40 Migratory Species, Including Snowy Owl, Gain Added Protection Under UN Treaty

New protections approved

Countries meeting in Campo Grande, Brazil, agreed to give 40 migratory animal species greater protection under the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, or CMS.

The additions include cheetahs, snowy owls, giant otters, and two kinds of hammerhead sharks. Amy Fraenkel, executive secretary of the treaty, said the expanded protections show that countries can act when scientific evidence is clear.

The meeting was the 15th gathering of countries party to the treaty, which was signed in 1979. Canada has not ratified it. Species added to the treaty's appendices can receive either strict protections or measures aimed at encouraging international co-operation to prevent extinction and endangerment.

Species that cross borders

The animals covered by the treaty share a common trait: they move across borders and ecosystems rather than staying in one region.

The snowy owl, for example, breeds in the Canadian archipelago but ranges across the Arctic. It was added to Appendix II, which encourages countries to work together on conservation efforts such as joint action plans. Norway, which proposed the listing, said the move would help it continue and strengthen conservation and monitoring work.

Two hammerhead shark species were also added, this time to the stricter Appendix I. These sharks migrate to reproduce and can be caught in industrial fishing nets, both accidentally and for the shark fin trade. Marine ecologist Pelayo Salinas de León said some hammerhead species are critically endangered on the IUCN Red List and that their inclusion is an important step toward recovering populations.

Limits and next steps

The total number of species listed across the CMS appendices now exceeds 1,200. But the treaty has faced criticism for relying on voluntary, non-binding measures and for lacking sufficient funding.

Major farming and fishing countries including the United States, China, and Japan are not party to the convention. Still, holding this year's meeting in Brazil helped South American countries advance several listings, including giant otters, a catfish species, and a neotropical bird that move across the continent during different stages of their lives.

Mariana Napolitano of WWF Brazil said hosting the meeting helped advance concrete proposals and strengthen regional co-operation, while also underscoring the need to turn that ambition into real implementation.

Combined with other international agreements such as CITES, the CMS meeting highlights migratory species that need protection. The next meeting is expected in 2029 in Bonn, Germany, marking 50 years since the treaty was signed.