Bonn, 16 May 2010 -
Europe's rarest
songbird, the Aquatic Warbler, will be better
protected following decisions taken at a
key meeting of the UN Environment Programme's
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory
Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
The meeting in Biebrza
National Park (Poland) agreed to extend
the geographical coverage of the CMS Agreement
on the Aquatic Warbler (which originally
comprised 15 countries) to include seven
new countries in Europe and Africa along
the migration route of the Aquatic Warbler
and in its wintering areas in sub-Sahelian
Africa: Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco,
Portugal, Slovakia and Switzerland.
The meeting also adopted
a new International Species Action Plan
for the Aquatic Warbler, prepared by CMS's
partner BirdLife International on behalf
of the European Union. It will help to protect
the Aquatic Warbler throughout its range
and help its breeding populations expand
to sites that had been lost in the past.
In addition to giving
a detailed account of the distribution,
biology and conservation status of the bird
species, the plan envisages concrete actions
to be taken by the countries. Governments
are committed to adopt wildlife laws to
safeguard the bird species, its breeding
sites and winter quarters along its migration
route. Research and monitoring will help
track population trends and identify new
wintering areas. The discovery of the only
wintering site in Senegal in 2007 is a milestone
towards long term conservation efforts under
CMS.
CMS Executive Secretary
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said: "We must
redouble our efforts to protect this unique
songbird. New concerted actions in Europe
and Africa to save this most endangered
bird species during the International Year
of Biodiversity will also maintain the crucial
wetlands on which so many other species
depend."
At the meeting, the
Polish partner of BirdLife International,
the Polish Society for the Protection of
Birds (OTOP) shared data with the scientific
community on new technologies to restore
the Aquatic Warbler's sensitive peatland
habitat. As part of a ? 5 million project
largely funded by the European Union's LIFE
Nature programme, conservation work started
in nine project sites in Poland and Germany
in 2005, covering 42,000 hectares.
As a result, fauna and
flora in the fen mires that are key to the
natural balance of watersheds have now regained
their former diversity in the Biebrza Valley.
Fen mires act as carbon store, thus easing
the greenhouse effect. Drained mires release
greenhouse gases as a result, the emissions
in Belarus from drained mires are higher
than those from all road traffic in the
country. Where trees and bushes were previously
slowly overgrowing the valuable peat meadows,
lapwings, redshanks, black-tailed godwits,
great snipes and the return of the Aquatic
Warbler can now be observed.
The Aquatic Warbler
is the rarest and the only globally threatened
passerine bird found in mainland Europe.
Apart from a very small remnant population
in West Siberia, its breeding grounds are
completely confined to Europe. Once widespread
and numerous in fen mires and wet meadows
throughout the continent, the Aquatic Warbler
has disappeared from most of its former
range. Nowadays, its global population of
only 10,200-13,800 males is confined to
less than 40 sites in only six countries,
with four sites supporting over 80 per cent
of the global population. The only regular
wintering site known so far is the one discovered
in Senegal. Habitat loss in Sub-Sahelian
Africa is likely to turn into a bottleneck.
The Aquatic Warbler
inhabits large open sedge and fen mires,
which have suffered a very severe decline
in western and central Europe due to habitat
loss caused largely by agricultural activities
and peat extraction. In addition, changes
in the water management such as channelizing
and deepening of river beds have had a severe
impact. Agricultural abandonment and uncontrolled
burning and draining of wetlands have led
to serious consequences. In the wintering
grounds, habitat loss as a result of population
increase, fresh water reservoirs, hydro-agriculture,
desertification and overgrazing are most
severe.
France, one of the main
range states to the Aquatic Warbler, and
Mali signed the CMS agreement on Aquatic
Warblers during the conference, bringing
the total number of signatories to 14 (out
of 15 range states).
France is especially
important, because the entire world population
of Aquatic Warblers passes through France
once or twice a year, when the birds depend
on intact refuelling stations. Mali is also
considered a potentially critically important
country for the Aquatic Warbler. Scientists
believe that a very important part of the
world population could wait out the winter
season in the country an international expedition
aimed at identifying the bird's wintering
sites is planned for next year.
Following World Migratory
Bird Day 2010, celebrated around the world
on 8-9 May, this expert meeting is the first
one to adopt the theme 'Save migratory birds
in crisis - every species counts!'.
Notes to Editors:
The Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (Bonn Convention) is an intergovernmental
treaty concluded under the United Nations
Environment Programme and focusing on the
conservation of migratory species and their
habitats. CMS concluded the Memorandum of
Understanding concerning Conservation Measures
for the Aquatic Warbler. This CMS agreement
provides the basis for governments, NGOs
and scientists to work together to save
the Aquatic Warbler and its habitats.
At the global level
the Aquatic Warbler is classified as "Vulnerable"
by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature's (IUCN) Red List. It is included
in CMS Appendix I and designated for concerted
action under the Convention, Annex I of
the EC Wild Birds Directive, in Appendix
II of the Bern Convention.
