Bonn, 11 July 2007: The first ever CMS agreement for an American migratory bird species is now in force. This is the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the conservation of the Ruddy-headed Goose signed by Argentina and Chile in November 2006. The CMS Secretariat is the Depositary of the agreement, which was drawn up under Article IV of the Convention.

Two populations of the Ruddy-headed Goose (Choephaga rubidiceps), which is the smallest austral goose inhabiting South America, have been identified. The sedentary population is confined to the Falkland Islands/Islas Malvinas while the mainland one migrates between its breeding grounds in southern Patagonia of Chile and Argentina and its wintering quarters in southern Buenos Aires province, Argentina. It is the latter, which is in serious danger of extinction with an estimated population size at around 900-1,000 individuals. Due to its critical status, this population is listed in the CMS Convention’s Appendices I and II. Currently its effective conservation depends on concerted actions between the two signatory states.

The main cause of the population decline seems to be increasing nest depredation resulting from the introduction of the Patagonian Fox to the island of Tierra del Fuego in 1951. An additional threat arises from this population’s wintering sites in the main wheat growing areas of Argentina: here sheldgeese have been traditionally persecuted by local farmers who cannot distinguish them from the similar looking Ruddy-headed Geese. Sports hunting, habitat modification and chemical poisoning pose even more threats. Especially in the wintering areas in the southern Buenos Aires province of Argentina, the current level of hunting is threatening the survival of the Ruddy-headed Goose’s mainland population.
As an initial step, a survey of the Ruddy-headed Goose breeding and wintering areas in Argentina and Chile is planned to compare with previous counts and to update the current population estimates. Conservation measures now need to be closely coordinated between local farmers, hunters and wildlife managers to reduce the level of conflict. Educational activities are fundamental to raise awareness among local communities of the numerous threats to the Ruddy-headed Goose.

This agreement commits both CMS Parties to undertake conservation measures for the goose species. Exchange of scientific, technical and legal information is envisaged to implement the Action Plan. A progress annual report will be submitted to the CMS Secretariat.

Argentina and Chile have also identified the MoU as making an active contribution to the Wildlife Conservation Protocol signed between both countries in May 2002, which contains provisions for specific projects on the conservation and sustainable use of wild animals and their habitats.

Hailing the new agreement, CMS Executive Secretary Robert Hepworth said: “It is an honour and a responsibility for the Secretariat to act as a Depositary for this new agreement. Not only does it protect a severely threatened migratory bird species, listed on Appendix I of the Convention, but also the agreement is the first of what we hope will be a suite of inter-governmental instruments under CMS to conserve migratory birds.
Two more agreements covering grassland birds and flamingos are at an advanced stage. So we hope that there will be three MoUs in force in this crucial region.”