Nearly half of the planet’s migratory species are in decline, according to a new report from the United Nations (UN) released Monday.
Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and other migratory animals move to different environments throughout the seasons. They are threatened by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, as well as pollution and climate change.
According to the report, approximately 44% of migratory species worldwide are experiencing population declines. More than a fifth of the approximately 1,200 species monitored by the UN are threatened with extinction.
“These are species that move all over the world. They move to feed and reproduce. They also need stopping sites along the way,” said Kelly Malsch, lead author of the report released at a United Nations wildlife conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
Loss of habitat or other threats at any point in their journey can cause populations to decline.
“Migration is essential for certain species. If you reduce migration, you’re going to kill the species,” argued Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who was not involved in the report.
The paper draws on existing data, including information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, which helps determine whether a species is endangered.
Participants at the UN meeting plan to evaluate proposed conservation measures and also consider whether or not to formally list several new species of special concern.
“One country alone cannot save any of these species,” said Susan Lieberman, vice president of international policy for the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society.
Eight South American governments are expected to jointly propose adding two declining Amazonian catfish species to the UN treaty’s list of migratory species of concern at the meeting, she said.
The Amazon River basin is the largest freshwater system in the world. “If the Amazon is intact, catfish will thrive. It’s about protecting habitat,” Lieberman said.
In 2022, governments committed to protecting 30% of the planet’s land and water resources for conservation purposes at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal.