Animal-protection.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
The United Nations' Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) has released a list of migratory species that will be given a new protection status, according to The Age.
As many as 21 species of shark, ray and sawfish form part of the list recently conceived by the CMS after six days of "intense negotiations" among conservationists in Quito, Ecuador.
"Migratory animals have become the flagships for many of the pressing issues of our time," CMS executive secretary Bradnee Chambers said.
"From plastic pollution in our oceans to the effects of climate change, to poaching and over-exploitation, the threats migratory animals face will eventually affect us all," he said.
Reef manta ray, nine species of devil rays and five sawfish species will be rigorously monitored in accordance with the agreement.
The CMS also promised to work across the globe to conserve the three species of thresher sharks, two hammerhead shark species and the silky shark.
All animal species whose inclusion was deliberated were approved except for the African lion.
The lion species was eliminated because of a lack of information about it from the countries it inhabits.
Also included is the Arctic-dwelling polar bear, along with Cuvier's beaked whale, the red-fronted gazelle of Africa and the great bustard of Europe and Asia.
The six-day CMS meeting was attended by 900 experts from 120 counties, the highest number of participants the conference has had in its 35-year history.
"The responsibility for protecting wildlife is a shared one, and the threats to wildlife can be tackled most effectively through global cooperation," said UN Undersecretary-General Achim Steiner, who also heads the UN Environmental Program.
The next CMS meeting, in 2017, will be held in the Philippines.
