New commitments for strengthening protections for migratory birds and different species worldwide was the result of a one week assembly late final month, the place governments, non-governmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples representatives, worldwide organizations and others met in Campo Grande, the gateway to Brazil’s Pantanal wetland, for the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) .
Watched over by Blue-and-yellow Macaws, Burrowing Owls, and extra native birds, delegates labored lengthy into the night time debating which migratory species required enhanced protections resulting from inhabitants declines and threats, learn how to tackle dangers together with poisoning and unintentional seabird bycatch from industrial fishing, and learn how to strengthen coordination and cooperation alongside the world’s avian flyways.
Audubon’s delegation labored with authorities officers and BirdLife Companions to make sure consideration to Audubon’s priorities, together with strengthening protections for migratory birds worldwide and advancing cooperative motion alongside America’s flyways, and to advance two vital partnerships that can ship outcomes for birds throughout the Americas.
We had been profitable. The highlights of the week embrace:
Via a well-attended public occasion and a technical working session, Audubon, BirdLife Worldwide, and Brazilian companions SAVE Brasil and FUNBIO positioned Conserva Aves as a confirmed mannequin with robust potential for creating, increasing, and implementing protected areas that safeguard hen habitat in Brazil.
The Brazilian authorities is passionate about Conserva Aves, with officers providing entry to technical and spatial knowledge, discussing relevance to Brazil’s coverage aims and nationwide applications, and expressing robust help for the initiative. The Conserva Aves companions will now work to finalize the design part, looking for to optimize alternatives for birds within the megadiverse nation of Brazil.
Strengthening cooperation alongside America’s flyways
The governments current in Campo Grande determined to work in direction of the creation of CMS’ Americas Flyways Initiative, strengthening the institutional framework for conservation and coordination of actions alongside the flyways of the Americas. The brand new initiative might be open to all governments, in addition to different stakeholders. This vital step, made potential by the management of governments from Brazil, Costa Rica, and Uruguay, was captured in a COP15 Decision and Choice. The provide by Audubon and BirdLife Worldwide to offer help for the coordination and implementation of the initiative was warmly welcomed. The brand new initiative presents an vital alternative to strengthen authorities and stakeholder motion to guard migratory birds, and preserve their habitats, and to higher coordinate efforts throughout whole flyways.
Advancing protections for migratory birds worldwide
Further CMS Resolutions and Choices undertook by the attending events centered on steps to strengthen protections for migratory species, encourage conservation measures, and tackle dangers. This included the “itemizing” of various species of conservation concern, together with the Lesser Yellowlegs, Hudsonian Godwit, and Hudsonian Whimbrel—shorebirds which are the main focus of conservation actions by Audubon and its companions throughout the Americas. Itemizing successfully acknowledges that further protections are wanted to make sure the survival of those species.
Marine flyways had been additionally acknowledged as a precedence throughout COP15. Language referring to bycatch from fisheries was broadened to seek advice from “migratory” species, which is able to promote the inclusion of seabirds inside nationwide measures meant to scale back unintended catch by fishing boats. And events inspired better coordination throughout marine flyways, together with by way of efforts such because the Settlement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels.
Although the nights had been late and textual content negotiations may need appeared esoteric, CMS COP15 demonstrated that policymakers, scientists, and different consultants can come collectively to form a greater future for migratory species. Now we should proceed to work collectively to ship for the Lesser Yellowlegs, Hudsonian Godwit, Hudsonian Whimbrel, and all the opposite migratory birds relying on us for his or her futures.
