Mongolian Gazelles at border fence © Badamjav Lkhagvasuran Дзерен у пограничного забора © Бадамьяв Лхагвасурен

Barriers to movement such as fences are among the main threats to the survival of large mammals in Central Asia. The region, sometimes referred to as “the Serengeti of the North”, is one of the world’s last hot spots for animal migrations

• UN Bonn

New Executive Director of UNEP, Erik Solheim: Photo Harry Wad

Erik Solheim has taken up his appointment as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), replacing Achim Steiner, who served as Executive Director of UNEP for ten years from 2006.

• UN Bonn

Albatross chick © by Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6157217

Boyan Slat made the headlines a few years ago when as a student he came up with an innovative idea to tackle the growing problem of plastic waste in the oceans; he was even one of the principal speakers at the opening ceremony of the most recent CMS COP (Quito, 2014).

• UN Bonn

Albatross chick © by Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6157217

Boyan Slat made the headlines a few years ago when as a student he came up with an innovative idea to tackle the growing problem of plastic waste in the oceans; he was even one of the principal speakers at the opening ceremony of the most recent CMS COP (Quito, 2014).

• UN Bonn

The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is pleased to bring to your attention an overview of grants currently available in support of wildli

• UN Bonn

CMS Secretariat Visit to the Bonn International School

Four representatives from the CMS Secretariat’s Terrestrial Species Unit visited the Bonn International School to give a presentation about CMS and what they do to conserve migrating animals.

• UN Bonn

CMS Secretariat Visit to the Bonn International School

Four representatives from the CMS Secretariat’s Terrestrial Species Unit visited the Bonn International School to give a presentation about CMS and what they do to conserve migrating animals.

• UN Bonn

Bradnee Chambers (L), Executive Secretary of the Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS) presenting Daniel Calleja (R), Director-General for Environment of the European Commission with the Migratory Species Champion Plus Award.

Today the CMS Secretariat celebrates a new Champion for migratory species under the dedicated programme which aims at promoting the work under the CMS Family as well as encouraging and recognizing medium- and long-term support for conservation actions.

• UN Bonn

Dates of Third Meeting of Parties to the CMS Gorilla Agreement

• UN Bonn

Saiga Antelope (Saiga tatarica) - © Navinder Singh

In May 2015, a catastrophic and unprecedented mass die-off caused by a bacterial infection wiped out more than 200,000 saiga antelopes within a few weeks. The Betpak-Dala saiga population in central Kazakhstan lost almost 90 per cent of its animals, which is equivalent to over 60 per cent of the global population, leaving the species in a critical situation. A new census data shows an increase of saiga numbers in all three populations within Kazakhstan, the antelope’s main Range State.

• UN Bonn

Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea) © Tanya Grigg WWT

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Slimbridge, UK has just announced that two of the captive pairs of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea) have between them laid seven eggs.

• UN Bonn

Impressions of World Migratory Bird Day 2016

Every year more than 25 million of migratory birds are illegally killed or taken across the Mediterranean. They are shot or caught with nets and other indiscriminate traps. With the slogan “… and when the skies fall silent? Stop the illegal killing, taking and trade!”, World Migratory Bird Day 2016 highlighted the incredible numbers of migratory birds being lost each year as a result of these activities.

• UN Bonn

Wilderei, illegale Abholzung und falsch entsorgter Elektromüll sorgen jedes Jahr für Milliardenschäden, berichtet die Uno. Sorgen machen sich die Umweltschützer unter anderem um die Elefanten.

• UN Bonn

International Harbour Porpoise Day 2016 in Gdynia, Poland © J. Jankowski

On Sunday, 15th May 2016, the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (IDBHP) was celebrated around the shores of the Baltic Sea for the fourteenth time. Attached is a compilation of the reports on events that were sent to ASCOBANS.

• UN Bonn

Participants at the ASEAN Biodiversity Working Group © ASEAN

The 2016 meeting of the AWGNCB was held in Hanoi, Viet Nam from 23 to 27 May and was attended by ASEAN member countries, partner organizations such as the Convention on Migratory Species (represented by Francisco Rilla, the Capacity-building Officer), the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), the ASEAN Secretariat, government organizations, and other regional and international NGOs.

• UN Bonn

African lion (Panthera leo) © Neil Midlane/Panthera

In a historic move, representatives of 28 African lion Range States have reached broad agreement to secure the survival of this iconic species in the wild across Africa. The continent-wide consensus on the conservation, management and restoration of the lion (Panthera leo) and its habitat in Africa was reached at a meeting hosted by the Ugandan Government and jointly convened by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) from 30 to 31 May in Entebbe.

• UN Bonn