Polar bears, migratory birds, and fish get new UN protection

Polar bears, whales, sharks and gazelles were among 31 new species granted new protection status by the UN conservation body. The UN Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) said on Sunday that six days of “intense negotiations” led to new protection for scores of bird, fish and mammal migratory species. A record 21 species of shark, ray and sawfish were added to the list. Also newly protected are the red-fronted gazelle, common in Africa, and the great bustard, found in Europe and Asia.

From plastic pollution in our oceans, to the effects of climate change, to poaching and over-exploitation, the threats migratory animals face will eventually affect us all.

CMS executive secretary Bradnee Chambers

More than 900 experts from 120 countries met for the meeting, approving all but one proposed species to be included on the protected wildlife list. The African lion did not make the final cut because there was not enough information from the countries where it lives. The conference was the best-attended in the body’s 35-year history, and CMS hailed the “unprecedented” level of attention to the topic. The next CMS meeting will be held in the Philippines in 2017.

World migratory