Nearly half of migratory species are deteriorating worldwide, warns a new UN report

Countries from around the world are meeting from Monday until February 17 in Uzbekistan to examine the fate of these species, which include sea turtles and even whales.

Albatrosses, turtles or sturgeons… The situation of migratory species is deteriorating, warns a new report published Monday February 12 under the auspices of the UN. Among the species listed by the 1979 Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, which publishes the report, one in five is threatened with extinction and 44% are seeing their population decline. For example, 97% of the 58 listed fish species are threatened with extinction.

This report comes as countries around the world signatories to the Bonn Convention – more than 130 nations but not the United States or China – are meeting for a conference (COP14) in the historic city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan from February 12 to 17 to look into the fate of these migratory species.

Migration endangered by human activity

“The phenomenon of migration itself is in danger, because there are barriers and the habitats these animals need may come under pressure”, underlines Amy Fraenkel, the executive secretary of the Convention. Their migrations can be guided by many factors such as the search for favorable climatic conditions, access to food or an ideal environment for giving birth to young.

The threats to these animals are directly linked to human activity: loss, degradation or fragmentation of habitats mainly due to intensive agriculture or overexploitation by hunting and fishing, as well as climate change. Animals are also subject to additional pressures such as pollution (pesticides, plastics, etc.) or even underwater noises or lights which disturb them.

However, these species are essential to biodiversity. They allow pollination, the transfer of nutrients from one environment to another, or the elimination of pests. Bats, for example, play an important role in the pollination of flowers and the dispersal of seeds, allowing the propagation of mango or papaya trees in certain countries.

The report also suggests expanding the list of species listed by the Convention to draw attention to other endangered animals. It lists nearly 400 threatened or near-threatened species which do not yet appear in the Convention lists, such as American and European bison or the Indus dolphin.