Migratory Species Of Wild Animals Research Articles

Diversity and seasonal variation of wader community (Aves, Charadriiformes) in the Mekhada Marsh (northeastern Algeria)

Abstract Our study was conducted between October 2021 and April 2022 at the Mekhada marsh, a wetland of international importance, located in northeastern Algeria. This site hosts large concentrations of waterbirds in winter, including waders. Through this investigation in the region, we proposed to characterise and analyse the population structure of this group of birds, which remains very poorly documented in Algeria. The results obtained indicate the presence of 16 species belonging to three families and nine genera. The maximum number of birds was counted in January 2022 (2417 individuals). The inventoried species showed two phenological statuses (wintering and sedentary breeding). Among these, three are listed on the IUCN Red List as lapwing Vanellus vanellus; the others are listed on international bird protection agreements (AEWA, Convention of Migratory Species of Wild Animals [CMS] or are protected by Algerian legislation. The present study gives interesting and unpublished data on a group of birds that has been little investigated in Algeria and on a wetland that, due to its large area and various habitats, remains little or undocumented, particularly in terms of its ornithological richness, which is of great interest.

Developing bird friendly transmission power lines in Kenya

Background: Kenya's rich wildlife is an important natural resource and is vital to the country's economy. However, rapid infrastructure development in key wildlife areas has threatened the survival of numerous species including raptors. Policy: The growing distribution of electricity grids in Kenya poses a significant risk to raptors and populations of other large birds. This research aimed to review the policy gaps in Kenya’s National Energy Policy (2018) examining the strategies for developing bird friendly transmission power lines in Kenya, with a goal to reduce the negative impact on raptor populations and improve their conservation. The findings indicate a high overlap between the ecological niche of raptors with medium and high voltage transmission power lines, with indication of high-risk hotspots for electrocution and collisions. Recommendations: This policy brief therefore proposes the adoption of bird friendly power lines in new transmission infrastructure projects and retrofitting existing power lines with bird friendly devices. This can be achieved through strengthening the legal and regulatory frameworks in the National Energy Policy. This will help prioritize avian conservation in power lines infrastructural development projects including the development of specific policies and guidelines for the placement, orientation, and marking of power lines to reduce the risk of electrocution and collisions of raptor species. Conclusions: Kenya committed to protecting migratory bird species and their habitats by signing the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in 1999. However, the National Energy Policy of 2018 lacks guidelines for bird-friendly power lines. Addressing this requires collaboration from the government, power companies, research institutions, conservation groups, and local communities. A concerted effort involving public education, targeted funding for research, and stakeholder collaboration can help Kenya meet its conservation obligations and safeguard vital habitats for migratory birds.

Предложения по законодательному решению проблем гибели птиц на воздушных линиях электропередачи в Казахстане

Предложения по законодательному решению проблем гибели птиц на воздушных линиях электропередачи в Казахстане

An Adaptive Management Framework Concept for the Sustainable Use of the Saker Falcon

The Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as Globally Endangered. It breeds across continental middle latitudes, with its range spanning over 7,000 km from Central Europe to Western China, and 3,000 north to south. Most populations are migratory and a number of different routes have been confirmed by field observations and satellite tracking. One of the principal threats affecting its global population is unsustainable trapping/harvest on the breeding grounds and along the migration routes. The Saker Falcon is listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which enables trade subject to the development of a Non-Detriment Finding (NDF). Under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the species is listed under Appendix I (with the exception of the Mongolian population which is listed in Appendix II), meaning that take is generally prohibited, except for the Mongolian population. The Saker Falcon Global Action Plan (SakerGAP) was adopted by CMS Parties in 2014 and a Saker Falcon Task Force (STF) was established to oversee implementation. One of the key aims of the STF is to develop an Adaptive Management Framework (AMF) that moves the current illegal, and presumably unsustainable trapping activity, into a system that is legal, controlled, and sustainable. Such a system will need to be carefully developed, implemented, and monitored, and conforms with requirements under CMS and CITES. To develop such a framework the STF established an Adaptive Management Framework Discussion Group (AMF DG) to conceptualize a modular AMF as a tool to assist the decision-making of stakeholders, especially international partners, and national authorities, on the sustainable use of the Saker Falcon. The objective is to design an international AMF which integrates nine modules: 1) global governance and data management, including effective sustainable use models and a sustainable, international quota scheme, 2) internationally harmonized policy and law-making that ensures sustainability, 3) reinforced law enforcement, 4) effective awareness raising, 5) effective monitoring and research schemes, 6) complementary ex situ conservation measures, 7) compensatory in situ conservation measures, 8) effective stakeholder engagement, cooperation, and networking to respond to the socio-economic and cultural drivers of Saker Falcon use, and 9) the involvement of rural communities in the conservation management of the Saker Falcon. Currently, a significant degree of uncertainty and speculation accompanies the population estimates for certain key Range States, especially in Asia. Therefore, while designing the AMF, the STF is seeking to find a careful balance between the benefits of an internationally coordinated sustainable use framework and the inherent risks of taking Saker Falcons from the wild in large numbers. According to the draft AMF, the legal harvest may conditionally be allowed in larger, stable, or increasing Saker Falcon populations in parts of its global range, only if legal, ecological, and socio-economic safeguards for sustainability are met and the origin of falcons is identifiable. Depleted or decreasing breeding populations may not currently be considered suitable for any harvest and are illegal as currently listed in CMS Appendix 1. However, the AMF must mitigate the illegal taking of wild falcons along the flyways and in wintering areas. This would require an international harmonization of alternative policies, and legal and wildlife management tools. As well as a concerted international data sharing to ensure that harvest that is assessed non-detrimental at the Range State level does not affect negatively the Saker Falcon populations of other Range States.

The response of the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species to light pollution

Light pollution became a major transboundary concern for the environment and biodiversity protection, especially with regard to species migration and spatial orientation. In view of the need for effective nature conservation, the international community has to adapt to the new challenges. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, or the Bonn Convention, as the main international framework for migratory species protection, has recently taken initial steps towards mitigation of light pollution adverse impacts. In order to understand the response to the new environmental problem at the international level, this article explores and briefly summarizes the response of the Bonn Convention framework on light pollution as a hazardous threat. The article also discusses the potential role of the Convention in the formation of an international regulatory framework on this matter.

Increasing the Effectiveness of the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention; the Convention) was adopted on 23 June 1979 and has a current membership of 133 parties. This article introduces the Convention and examines the measures and practices that have been taken under its auspices to seek to make the Convention more effective. This article also considers the factors that may directly or indirectly inhibit the efficient functioning of the Convention, especially the role of membership fees and voting practices.

Widespread Use of Migratory Megafauna for Aquatic Wild Meat in the Tropics and Subtropics

Wild animals are captured or taken opportunistically, and the meat, body parts, and/or eggs are consumed for local subsistence or used for traditional purposes to some extent across most of the world, particularly in the tropics and subtropics. The consumption of aquatic animals is widespread, in some places has been sustained for millennia, and can be an important source of nutrition, income, and cultural identity to communities. Yet, economic opportunities to exploit wildlife at higher levels have led to unsustainable exploitation of some species. In the literature, there has been limited focus on the exploitation of aquatic non-fish animals for food and other purposes. Understanding the scope and potential threat of aquatic wild meat exploitation is an important first step toward appropriate inclusion on the international policy and conservation management agenda. Here, we conduct a review of the literature, and present an overview of the contemporary use of aquatic megafauna (cetaceans, sirenians, chelonians, and crocodylians) in the global tropics and subtropics, for species listed on the Appendices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). We find that consumption of aquatic megafauna is widespread in coastal regions, although to varying degrees, and that some species are likely to be at risk from overexploitation, particularly riverine megafauna. Finally, we provide recommendations for CMS in the context of the mandate of the Aquatic Wild Meat Working Group.

C. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

C. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

A deepening understanding of animal culture suggests lessons for conservation.

A key goal of conservation is to protect biodiversity by supporting the long-term persistence of viable, natural populations of wild species. Conservation practice has long been guided by genetic, ecological and demographic indicators of risk. Emerging evidence of animal culture across diverse taxa and its role as a driver of evolutionary diversification, population structure and demographic processes may be essential for augmenting these conventional conservation approaches and decision-making. Animal culture was the focus of a ground-breaking resolution under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), an international treaty operating under the UN Environment Programme. Here, we synthesize existing evidence to demonstrate how social learning and animal culture interact with processes important to conservation management. Specifically, we explore how social learning might influence population viability and be an important resource in response to anthropogenic change, and provide examples of how it can result in phenotypically distinct units with different, socially learnt behavioural strategies. While identifying culture and social learning can be challenging, indirect identification and parsimonious inferences may be informative. Finally, we identify relevant methodologies and provide a framework for viewing behavioural data through a cultural lens which might provide new insights for conservation management.

Urban sprawl into Natura 2000 network over Europe.

Urban growth is a major threat to biodiversity conservation at the global scale. Its impacts are expected to be especially detrimental when it sprawls into the landscape and reaches sites of high conservation value due to the species and ecosystems they host, such as protected areas. I analyzed the degree of urbanization (i.e., urban cover and growth rate) from 2006 to 2015 in protected sites in the Natura 2000 network, which, according to the Habitats and Birds Directives, harbor species and habitats of high conservation concern in Europe. I used data on the degree of land imperviousness from COPERNICUS to calculate and compare urban covers and growth rates inside and outside Natura 2000. I also analyzed the relationships of urban cover and growth rates with a set of characteristics of Natura sites. Urban cover inside Natura 2000 was 10 times lower than outside (0.4% vs. 4%) throughout the European Union. However, the rates of urban growth were slightly higher inside than outside Natura 2000 (4.8% vs. 3.9%), which indicates an incipient urban sprawl inside the network. In general, Natura sites affected most by urbanization were those surrounded by densely populated areas (i.e., urban clusters) that had a low number of species or habitats of conservation concern, albeit some member states had high urban cover or growth rate or both in protected sites with a large number of species or habitats of high conservation value. Small Natura sites had more urban cover than large sites, but urban growth rates were highest in large Natura sites. Natura 2000 is protected against urbanization to some extent, but there is room for improvement. Member states must enact stricter legal protection and control law enforcement to halt urban sprawl into protected areas under the greatest pressure from urban sprawl (i.e., close to urban clusters). Such actions are particularly needed in Natura sites with high urban cover and growth rates and areas where urbanization is affecting small Natura sites of high conservation value, which are especially vulnerable and concentrated in the Mediterranean region.

Международно-правовой потенциал решения природоохранных задач на байкальской природной территории

It is determined that the task of improving the legal protection of the ecosystem of Lake Baikal presupposes a comprehensive analysis of the existing legal regimes of both national and international origin. It is noted that various international treaties have already played a positive role in solving acute problems of lake protection, however, the potential of international law in this area is far from being exhausted, since, on the one hand, the existing international legal mechanisms are often not fully used, with the other is that there are a significantpact Assessment in a Transboundary Context”, reflecting leading international and foreign practice of solving environmental issues. A separate block is allocated to the conventions on the protection of flora, fauna and its individual species:“on the protection of wild fauna and flora and natural habitats in Europe” and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. It was noted that the analysis of the European Convention on Landscapes, whose provisions can contribute to the formation of landscape policy in the Central Ecological Zone of the Baikal Natural Territory, is promising.

