The Siberian Crane MoU was the first MoU developed under CMS auspices. It was concluded on 1 July 1993 and revised on 1 January 1999.

Originally concentrating on the Western and Central populations of Siberian cranes, which migrate between breeding grounds in Western Siberia and wintering sites in Iran and India respectively, the scope of the Memorandum was extended in 1998 to cover the larger Eastern Asian population which winters around Poyang Lake, China, and accounts for over 95% of the birds.

The serious threat of the Siberian Crane must be attributed firstly to hunting during their migration routes and habitat deterioration in their wintering ground. Although the shooting of Siberian Cranes is prohibited in most of the Range States, illegal shooting persists.

The MoU area covers twelve Range States including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. An up to date list of the Agreement’s Parties is found in its Agreement Summary Sheet.

The Conservation Plans

The Conservation Plans for the Western, Central and Eastern Siberian Cranes, agreed in May 2001, are structured according to the MoU´s basic objectives, followed by a number of programmes and specific activities that recognize both the similarities and differences in the actions required to restore the populations.

Overall aims of the three plans are to reduce mortality in the remaining populations, to protect and manage their habitats and enhance co-operation among the Range States and other concerned agencies. The plans for the Western and Central populations strive also to increase numbers and genetic diversity.

The implementation of the Conservation Plans is reviewed regularly during a meeting of Siberian crane Range States. Here, the Conservation Plans for all three populations are updated.

Activities under the MoU

There are signs that the work under the MoU is beginning to show results: important new information about critical sites has been gathered, recovery efforts are better co-coordinated and the remaining Western/Central Asian populations are managing to maintain stable numbers.

The International Crane Foundation (ICF) is a CMS partner organisation for which the Convention co-funds the post of the Siberian Crane Flyway Coordinator. In 2002, ICF teamed up with the All Russian Research Institute for Nature Protection to start a new project. A hang-glider pilot tried to lead a flock of young, captive-bred Siberian cranes along part of their traditional migratory route between Russia and Iran.

This bold initiative is an adaptation of a similar programme using an ultralight aircraft, which has shown promise for endangered Whooping cranes in the United States. Although the full migration route was not attempted in the first year, substantive progress has been made.

The “Asian Wetlands for Siberian Cranes and Other Waterbirds” GEF Project

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved a project to develop a wetland site and flyway network to conserve the Siberian crane and other migratory waterbirds in Asia. The project had been proposed by ICF and CMS. GEF will contribute a total of US$10 million over a 6-year period. An additional US$12.7 in co-financing has been committed.

The project will be carried out by ICF, under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme as well as in cooperation with CMS, and the Governments of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.

It will focus specifically on conserving the international network of wetlands upon which the Siberian crane depends, together with a wide range of other wetlands biodiversity. The results of this project will provide a basis to expand the wetland site networks and more widely apply the approaches that have been developed in each participating country.