Rome/Bonn,
28 November 2008 - Whether they are speeding
across the African savannah or navigating
brackish waters in Asia, some of the world's
most charismatic species need an urgent
boost in international protection.
Over 100 governments
meeting next week for the ninth conference
of the parties to the Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (CMS) will consider proposals to
strengthen conservation of close to 30 endangered
land and marine animals that often cross
international borders, by placing them on
the Convention's appendices.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary
General and Executive Director of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which
administers the CMS, said: "Species
that migrate across countries and continents
are facing ever greater hurdles from loss
of habitat and feeding grounds to unsustainable
use and the unfolding and often complex
threats emerging from climate change."
"Indeed the world
is currently facing a sixth wave of extinctions
mainly as a result of human impacts. Urgent
and accelerated action is needed to ensure
that a healthy, productive and functioning
planet is handed on to the next generation,"
he added.
"The Convention
on Migratory Species is an important part
of our international cooperative response
to such challenges. It reflects the shared
responsibility of nations for these species
as each year they attempt their epic journeys
across continents and oceans".
Robert Hepworth, Executive
Secretary of UNEP-CMS, added: "Many
migratory species are now important parts
of the local and international economy generating
income and supporting livelihoods via industries
such as tourism. For example an estimated
150,000 people visit the Serengeti annually
in order to see its famous wildlife. Based
on 2003 figures, the park generates income
of $ 5.5 million from tourists".
"Congress Avenue
Bridge in Austin, Texas, is home to 1.5
million Mexican free-tailed bats which flock
in the evening to feed. The spectacle attracts
between 200 and 1,500 people daily and annually
puts millions of dollars into the local
economy. This underlines that migratory
species are part of the world's natural
assets and have their role in realizing
a Green Economy," he added.
