World governments attending this year’s largest wildlife summit have collectively endorsed actions on the conservation of a wide range of migratory species, many of which are near-extinct.

The week-long CMS COP12 ended in Manila on Saturday, October 28, 2017 with decisions on 34 species in submissions made by 24 Parties from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. These include actions on Africa’s great carnivores, 10 species of vulture, and the endangered Whale Shark, known as the butanding in the Philippines.

“The Conference in Manila has been a real game changer for the Convention. An intensive week of negotiations have resulted in a stronger commitment by countries to step up their efforts to conserve the planet’s migratory wildlife. Thanks to the collective efforts of all, the Convention now has a compliance review mechanism and has adopted species that test the boundaries of international wildlife conservation,” said Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of CMS.

Governments also agreed to cooperate on reducing the negative impacts of marine debris, noise pollution, renewable energy and climate change on migratory species.

The Twelfth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP12) took place in Manila, the Philippines from October  23 to 28, 2017 under the theme “Their Future is Our Future – Sustainable Development for Wildlife & People”.

“The theme of this Conference has also contributed to a growing global recognition of the importance of nature to our human well-being and the multiple connections between wildlife and people. It has helped to convey the message that the future of migratory wildlife is integral to our own future and that we all have the responsibility to act. Agreements made at CMS COP12 have firmly underlined this important message,” said Chambers.

“Migratory animals play a critical role in our planet’s ecosystem. They act as pollinators, control pests and are a source of food and income. They are also an inspiration for people here in the Philippines and all around the world,” said Director Theresa Mundita Lim of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) and national focal point of the Philippines to CMS.

The CMS COP12 in Manila has been the largest-ever meeting in the 38-year history of the Convention, which is also known as the “Bonn Convention” after the German city in which it was signed.

COP12 saw some notable outcomes, including:

• All fish proposals being endorsed, which means three species of shark and three species of ray will receive greater protection with the Whale Shark on Appendix I and the Angelshark being listed on both Appendices.  The Dusky Shark, the Blue Shark, the Common Guitarfish and the White-spotted Wedgefish are listed on Appendix II.
• All avian species proposals have also been approved for addition to CMS Appendices. On Appendix I are the Steppe Eagle; four species of Asian Vulture, five Sub-Saharan Vulture Species, the Lappet-faced Vulture and the Christmas Frigatebird. A subspecies of the Black Noddy, the Yellow Bunting and the Lesser and Great Grey Shrike are now listed on Appendix II.
• For the first time, the Giraffe will receive protection under an international treaty with a listing on CMS Appendix II. Although populations in many Southern African countries are thriving, they are in overall decline across Africa with less than 90,000 animals remaining in the wild.
• The Leopard and Lion will also be listed on CMS Appendix II, paving the way for a joint initiative on protecting Africa’s great carnivores. The African Carnivores Initiative will become a focal point for the implementation of resolutions and decisions on lions, leopards, cheetahs and wild dogs under CMS and CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
• The Chimpanzee is now listed on both CMS Appendices. Humans’ closest relative is facing a 50 per cent drop in numbers over three generations and rapid habitat loss, especially in the western and eastern parts of its historic range.
• The near-extinct Gobi Bear is included on Appendix I. Only 45 individuals of the Gobi subspecies of the Brown Bear remain in the wild, shared between Mongolia and China.
• The Caspian Seal is included on both CMS Appendices. It is the only marine mammal found in the world’s largest inland sea, where its migration is prompted by ice formation and foraging.

Other mammals that will benefit from the additional protection include the African Wild Ass – the most endangered wild equid in the world, Przewalski’s Horse and four species of Lasiurus Bat. The proposal to add the Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) was withdrawn.

Unusually for a CMS COP, consensus was not reached on four species proposals, which went to a vote.  Listing of the Chimpanzee, Giraffe, Leopard and Lion was approved by a wide majority at the Committee stage.

In total,12 mammals were afforded greater protection under CMS, 16 birds and six species of fish. Listing on Appendix I requires governments of Parties to protect the species while Appendix II calls for international cooperation to ensure that the conservation status of a species is favourable.

Other successes, which will benefit many of the newly-listed species include:

• Consensus on a new intergovernmental task force to curb the illegal killing of birds crossing the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which spans 22 countries;
• A Conservation Roadmap for the critically endangered African Wild Ass, with fewer than 70 animals remaining in the wild;
• A Vulture Multi-Species Action Plan to better protect 15 species of Old World Vulture in more than 120 countries;
• CMS guidelines on assessing impacts of marine noise activities;
• Expanding the Convention’s work on preventing the poisoning of birds with a particular focus on the effects of lead; and
• Action on aquatic wild meat, which is fast becoming a conservation problem on a scale similar to that of terrestrial bushmeat.

