 Promoting
worldwide awareness of the environment and its sustainable
use the World Environment Day 2004 is dedicated to Seas and
Oceans, which are increasingly endangered by human threats,
such as pollution and unsustainable fishing techniques. Bycatch
and over-fishing, chemical pollution, noise, habitat degradation
and deliberate hunting make seas and oceans a dangerous world
for marine species and seabirds.
CMS strongly supports the WED 2004 as it aims at conserving
marine species and the marine environment. Cetacean conservation
is a crucial component of the work of CMS. Under its umbrella,
two regional Agreements – the Agreement on the Conservation
of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas (ASCOBANS)
and the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the
Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area
(ACCOBAMS) – were developed. These two Agreements
represent important milestones on the road to effective
conservation of marine mammals. Both demonstrate that the
Convention and its operational tools play a unique role
in regional cetacean conservation.
But also seabirds are most vulnerable and threatened. Albatrosses
have the highest proportion of threatened species in any
bird family. Longline fisheries pose the greatest overall
threat to albatross species. Individual birds can drown
once they become hooked while attempting to feed on baits.
The Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels
(ACAP) strives to reduce the impact of fisheries on albatrosses
in order to restore these seabirds to a favorable conservation
status. Albatrosses and Petrels would greatly benefit from
a cleaner and saver marine environment.
In addition to the conservation of cetaceans and water
birds CMS has devoted itself to the conservation of marine
turtles. Under the auspices of CMS two Memoranda of Understanding
have been the developed for the conservation of marine turtles
of the Atlantic Coast of Africa as well as in the Indian
Ocean and South-East Asia. They link efforts of CMS Parties
to conserve various endangered marine turtles, one of Earth’s
most ancient life-forms.
For more information on World
Environment Day 2004 please visit the link
below.
http://www.unep.org/wed/2004/
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