Identifying opportunities for improving the coherence of global agreements for species conservation

AbstractThe current global biodiversity governance system is failing to adequately protect species and halt extinctions. This raises concerns that a lack of coherence among conventions has hindered their effective implementation. We assessed the possibility for improved convention coherence by identifying overlaps among four major international biodiversity conventions; Conservation of Wetlands of International Importance especially as a Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). We applied topic modeling to convention texts to identify overlaps in treaty implementation and purpose. We assessed overlap among species listed under CITES and CMS, and threatened species, which are targeted by CBD's Aichi Target 12. We found that convention texts shared similar articles on their implementation, but differed in articles relating to their purpose. We identified 137 threatened species that are also migratory and threatened by unsustainable international trade. The geographic distribution of species common to two or more conventions showed a concentration in parts of Asia. Our analysis suggests that implementation mechanisms are already well aligned to support increased cooperation across conventions, and that cooperation would provide complementarity rather than result in redundancies. We demonstrate that it is possible to identify where co‐operation could have a disproportionately positive impact on alleviating the complex of pressures affecting species.

Big cats in borderlands: challenges and implications for transboundary conservation of Asian leopards

AbstractLarge carnivores have extensive spatial requirements, with ranges that often span geopolitical borders. Consequently, management of transboundary populations is subject to several political jurisdictions, often with heterogeneity in conservation challenges. In continental Asia there are four threatened leopard subspecies with transboundary populations spanning 23 countries: the Persian Panthera pardus saxicolor, Indochinese P. pardus delacouri, Arabian P. pardus nimr and Amur P. pardus orientalis leopards. We reviewed the status of these subspecies and examined the challenges to, and opportunities for, their conservation. The Amur and Indochinese leopards have the majority (58–100%) of their remaining range in borderlands, and the Persian and Arabian leopards have 23–26% of their remaining ranges in borderlands. Overall, in 18 of 23 countries the majority of the remaining leopard range is in borderlands, and thus in most countries conservation of these subspecies is dependent on transboundary collaboration. However, we found only two transboundary initiatives for Asian leopards. Overall, we highlighted three key transboundary landscapes in regions that are of high importance for the survival of these subspecies. Recent listing of the leopard in the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is important, but more international collaboration is needed to conserve these subspecies. We provide a spatial framework with which range countries and international agencies could establish transboundary cooperation for conserving threatened leopards in Asia.

A critical review of marine mammal governance and protection in Indonesia

The governance of marine conservation in Indonesia has been the subject of critique for decades. This paper elucidates and analyses the legal framework for marine mammal protection and current institutional arrangements, and reveals gaps and overlaps in the national legal and policy frameworks for marine mammal governance in the Archipelago. We reviewed available policies to assess the current regulation practices in the country's marine mammal protection. In total, five relevant international conventions, 28 Indonesian national regulations, and 16 provincial regulations on marine spatial planning were found. Progress on legal framework regarding marine mammal governance reveals three different phases: 1970s (species-centred approach), 1990s (site-based approach), and current (wider marine management approach). We summarized seven policies based on the following characteristics: species, site and other values. We identified functional overlap and unclear mandates as the main shortcomings of these regulations. Although marine mammal protection in Indonesia enjoys a set of regulations, the practical actions required by these regulations are still unclear. Protection gaps still exist, rendering conservation efforts less effective. The paper argues how an adequate and appropriate legal framework and institutional arrangements will ameliorate and strengthen marine mammal governance in Indonesia. We suggest some urgent-yet-lacking policies that should be added to the current regulations, including regulations on traditional whale hunting, the code of conduct for marine mammal watching tourism, standards for aquaria, and the legal basis for marine mammal stranding network and underwater noise pollution. We endorse the cetacean National Plan of Action for it is designed to enhance ecological and human-dimension research on cetaceans and address the detrimental effects of anthropogenic activities to the cetaceans. We suggest establishing a mechanism for cross-institutional coordination for more effective marine mammal protection in Indonesia. Becoming a full member of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals and International Whaling Commission will further strengthen the conservation management of marine mammals in Indonesia.

