Welcome
International delegations meet to discuss wildlife conservation
The international conference on species conservation was held in Manila, Philippines. Delegations from all over the world discussed methods to protect endangered species and their habitats and how to secure routes of migratory animals.
The topic of this year’s international conference on species conservation was “Their Future is our Future – Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People” and took place in Manila, Philippines.
The parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) convened from October 22 to 28.
On the agenda are well-known species such as the lion, the leopard and the chimpanzee which are to be added to the convention’s scope of protection.
The parties are tasked with agreeing action plans or else adopting alternative protective measures for endangered species like the turtle dove, the African wild ass and the whale shark.
Germany received a prize for outstanding achievements in mitigating the conflicts between renewable energies and migratory birds and other migratory species.
Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Environment Ministry remarked: “The Convention on Migratory Species can contribute greatly to the conservation of terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Habitat loss constitutes one of the main threats to 85 percent of the threatened species on the IUCN Red List.
Thus, species conservation always implies the protection of habitats and ecosystems. This is also crucial for densely populated Germany with much of its land area used for agriculture.”
Threats to migratory species posed by environmental pollution are on the agenda for the opening day. One aim of discussion is to draw up recommendations for the reduction of underwater noise, which affects whales and dolphins, in particular.
Another aim is to better protect marine fauna from plastic waste and to reduce terrestrial pollutants. Special focus will be placed on the protection of migratory birds from multiple hazards on their annual migration routes from breeding to wintering grounds – the key issues include tackling bird-trapping and protecting wintering grounds in Africa.
Background on the Convention on Migratory Species
126 countries and the EU are parties to CMS. A Conference of the Parties takes place every three years – this year it is being held in Asia for the first time. The German government is one of the staunchest supporters of the convention, also known as the Bonn Convention because it was signed in Bonn and its Secretariat is located there.
