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In the northern regions of the world, the V-shaped formation
of loudly honking geese in spring and in autumn symbolize
that a new season is coming. In the 1900s people in northern
Norway marvelled at the abundance of lesser white-fronted
geese, which then numbered in the thousands. Today the
Norwegian stock of these geese is so small that researchers are
on first-name terms with each and every bird.
Iconic animals such as wildebeest and antelopes have declined
by 35–90 per cent in a matter of decades, due to fences, roads
and other infrastructure blocking their migration routes, and
from overharvesting. Indeed, the current rise in poaching calls
for renewed international efforts for controlling illegal hunting
and creating alternative livelihoods, against the backdrop of
increasing trade in endangered animals for their fur, meat,
horns or tusks.
We are only just beginning to grasp the consequences that
climate change is having on migratory animals and how
important it is to have functional networks of habitats to allow
species to adapt. A number of long-distance migrants are
already declining as a result of a changing climate, including
narwhals and marine turtles. In the ocean underwater noise
caused by offshore energy production, naval sonars and
shipping, for example, is further disrupting the lives of whales
and dolphins.
In the modern world, we appreciate and fully understand the
importance of communication and travel networks to society.
For migratory wildlife, equivalent networks are vital to their
very survival. Just as we collaborate on air traffic, roads and
shipping corridors, we need a similar collaboration to ensure
that migratory wildlife can also continue to travel, refuel and
reach their destinations.
With 150 countries having signed one or more of the associated
instruments, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
is becoming an increasingly important basis of international
collaboration, as the only treaty addressing animal migrations
on land, in the sea and in the air combined.
For this effort, the commitment of all countries is needed,
so that future generations can marvel at, be amazed by, and
benefit from these nomads connecting our planet.
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema
Executive Secretary
CMS
Erik Solheim
Minister of the Environment
and International Development
Norway
PREFACE
Through the air, over land and in water, over ten thousand species numbering millions of
animals travel around the world in a network of migratory pathways. The very foundation
of these migratory species is their connection to places and corridors across the planet. The
loss of a single point in their migration can jeopardize the entire population, while their
concentrations make them highly vulnerable to overharvesting and poaching.