Deciphering the Complex Relationship between AEWA's and the Bonn Convention’s Respective Exemptions to the Prohibition of Taking

This article explores several interpretive complexities associated with Article III(2)(a) of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA). Article III(2)(a) attempts to avoid incongruity between AEWA and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)—specifically, in relation to the Convention’s prohibition on the taking of animals from certain species. However, an apparent misalignment between this provision and other aspects of AEWA’s legal text results in various legal uncertainties regarding the grounds of exemption that AEWA parties may invoke to allow the taking of certain protected species, as well as the potential for further developing AEWA’s exemptions regime in the future. The article investigates the interplay between relevant provisions of AEWA and the CMS, makes suggestions regarding the possible interpretations of these provisions, and identifies the practical implications of these interpretations.

Нормативно-правове регулювання охорони, збереження і використання дельфінів як рідкісних морських тварин

The article is about the protection of marine animals as part of the marine environment and the regulation of their conservation in the World Ocean. The largest representatives of marine animals are marine mammals, among which we pay special attention to dolphins, which are included in the Red Book of Ukraine. Nowadays there is an extremely unfavorable situation in the field of protection of dolphins in the world, therefore there is a need to study features of the legal regulation of international and national protection and prevention of causing significant damage to dolphins in order to ensure their conservation and rational use. In addition, the article is devoted to the study of the legal regulation of administrative and criminal liability for violation of legislation in the field of the protection, conservation and rational use of dolphins. The characteristic and analysis of their protection are carried out with the help of international and national rules of law. The administrative and criminal responsibility for administrative offenses and crimes in the sphere of dolphin protection are determined, as well as the sanctions provided by the national legislation for their violation are considered. The universal international act, which provides for the legal protection of marine living resources, is the Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (United Nations). The special international agreement on the conservation of marine migratory species, including dolphins, is the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals 1979. Also, there are different agreements on the protection of dolphins in the Black and Mediterranean seas, and others. The legal framework of Ukraine is also filled with codes, laws and regulations, which provides ensure the protection of such unique marine animals and provide for liability in case of non-compliance of such rules o f law.

Bonn convention as a key element of international legal protection of migratory species of wild animals

Bonn convention as a key element of international legal protection of migratory species of wild animals

Боннская конвенция как ключевой элемент международно-правовой охраны мигрирующих видов диких животных

Боннская конвенция как ключевой элемент международно-правовой охраны мигрирующих видов диких животных

Participation in the convention on migratory species: A biogeographic assessment

The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is a Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) focused on species that regularly travel across international borders. Despite covering an important group of species, CMS is under-utilized compared to other conservation-focused MEAs. CMS suffers from a lack of participation across North America and most of Asia. Our goal is to illustrate differences in species richness and average range-size across signatory and nonsignatory nation-states using range–diversity plots. We also show differences in the cost of CMS membership relative to species patterns to highlight which countries may be discouraged from becoming CMS signatories. Despite containing many CMS species, large economies such as the United States, Russia, and China are not members of the convention. To facilitate migratory species conservation into the future, CMS should seek to fill gaps in participation, potentially directing recruitment efforts toward nonsignatory states that would receive the largest benefit at the lowest relative cost.

International law and lions (Panthera leo): understanding and improving the contribution of wildlife treaties to the conservation and sustainable use of an iconic carnivore

The lion (Panthera leo) is featuring ever more prominently on the agendas of international wildlife treaties like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Lion range and numbers have declined markedly over the last two decades. In this review we assess the present role of international wildlife treaties with a view to improving their combined contribution to the conservation and sustainable use of lions. Our analysis identifies a substantial body of relevant international wildlife law and, moreover, a significant potential for enhancing the contribution to lion conservation of these global and regional treaties. The time is right to invest in such improvements, and our review renders a range of general and treaty-specific recommendations for doing so, including making full use of the Ramsar Wetlands Convention, World Heritage Convention and transboundary conservation area (TFCA) treaties for lion conservation. The CMS holds particular potential in this regard and our analysis provides strong support for listing the lion in its Appendices.