‘Wake-up Call’: UN Report Reveals 22% of Migratory Animals Face Extinction

A recent United Nations report has highlighted a critical situation: over 20% of the Earth’s migratory species are on the brink of extinction due to human actions. This report, marking the first State of the World’s Migratory Species assessment by the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), revealed that one out of every five species is endangered.

Published on February 12, the study examined 1,189 species protected under a 1979 UN convention aimed at safeguarding migratory animals. The findings are alarming, with 44% of these species experiencing population declines and about 22% at risk of disappearing entirely. Notably, the status of 70 species, including the steppe eagle, Egyptian vulture, and wild camel, has worsened, becoming more endangered.

Amy Fraenkel, the CMS chief, emphasized the dire state of migratory phenomena, describing the report as a crucial alert to the threats facing these species.

The assessment draws on data from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Living Planet Index to underline the impact of human activities such as habitat destruction, hunting, fishing, pollution, and the excessive use of chemicals and light, which affect 70% of the species listed by the UN. Habitat loss alone impacts up to 75% of these species.

The release of this report precedes the Fourteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (COP14), scheduled from February 12 to 17 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This conference will see 130 signatory nations convene to discuss additions to the watchlist, including the giant Amazon catfish, despite the absence of major countries like the United States, China, Canada, and Russia.