97% of migratory fish species are at risk of extinction. The world's largest existing fish, the whale shark, is on the brink of extinction.
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97% of migratory fish species are at risk of extinction. The world's largest existing fish, the whale shark, is on the brink of extinction.
Ulstein Bild/Ullstein Bild
Every year, as the seasons change, billions of animals embark on journeys to find food, find better habitat, and reproduce. They travel in groups or individually, flying, swimming, crawling, and walking to cross borders, survive through habitats, and transport seeds and nutrients.
A major new report by the United Nations finds that humans are not only making the journey more difficult, but also putting many migratory bird species at risk.
Nearly half of the world's already endangered migratory birds are in decline, according to the first United Nations report of the species. More than a fifth of the approximately 1,200 migratory bird species monitored by the United Nations, including whales, sea turtles, great apes and songbirds, are at risk of extinction.
“These are amazing species that make incredible journeys and in some cases are economically beneficial. [for humans]poetry and songs, as well as cultural significance,” said Amy Frankel, executive director of the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wildlife.
The report, compiled by conservation scientists, is the most comprehensive assessment of the world's migratory bird species ever conducted. The study group surveyed 1,189 species already protected under the 1979 Convention on Migratory Species, which aims to protect species that migrate across national borders, and found that conservation efforts are working. I checked to see if it was.
In some cases, it is. Wildlife crossing helps animals cross over roads and fences. Regulations help prevent poaching and overconsumption of some endangered fish and mammal species. Habitat protection gives species room to move and thrive.
But to reverse population decline, these “efforts need to be strengthened and scaled up,” the report's authors said.
This publication is the latest global report to raise concerns about Earth's non-human inhabitants. A 2019 assessment of global biodiversity found that 1 million of the estimated 8 million species on Earth will become extinct within decades due to human activities such as overconsumption, deforestation, pollution, and development. was found to be in danger. According to the World Wildlife Fund's 2022 report, wild animal populations have declined by an average of 69% over the past 50 years.
For migratory birds, threats from human activities can be amplified. Species protection varies by country. Enforcement of conservation laws may vary by region.
A new report says hunting and fishing (overfishing) and habitat loss due to human activities have been identified as the two biggest threats to migratory species. The report notes that invasive species, pollution, including light and noise pollution, and climate change are also having serious impacts.
Many species migrate with the changing seasons. Human-induced climate change is changing the seasons, lengthening summers, shortening winters, and changing the timing of spring and fall. Scientists have documented that North American birds and other animals adjust the timing of their migrations to accommodate these changes. Not everything can keep up with the rate of change, creating what scientists call phenological asynchrony.
World leaders from the 133 countries that have signed the Migratory Bird Treaty will meet in Uzbekistan this week to chart a path forward.
Fraenkel said the new report should alarm those involved, but it should also serve as a guide for “people who want to keep watching birds fly or whales leaping underwater.” . “Look at this report and find out something [you] There are things we can do to help these incredible species continue to survive. ”
