First Meeting of Signatories of the High Andean Flamingos MOU to Convene in Peru

Bonn, 25 April 2016 - From 26 to 28 of April the first Meeting of the Signatories MOU on the Conservation of High Andean Flamingos and their Habitats will be held in Cusco, Peru. To date Bolivia, Chile and Peru have signed the MOU, and the fourth Range State, Argentina, is expected to sign soon.

High on the agenda is the adoption of an Action Plan which will include provisions for international cooperation, improvement of knowledge about the species, management of the breeding sites, research and exchange of information between the signatory countries. The Action Plan will lead the implementation of the MOU over the coming years.

High Andean Flamingos are charismatic species which undertake migrations between the wetlands of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru, mostly in search of food, and places to rest and breed. The major threat for the flamingos is habitat degradation, in particular wetlands, and the impact of human activities. Contamination of the watertable caused by the mining industry, overexploitation of the subterranean aquifers and non-regulated tourism affect the species and their habitat. Despite the efforts undertaken by the responsible bodies, more concentrated and coordinated actions are needed to improve the conservation status of the species and prevent further declines.

The MOU was concluded in 2008 and it includes two species, the Andean Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus andinus) and the Puna Flamingo (Phoenicoparrus jamesi) which are both globally threatened and included in CMS Appendices I and II. In August 2013, a meeting took place in Antofagasta (Chile) to elaborate the draft Action Plan associated to the MOU.

Under the framework of the MOU, participating countries are requested to create a network of high Andean wetlands, which is essential for the conservation of the flamingos. Criteria will be elaborated to identify official sites for the network. The MOU will work closely with the Ramsar Secretariat to ensure synergies with its Strategy for the Conservation and Wise Use of High Andean Wetlands.

Options for the coordination of the MOU will also be discussed including a rotating leadership of the countries involved.

The meeting is being organized by the CMS Secretariat and the Servicio Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre del Peru (SERFOR) and generously funded by the European Union and Peru.

For more information please contact Borja Heredia, Head of Avian Species at the CMS Secretariat, at [email protected]

Last updated on 26 April 2016

Type: 
News
Country: 
Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Peru
Region: 
South & Central America & The Caribbean
Threats: 
Habitat loss and degradation
Species: 
Phoenicoparrus andinus
Phoenicoparrus jamesi
Species group: 
Birds