Each year, billions of animals journey with the seasons over oceans, on land and in the skies, for survival. Migration is a vital part of the overall sustainability of our planet. But here’s the problem. it has been found that many migratory species are at the risk of disappearing, threatened by human pollution, the spread of invasive species and the climate crisis.
According to the first UN expert assessment, more than a fifth of migratory species under international protection are threatened with extinction, including nearly all nomadic fish, which play a vital role in pollination and maintaining woodlands. More than 40 years ago, many of the world's nations signed an agreement to protect the world's migrating species, known as the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Now, a first global assessment of migratory animals that are under protection from the treaty found that 22% of the 1,189 CMS-listed species are threatened with extinction and nearly half, 44%, are showing population declines. any are under unsustainable pressure from habitat loss and overexploitation. For some species the situation is much worse - 97% of fish listed under the convention are at risk. The report's overwhelming conclusion is that the decline is driven by human activity - excessive hunting, habitat destruction, climate change and the expansion of towns and cities.The report also sheds light on illegal wildlife trade. noting that anywhere between 11 and 36 million birds are illegally killed or taken annually in the Mediterranean region. Some species have seen their populations climb thanks to conservation efforts. The South Atlantic population of Humpback Whales which was numbered at 450 in the mid-1950s are now estimated to be more than 25,000. Emphasising the importance of conservation and the recovery of lost population, here are some of the recommendations given by the report:
1) Establish key biodiversity areas on the migration pathways
2) Reduce infrastructure that impact migration pathways, such as dams
3) Create corridors of protected land
4) Ensure restoration of at least 30% of degraded land and marine areas
5) Map migration corridors, to protect animals from human activities.

The new report is further discussed at the ongoing 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, to discuss how to better protect the world’s migratory species.