Half of migratory animal species are in decline – many face extinction

Hundreds of migratory species – from humpback whales to wandering albatross – are threatened by human activities, according to the first UN wildlife report. gave State of the World’s Migratory Species A report released today concludes that nearly half of the migratory species on the United Nations’ list of vulnerable species are in decline. A quarter of the listed species are threatened with extinction.

Billions of animals, belonging to more than 2,000 species, travel vast distances each year for various reasons, such as finding food or breeding grounds. They include the most famous animals in the world. Amy Frankel In the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Elephants, whales, dolphins and turtles are all migratory.

As a result of their wandering nature, though, these animals face many dangers on their migration routes, say Wolfgang Fiedler at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany, which was not involved in this report. “A stork in central Europe may be threatened by electrocution from improperly constructed power poles, environmental pollution and habitat loss in the Mediterranean region, and poaching in North Africa. Is.”

In 1983, an international agreement of the United Nations came into effect with the aim of protecting these animals. Under the treaty, known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), 1,189 species were identified as being of special interest, partly because they regularly cross national borders during their migrations. Cross over.

“These are the species that really need international cooperation for their survival and conservation,” says Frankel.

To understand how these migratory animals are doing today, Frankel and his colleagues conducted a comprehensive analysis of conservation data for all species.

Since 1990, 70 CMS-listed species—including the steppe eagle (alone nipalensisand the Egyptian vulture (Nephron percnopterus) – have seen an increase in their risk of extinction. Significant population declines have affected 44 percent of CMS-listed species, and 22 percent are at risk of complete extinction.

Fish are particularly hard hit: 97 percent of CMS-listed fish, including the scalloped hammerhead (Spirna Leonie) and the pelagic thresher (Alopecia pelagicus) sharks, are either endangered or critically endangered.

The team also identified another 399 migratory species – including many species of albatross – that are threatened with extinction but are not currently listed under CMS. About half of them are fish species.

Human activities are the main factor behind these dangerous trends. Overfishing, pollution and habitat loss from deforestation and urbanization all threaten species. Climate change is also an issue.

“But there are solutions to these challenges,” says the team member. Kelly massage At the United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center.

“Strong things include reducing light pollution or changing fishing gear to reduce bycatch,” she says. “We also need to continue to identify really important regions that species need to migrate to and make them protected areas.”

“Such declines and conservation concerns may not seem unique given the large-scale loss of natural areas and global biodiversity, but what is unique are the challenges in conserving migratory species, particularly those that migrate long distances or travel across continental, national and cultural boundaries,” it says Tong Moo at Princeton University, which was not included in this report. “To succeed in the conservation of migratory species, most, if not all, of these threats need to be addressed in the right places at the right time, during which large-scale coordination and cooperation are usually key. status.”