At CMS COP15 in Brazil, nations expanded migratory species protection for 40 species, as new reports warned that many populations continue to decline.
Every year, billions of animals cross borders, oceans, rivers, deserts, and mountain ranges in some of the planet’s most extraordinary journeys. Birds fly between continents, whales migrate across entire oceans, sharks follow ancient marine routes, and mammals travel thousands of kilometers searching for food, breeding grounds, and seasonal habitats. But these migrations are becoming increasingly dangerous.
At the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP15), held in Campo Grande, Brazil, 132 nations agreed to strengthen migratory species protection for 40 species and populations facing growing threats worldwide. The decisions came as conservation scientists released alarming new data showing that nearly half of all migratory species already protected under the treaty are still experiencing population declines.
The Convention on Migratory Species, often called the Bonn Convention, is the only global treaty specifically focused on protecting migratory wildlife. Because many migratory animals cross multiple countries and international waters during their lifecycles, conservation often requires coordinated action between governments.
At COP15, governments voted to add or upgrade protections for species including cheetahs, giant otters, snowy owls, striped hyenas, hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks, shorebirds, and several marine species. Many of these species were added to Appendix I, which includes migratory species threatened with extinction and calls for strict protection measures. Others were added to Appendix II, encouraging international cooperation and conservation agreements between countries sharing migratory routes.
Migratory species protection expanded at CMS COP15 to cover a diverse range of animals, from cheetahs and giant otters to hammerhead sharks and snowy owls, with many added to the treaty’s strictest protective category as governments acknowledged the growing extinction threat facing species that cross multiple international borders. Photo by Ben Phillips on Unsplash.
The expanded migratory species protection measures reflect growing concern that migration itself is becoming increasingly difficult in a rapidly changing world. Migratory animals depend on connected ecosystems. They need intact breeding grounds, feeding areas, resting sites, rivers, flyways, and ocean corridors spread across enormous distances. Yet many of those pathways are being fragmented by roads, dams, fences, urban development, industrial fishing, pollution, and climate change.
The new interim State of the World’s Migratory Species report presented at the summit found that 49% of CMS-listed migratory species now have declining populations, up from 44% just two years earlier. At the same time, roughly 24% of protected migratory species are now considered threatened with extinction.
Marine species are facing especially severe declines. Sharks, rays, sturgeons, and migratory fish populations have collapsed in many regions because of overfishing, habitat destruction, bycatch, and river fragmentation.
Freshwater migrations are also under growing pressure. A separate report released during the summit found migratory freshwater fish populations have declined by approximately 81% since 1970. Scientists say these migrations are among the largest animal movements on Earth, yet they often receive far less public attention than terrestrial wildlife migrations.
Climate change is further complicating migration patterns. Warming oceans, shifting rainfall, melting sea ice, and changing seasonal timing are altering the habitats and food sources migratory species depend on.
Some birds are arriving at breeding grounds too early or too late relative to food availability. Marine species are shifting ranges as waters warm. Droughts and heatwaves are also reducing habitat quality along migration routes.
Conservationists say migratory species protection has become increasingly important because migratory animals often serve as indicators of ecosystem health. When migrations collapse, it usually signals broader environmental disruption affecting entire ecosystems.
At the summit, delegates also adopted measures focused on ecological connectivity, marine habitat protection, freshwater fish conservation, and safeguarding seamounts—underwater mountains that serve as critical habitats for whales, sharks, turtles, and seabirds.
The meeting highlighted the importance of international cooperation in conservation. Unlike species confined to a single country, migratory animals can survive only if protections extend across their entire routes.
A bird protected in one nation may still face habitat destruction in another. A whale protected in one ocean region may encounter threats from industrial fishing or shipping elsewhere. That is why the protection of migratory species depends heavily on treaties and coordinated global action.
Still, conservationists warn that agreements alone will not reverse declines without stronger implementation and habitat restoration. Many migratory species continue losing wetlands, forests, grasslands, coral reefs, and river connectivity despite existing protections. Illegal hunting, pollution, and unsustainable fishing also remain major threats in many regions.
Even so, supporters say COP15 demonstrated growing international recognition that migration itself is one of nature’s most extraordinary and vulnerable ecological processes. Migratory species protection means protecting ecological connections across entire continents and oceans. In a world where ecosystems are increasingly fragmented, maintaining those connections may become essential not only for wildlife survival but for the resilience of global biodiversity itself.
