1 in 5 migratory species facing extinction, population of many others on the decline: UN report

Most migratory species are affected by a combination of threats, which often interact to exacerbate one another – habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, overexploitation, among others

One in five migratory species are facing the threat of extinction, while a substantial proportion of those (44%) is undergoing a decline in population, the United Nations’ first State of the World’s Migratory Species report stated on Monday.

Migratory birds leaving their homes at Okhla Bird Sanctuary in Noida during the breeding season. (Sunil Ghosh/HT File Photo)

The UN’s Convention on Migratory Species covers around 1,189 species. While separately considering the appendices under the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), it has been found that 82% of 180 species in Appendix I, which covers endangered migratory species, are threatened with extinction, and 76% show a declining population trend.

Meanwhile, 18% of 1,127 Appendix II species are globally threatened, with almost half (42%) of them showing decreasing population trends. The current situation and trajectory of CMS-listed fish is of particular concern, with nearly all (97%) of CMS-listed fish threatened with extinction, the report flagged.

“The levels of extinction risk are rising across CMS-listed species as a whole. Between 1988 and 2020, 70 CMS species showed a deterioration in conservation status, substantially more than the 14 species that showed an improvement in conservation status. The extinction risk is also escalating across the wider group of migratory species not listed in the CMS,” the report said.

An analysis produced for the report identified 399 ‘globally threatened’ and ‘near threatened’ migratory species (mainly birds and fish) that are not yet listed in the CMS appendices but need protection.

The deteriorating status of migratory species is driven by intense levels of anthropogenic pressure. Due to their mobility, their reliance on multiple habitats, and their dependence on connectivity between different sites, migratory species are exposed to a diverse range of threats caused by human activity.

Most migratory species are affected by a combination of threats, which often interact to exacerbate one another – habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation (primarily driven by agriculture), overexploitation (hunting and fishing, both targeted and incidental), among others.