CMS COP12 also saw five new Migratory Species Champions – commended for their outstanding commitment and long-term conservation efforts. These were:

• The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi – recognised for the Conservation of Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia for the period 2015-2019 and the conservation of Dugongs and their Habitats for the period 2015-2019;
• The European Commission – for its efforts in addressing Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds in the Mediterranean in 2018-2020;
• The Government of Federal Republic of Germany – for Reconciling Energy Sector Developments with Migratory Species Conservation in 2018-2020;
• The Principality of Monaco – for its commitment to Marine Species Conservation 2018-2020; and
• The Government of the Philippines for its efforts to protect the Whale Shark.

Government ministers, representatives of civil society and chief officers of international organisations met on the eve of the summit for a High-Level panel discussion on the importance of protecting migratory wildlife in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. The resulting Manila Declaration on Sustainable Development and Migratory Species, which emphasises the links between the conservation of wildlife and attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals was unanimously adopted by Parties.

A number of celebrities made appearances at the Conference and gave passionate pleas for wildlife conservation, including UN Environment Global Goodwill Ambassador Yann Arthus-Bertand and Nadya Yuti Hutagalung as well as Philippine journalists and celebrities such as Rico Hizon, Cathy Untalan-Vital and Antoinette Taus.

Addressing the Plenary of COP12 on Wednesday, Erik Solheim, Executive Director of UN Environment, noted that the Sustainable Development Goals were directed at both “people” and “planet”. He added that new technologies and political commitment could protect both the planet and bring development to people with the same policies.

“We will put in place the necessary national measures to integrate the conservation and protection of migratory wildlife species into our development planning processes and we will engage all sectors of society in crafting these measures,” said Ms. Lim with reference to the decisions adopted at CMS COP12.

Dr. Chambers concluded: “This COP has broken all records as the biggest COP in the history of CMS, with the highest number of attendees from Parties, non-Parties and NGOs, with a record number of proposals accepted. Our hosts here in the Philippines have contributed greatly to this success. We look forward to working closely with Parties over the next few years to expand our role as the preeminent guardian of migratory animals across the world.”

“We can protect only those species within our territory. Beyond our territory, we urge other countries to also initiate measures to protect these species and to join the Convention,” said Ms. Lim.

Changes to the CMS Appendices, Resolutions and Decisions enter into force 90 days after the COP.

CMS COP12 attracted over 1,000 participants, including 234 delegates from 91 Parties as well as 35 from non-Parties representing every region of the world. It marked the first time the summit had been held in Asia.

A fifth of European fern and lycopod species, a group of vascular plants that underpins healthy ecosystems, are threatened with extinction and declining, as a result of urbanisation and expanding infrastructure, according to a new report published on Friday, October 27, 2017 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The new IUCN report – “European Red List of Lycopods and Ferns” – assesses, for the first time, the extinction risk of all 194 European lycopod and fern species, 53 of which only exist in Europe. It shows that a fifth of these ancient species, which date back to over 400 million years ago, are at risk of extinction, with the same proportion showing a declining trend. Aquatic ferns and lycopods have been found to be more at risk than terrestrial species. This report shows that ferns and lycopods are the most threatened plant group of those assessed by IUCN so far in Europe. Previous European assessments have covered medicinal plant species, all other aquatic plant species and wild relatives of crop plants.

“Ferns and lycopods have been among Europe’s favourite horticultural plants for centuries, sometimes resulting in overharvesting from the wild as happened during the Victorian ‘fern craze’ in the 1800s” says Luc Bas, Director of IUCN’s European Regional Office. “Today’s IUCN Red List report shows that despite being known for their resilience, ferns and lycopods continue to be severely affected by human activities, with aquatic species most at risk. This new information must guide the implementation of European legislation and policy to reverse this devastating trend before Europe loses what are among its most important and diverse plant species.”

The findings reveal that European fern and lycopod species are primarily threatened by urbanisation and expanding infrastructure, which leads to the fragmentation and reduction of their habitats. For example, the Dwarf Moonwort (Botrychium simplex) is found in several countries including France, Sweden and Austria, and is now listed as Endangered as a result of habitat loss through land conversion to forest plantations or tourist developments.

