Landmark UN report: The world’s migratory species of animals are in decline, causing a global extinction risk

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The first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report was launched on February 12^th, 2024  by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a UN biodiversity treaty, at the opening of a major UN wildlife conservation conference (CMS COP14). The landmark report reveals:

• While some migratory species listed under CMS are improving, nearly half (44 percent) are showing population declines.
• More than one in five (22 percent) of CMS-listed species are threatened with extinction.
• Nearly all (97 percent) of CMS-listed fish are threatened with extinction.
• The extinction risk is growing for migratory species globally, including those not listed under CMS.
• Half (51 percent) of Key Biodiversity Areas identified as important for CMS-listed migratory animals do not have protected status, and 58 percent of the monitored sites recognized as being important for CMS-listed species are experiencing unsustainable levels of human-caused pressure.
• The two greatest threats to both CMS-listed and all migratory species are overexploitation and habitat loss due to human activity. Three out of four CMS-listed species are impacted by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and seven out of ten CMS-listed species are impacted by overexploitation (including intentional taking as well as incidental capture).
• Climate change, pollution, and invasive species are also having profound impacts on migratory species.
• Globally, 399 migratory species that are threatened or near threatened with extinction are not currently listed under CMS.

Until now, no such comprehensive assessment on migratory species has been carried out. The report provides a global overview of the conservation status and population trends of migratory animals, combined with the latest information on their main threats and successful actions to save them.

Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said: “Today’s report clearly shows us that unsustainable human activities are jeopardizing the future of migratory species – creatures who not only act as indicators of environmental change but play an integral role in maintaining the function and resilience of our planet’s complex ecosystems. The global community has an opportunity to translate this latest science of the pressures facing migratory species into concrete conservation action. Given the precarious situation of many of these animals, we cannot afford to delay, and must work together to make the recommendations a reality.”

Billions of animals make migratory journeys each year on land, in the oceans and in the skies, crossing national boundaries and continents, with some traveling thousands of miles across the globe to feed and breed.

Migratory species play an essential role in maintaining the world’s ecosystems, and provide vital benefits, by pollinating plants, transporting key nutrients, preying on pests, and helping to store carbon.

Most worryingly, nearly all CMS-listed species of fish – including migratory sharks, rays, and sturgeons – are facing a high risk of extinction, with their populations declining by 90 percent since the 1970s.

Analyzing the threats to species, the report shows the huge extent to which the decline in migratory species is being caused by human activities.

The two greatest threats to both CMS-listed and all migratory species were confirmed as overexploitation – which includes unsustainable hunting, overfishing, and the capture of non-target animals such as in fisheries – and habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation – from activities such as agriculture and the expansion of transport and energy infrastructure.

Find the full press release by clicking on the link below :

Migratory species globally are facing critical challenges, with nearly half in decline & over 20% threatened with extinction.

New landmark @BonnConvention report highlights the perilous state of migratory species & calls for action to save them. https://t.co/6svTJuoUxJ pic.twitter.com/A71rA7FxOq

— United Nations (@UN) February 13, 2024