over 50 decisions, including listing 40 new species, subspecies, and populations in the CMS Appendices. Of these, 20 were added to Appendix I, which comprises migratory species in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range.

According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) summary report of the meeting, these are the Pelagic Thresher, Bigeye Thresher, Common Thresher, Scalloped Hammerhead Shark, Great Hammerhead Shark, Lesser Yellowlegs, Hudsonian Godwit, Hudsonian Whimbrel, nine species of Gadfly Petrel (Barau’s, Vanuatu, Black-capped, Zino’s, Magenta, Atlantic, Fiji, Mascarene, and Beck’s), the Zimbabwe population of Cheetah, Striped Hyena, and Giant Otter.

Species included in Appendix II, which covers migratory species that have an unfavorable conservation status and require international cooperation for their conservation and management, were the Zimbabwe population of Cheetah, Striped Hyena, Giant Otter, Flesh-footed Shearwater, Snowy Owl, Ibera Seedeater, Patagonian Narrownose Smoothhound, Spotted Sorubim, and 17 species or populations of Gadfly Petrels. Two listing proposals, for Bukhara Deer and Angular Angelshark, were withdrawn.

Among other key outcomes, the ENB analysis of the meeting highlights the Multi-species Action Plan (MsAP) for Amazonian Migratory Catfish – “a long-awaited step forward to protect this group of species so essential to food security and the health of freshwater ecosystems.”

Discussions during the COP were informed by the 2026 interim report on the State of the World’s Migratory Species, which “revealed that 49% of migratory species populations listed under CMS Appendices I and/or II are declining, and 24% are facing extinction globally.” “Still, that same report noted that seven CMS-listed species have improved in conservation status, including the saiga antelope, scimitar-horned oryx, and Mediterranean monk seal, which now face reduced extinction risks as a result of Concerted Actions, habitat protections, and anti-poaching initiatives,” ENB writes.

CMS employs Concerted Actions to achieve concrete, on-the-ground, species-specific conservation priorities. COP15 approved 16 Concerted Actions, including eight extensions and eight new proposals. Deemed complete were three Concerted Actions – Pallas’ Cat, Common Guitarfish and Bottlenose Wedgefish, and Humpback whales of the Arabian Sea. One was closed (Great Bustard in Asia).

COP15 also “resoundingly integrated the understanding of ecological connectivity throughout its outcomes, guided by the Global Partnership on Ecological Connectivity established at COP14,” ENB notes.

COP15 also considered, inter alia:

• The launch of the Global Initiative on Taking of Migratory Species to address illegal and/or unsustainable taking of migratory species, with a focus on domestic motivations and drivers of exploitation;
• The recognition of six global marine flyways for seabirds and related actions;
• Progress on implementing the Samarkand Strategic Plan for Migratory Species 2024-2032; and
• Recommendations on deep-sea mining, infrastructure, insect decline, multiple systems of knowledge, and the conservation implications of animal culture and social complexity, among others.

In addition to the interim report on the State of the World’s Migratory Species, COP15 saw the launch of the Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes. The Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change signed on as a cooperating partner to the Sharks Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

CMS COP15 convened in Campo Grande, Brazil, from 23-29 March 2026. [ENB Coverage of CMS COP15]