Pollution from urban and agricultural waste also poses a serious threat to many ferns and lycopods. As a result, many terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems suffer from eutrophication – an increase in nutrients which causes local species to be outcompeted by other native or invasive alien species. This threatens aquatic species in particular, including the Critically Endangered Piedmont Quillwort (Isoëtes malinverniana). This species is endemic to Italy and has declined by more than 80% in the last 30 years, mainly as a result of pollution through inappropriate irrigation channel management.

Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, commented: “This European Red List data shows that there are many fern and lycopod species threatened with extinction. These species are a living link to the time before even dinosaurs. EU Member States should use the tools we have developed to ensure such species’ protection. Now that the EU has, with considerable rigour if I may say so, assessed our nature legislation and found it fit for purpose, Member States should implement that legislation robustly.”

Ferns and lycopods are a group of vascular plants that produce spores for reproduction, rather than using seeds and flowers like many other plants. They provide essential ecosystem services, such as preventing soil erosion, removing pollutants from the environment, taking in carbon from the atmosphere and providing shelter for small animals, such as insects or rodents. They also colonise disturbed habitats, following forest fires for example, enabling more species to inhabit the area. European hotspots of fern and lycopod species are the Macaronesian Islands, Corsica and several mountainous areas in Europe.

“It is difficult to overestimate the importance of these ancient plants, and regional and national conservation action is urgently needed to improve their status across Europe,” says Jean-Christophe Vié, Deputy Director, IUCN Global Species Programme. “Protected areas, such as the Natura 2000 sites, must ensure better protection for these species, and their habitats must be restored, especially in aquatic areas and wetlands affected by pollution, canalisation and drainage. A recently established monitoring programme will highlight population trends, and inform future actions to ensure the long-term survival of ferns and lycopods in Europe.”

More than 20 experts participated in the two-year assessment project, which was partially funded by the European Commission LIFE funding instrument.

Recent scientific advancements around the world have conflicted with some environmental systems; hence, there are many struggles to create a balance. One of the talking points is the “towerkill”.

“Towerkill” is a phenomenon that describes the killing of a large number of bird species by antenna towers and masts. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is estimated that between five and 50 million birds are killed in the United States each year by towerkill while “window crashes” kill between 100 and 900 million birds a year. Considering that lots of endangered bird species make these figure, the impact is huge, thus, regarded as the leading human-related cause of wild bird death.

Telecommunication and broadcasting companies need towers and masts for antennas, yes; migratory and cosmopolitan birds also find them as nesting sites but the greater concern is how to reduce the threats “towers” pose to the survival of birds.

No doubt, birds are a part of our natural environment, they have developed quite some biological and behavioural adaptations to help them thrive and survive within and outside their natural habitat. Birds are even referred to as “environmental indicators” because of their ability to detect the slightest change in our environment, years before humans and machines will. Remember the biblical story of Noah and the flood? He sent out two different bird species, the raven and the dove to check if the water has abated.

The raven didn’t return, while on the other hand, dove can back initially because there was no suitable habitat to nest and the second time with an olive leaf which indicated that plants have started growing.

Birds live in and near trees which are their natural source of habitation because it provides them with the needed materials to build their nest and also get food supplies from the insects and worms on and around the trees.

The irony is that cosmopolitan birds such as the Falcon, Osprey and Egret have been found to adapt well to the city structure, while on the other hand migratory birds like Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Canada Goose, Common Merganser, Common Tern, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Spotted Sandpiper, Swamp Sparrow and Trumpeter Swan that migrate yearly from Europe to Africa during winter find it herculean.

In the city, most of these birds prefer to build their nest on these very tall antenna towers during stopovers because the height of the towers is higher than the trees, which provides them with a bird’s eye view of nearby potential feeding spots.

Because of their flight speed, especially when flying in poor visibility, birds are involved in a blind collision with antenna towers. Another threat that has resulted in “towerkill” is linked to the non-flashing light fitted at the top of cell towers to provide aviation safety for pilots flying at night.

When the weather is foggy, the indicator lights on the tower tend to refract off water in the air, which in turn creates an illumination around the tower. These causes interference in the avian navigational system, making migratory birds lack the ability to monitor earth’s geomagnetic fields and as a result leading to more birds passing through the relatively small illuminated area and the inevitable collision with towers and “guy wires” attached to the tower.

Needless to say, environmentally sustainable and bird-friendly towers, with flashing indicator light instead of non-flashing light should be considered, if we want to maintain a balanced ecosystem for the survival of these avian species. Countries should ensure constant bird monitoring and the application of a Geographical Information System (GIS) in mapping and maintaining of all antenna towers sites which would be used to track, monitor and evaluate bird biodiversity around the locations of these towers which have become their new found home in the city.

By Emmanuel Uko (Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Lagos)