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Figure 1:
Parties and non-parties to the Convention of Migratory Species. Severe gaps exist in the north and east; these need to be
closed urgently in order to effectively conserve the ecological networks of many endangered migratory species.
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
Who protects them?
Source: UNEP/CMS.
CMS Party
Agreement Party
MoU Signatory
Non-Party
In order to help protect many of the world’s critically endan-
gered species, including many whales, sharks, great apes, big
cats, migrating antelopes and birds, the expertise, capacity and
support of these countries are vital to conservation success.
The problems facing conservation efforts are further com-
pounded by the fact that development pressures and poaching
are increasingly putting many endangered keystone species at
further risk and in most cases now present an international
challenge on enforcement and protection that cannot be met
successfully through domestic efforts alone (
Interpol
, 2011).
Migratory species represent a special and unique international
responsibility, because they simply cannot be managed by one
country alone.
Recognizing the range of international conventions and agree-
ments in which many of these non-signatory countries also play
a major role, the issue of conservation of migratory species and
the risks they face require international recognition and effort to
become effective. Herein, an overview of some selected critical
species, corridors and hotspots are highlighted for major migra-
tory species, along with the threats facing them.