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"Dim the Lights for Birds at Night!" – The World Migratory Bird Day 2022 Slogan Announced!

© NASA Space Observatory

“Dim the Lights for Birds at Night!” has been selected as the official slogan of the 2022 edition of the UN-backed global World Migratory Bird Day campaign. This year, the campaign’s focus is on the impacts of light pollution on migratory birds.  “World Migratory Bird Day 2022 is not only about raising awareness on the negative effects of light pollution on migratory birds. We also hope the campaign will trigger concrete commitments and pledges from Parties, cities, and other key stakeholders across the world,” said Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary of CMS.

25 February 2022

Alert: Increased Risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Wild Bird Populations in Africa

Many Great White Pelicans died in the recent Avian Influenza outbreak in Senegal © Sergey Dereliev, www.dereliev-photography.com

FAO recommends countries in Africa to be on high alert for wild bird mortalities due to H5 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Given recent reports from West and Southern Africa detecting the virus in Great White Pelicans and coastal birds respectively, the risk of HPAI introduction into other African countries and outbreaks in wild bird populations is regarded as high. Countries should have in place enhanced measures for early detection, diagnosis and outbreak response, in both wild birds and poultry.

21 February 2022

6th Meeting of the CMS Energy Task Force Agrees on Key Priorities

Renewable energy projects need to minimize impacts on migratory species. © Canva.com

The CMS Energy Task Force (ETF) convened its 6th Meeting on 9 and 10 February. Over 60 participants, including representatives of CMS Parties, Multilateral Environmental Agreements, NGOs, International Financial Institutions, and entities working in the energy field met to discuss progress and priorities in implementing the ETF 2021-2024 workplan. CMS Executive Secretary Amy Fraenkel said: “Global energy demand is set to increase 30% by 2040. Transitioning to a decarbonized economy should be a top priority, but this transition needs to take place without jeopardizing the future of migratory species, many of which are already suffering from inadequate planning and monitoring of current energy developments.

17 February 2022

Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds Statement: Update and Recommendations on Recent Avian Influenza Outbreaks

Avian influenza has severe impacts on migratory birds © David Pickett

Throughout the past autumn and current winter in the northern hemisphere, multiple avian influenza outbreaks, caused predominantly by the H5N1 HPAI virus, plus other subtypes including H5N8, have occurred in the UK, The Netherlands, Israel, and India.

24 January 2022

Flatback Turtle Known Since 1974 Illustrates Importance of Long-term Monitoring for Conservation

Flatback Turtle X23103 © Col Limpus

Flatback Turtle X23103 © Col Limpus

The longest-studied Flatback Turtle has returned to one of Australia's key nesting beaches. Known as X23103, this flatback was first flipper-tagged at the nesting beach "Mon Repos" (Queensland, Australia) in 1974, and has been coming back ever since, giving insights into important live-history parameters such as nesting intervals and site fidelity.

17 December 2021

World Migratory Bird Day 2022 Theme to Focus on Light Pollution

Light pollution is a significant threat to migratory birds

Light Pollution will be the focus of the World Migratory Bird Day 2022 campaign.  Artificial light is increasing globally by at least 2 per cent per year and it is known to adversely affect many bird species. Light pollution is a significant threat to migratory birds, causing disorientation when they fly at night, leading to collisions with buildings, perturbing their internal clocks, or interfering with their ability to undertake long-distance migrations.  

09 December 2021

Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!

“Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day © Sara Wolman

“Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird!” is the theme of this year’s World Migratory Bird Day, an annual global campaign dedicated to raising awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. This year the campaign will focus on the phenomena of “bird song” and “bird flight” as a way to inspire and connect people of all ages around the world in their shared desire to celebrate migratory birds and to unite in a common, global effort to protect birds and the habitats they need to survive. 

29 September 2021

Emerging Threat of Deep-Sea Mining Discussed at 4th Meeting of the Signatories of Pacific Islands Cetaceans MOU

© Richard Sagredo/Unsplash.com

Organized in cooperation with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), the 4th Meeting of the Signatories of Pacific Islands Cetaceans MOU (PIC MOS4) took place virtually 5 - 6 August 2021. Participants discussed pressing conservation issues ranging from entanglement, fish aggregating devices, marine tourism to strandings, aquatic wild meat, and climate change.

06 August 2021

20 Years of Sea Turtle Conservation in the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia Region Celebrated in 20 Countries

To mark the 20th Anniversary of the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU on World Sea Turtle Day 16 and 19 June 2021, the IOSEA region celebrated both events and marine turtles with programmes from 20 countries. © Naja Bertolt-Jensen

Around World Sea Turtle Day, the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation and Management of Marine Turtles and their Habitats of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia (IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU) celebrated its 20th Anniversary.

25 June 2021

Ambassador for Migratory Species Sacha Dench Embarks on Flight around Britain to Raise Climate Awareness

CMS Ambassador Sacha Dench is making a 3,000-mile journey circumnavigating mainland Britain in an electric paramotor to mark the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). © Sacha Dench for Conservation without Borders

Ambassador for the UN’s Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), Sacha Dench has taken off on the Round Britain Climate Challenge – a groundbreaking expedition to circumnavigate mainland Britain in an electric paramotor. Sacha Dench is making the 3,000-mile journey to mark the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) taking place in Glasgow later this year. Launched from Glasgow, Scotland, the expedition will see Sacha flying anti-clockwise around the coast of Britain for 6 weeks.

22 June 2021