The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) has launched the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the state of the world’s migratory species. The report warns that almost half of the world’s migratory species are in decline and more than a fifth are threatened with extinction, including nearly all of CMS-listed fish. It provides a set of recommendations for priority action to save migratory animals.

Titled, ‘State of the World’s Migratory Species,’ the report provides an overview of the conservation status and population trends of migratory animals, both CMS-listed species and those not listed in CMS. It presents the latest information on their main threats and successful actions to protect them. The report mainly focuses on the 1,189 animal species that are listed under CMS, but also features analysis of some 3,000 additional migratory species. CMS-listed species are “those at risk of extinction across all or much of their range, or in need of coordinated international action to boost their conservation status,” a press release notes. Globally, 399 migratory species that are threatened or near threatened with extinction – including many albatrosses and perching birds, ground sharks, and stingrays – are not listed under CMS.

According to the report, the extinction risk is growing for CMS and non-CMS migratory species alike, with half of key biodiversity areas of importance for CMS-listed migratory animals lacking protected status and nearly 60% of the monitored sites of importance for CMS-listed species facing “unsustainable levels of human-caused pressure.” In the last 30 years, 70 CMS-listed migratory species have become more endangered. These include the steppe eagle, Egyptian vulture, and the wild camel. Only 14 listed species, including blue and humpback whales, the white-tailed sea eagle, and the black-faced spoonbill, have improved their conservation status.

The report identifies overexploitation and loss of habitat due to human activity as the two greatest threats to all migratory species, both those that are listed in CMS and those that are not. Other threats include climate change, pollution, and invasive species.

At the same time, the report shows that population and species-wide recoveries are possible. It offers examples of successful policy change and positive action, including coordinated local efforts that reduced illegal bird netting in Cyprus by 91% and “integrated conservation and restoration work in Kazakhstan, which has brought the Saiga Antelope back from the brink of extinction.”

“When species cross national borders, their survival depends on the efforts of all countries in which they are found,” said CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel. “This landmark report will help underpin much-needed policy actions to ensure that migratory species continue to thrive around the world.”

The report recommends that governments prioritize:

• Strengthening and expanding efforts to tackle illegal and unsustainable taking of migratory species, as well as incidental capture of non-target species;
• Increasing actions to identify, protect, connect, and effectively manage important sites for migratory species;
• Urgently addressing those species in most danger of extinction, including nearly all CMS-listed fish species;
• Scaling up efforts to tackle climate change, as well as light, noise, chemical, and plastic pollution; and
• Considering expanding CMS listings to include more at-risk migratory species in need of national and international attention.

Prepared for CMS by conservation scientists at the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), the report features expert contributions from BirdLife International, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), among other institutions. It was launched on 12 February 2024, during the 14th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14). [Publication: State of the World’s Migratory Species] [CMS Press Release] [UN News Story][ENB coverage of CMS COP14]