International news

The Secretariat is pleased to announce that following the elections that took place at COP12 in Manila, the composition of the Standing Committee for the next triennium is as follows (the Parties s

International Experts Share Approaches to Conserve Tidal Mud Flats

The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in its capacity as Depositary of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migrator

The Twelfth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP12) held from 23 to 28 October 2017 in Manila, the Philippines, decided on the inclusion of thirty-four taxa on the Appendices of the Conven

CMS is pleased to welcome the Dominican Republic as the 125thParty to the Convention with effect from today. The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern part of the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles and has one of the region’s most varied climates, with rain forest conditions prevailing in the coastal and lowland areas. The island is prone to hurricanes which are most likely to occur from August to October, and was badly affected by Hurricane Maria in September this year.

World governments attending this year’s largest wildlife summit have collectively endorsed actions on the conservation of a wide range of migratory species, many of which are near-extinct. The week-long CMS COP12 ended in Manila today with decisions on 34 species in submissions made by 24 Parties from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. These include actions on Africa’s great carnivores, 10 species of vulture, and the endangered Whale Shark, known as the butanding in the Philippines.

Chimpanzees - which share some 99 per cent of their DNA with us - are in trouble, despite national protection efforts across Africa, says the world-renowned conservationist Ian Redmond. “Although our zoological next of kin with the widest distribution of any ape apart from ourselves, they are an endangered species. Most are declining in number - victims of habitat loss and poaching - and have been extirpated in at least three, possibly five other countries,” he said.

Representatives of governments attending the year’s foremost wildlife summit have today taken a major step towards agreeing to strengthen measures for the conservation of a wide range of migratory species. The Conference of the Parties has today given the green light to add a number of endangered animals to the two Appendices of the Convention. Listing on Appendix I requires governments of Parties to protect the species while Appendix II calls for international cooperation to ensure that the conservation status of a species is favourable.

Three leading bird conservation organizations today announced an innovative partnership to boost awareness of the plight of migratory birds around the globe. The new alliance formally unites two of the world’s largest bird education campaigns, International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) and World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) in a bid to strengthen recognition and appreciation of migratory birds and highlight the urgent need for their conservation.

A new set of guidelines for regulators will significantly help to manage marine noise, which is increasingly posing a major threat to many marine animals. Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), said the recommendations are a response to a historically unprecedented increase in marine noise.