130 Nations Adopt Protections for 40 Migratory Species at CMS COP15

Governments from more than 130 nations adopted sweeping protections for 40 migratory species at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, held in Campo Grande, Brazil, from March 23 to 29. The gathering, the first time Brazil hosted the event, focused on safeguarding birds, marine life, and terrestrial animals facing accelerating declines due to habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate change.

The conference brought together over 2,400 participants, including delegates from 132 countries and the European Union. They added the species to the treaty's appendices, which now cover more than 1,200 in total. Appendix I provides the strictest safeguards for animals threatened with extinction, prohibiting take and requiring habitat conservation wherever they migrate. Appendix II targets species needing international cooperation to ensure safe passage across borders.

Among the newly protected are the great hammerhead shark, thresher sharks, manta rays, jaguar, striped hyena, giant river otter, snowy owl, Hudsonian godwit, cheetah, and European eel. Additional listings include migratory Amazonian fish like the spotted...