Endangered animals gain tougher protection under UN-linked treaty
Species ranging from the Great White shark to a highly endangered, hairy-kneed camel are among several rare and threatened animals that have won tough, new protection under an international treaty linked to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Nations meeting in Bonn, Germany, to review the Convention on Migratory Species also agreed on measures to give further protection to six species of whale, leading to the possibility that a new, regional agreement was likely to emerge in the South Pacific giving greater protection to the mammals and their habitats, breeding grounds and migration routes.
Delegates also backed plans to protect birds and other migratory species from power lines and wind turbines, following increasing concern that large numbers of birds were being electrocuted during their annual migrations because many power lines have been strung and constructed across their "flyways."
The resolution urged countries to adopt bird-friendly techniques when constructing medium-voltage power lines and to investigate installing bird-friendly kits, including the erection of so-called "bird-safe poles" to reduce mortalities from existing ones.
Meanwhile, the meeting also supported a campaign spearheaded by the Prince of Wales to reduce the huge losses of albatrosses and petrels to long-line fisheries. More than 300,000 seabirds, of which 100,000 are albatrosses, are thought to be dying annually after drowning on baited hooks set to catch fish.
Welcoming the outcome of the meeting, UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said that conserving the rich, wealth and range of wildlife was vital for conserving the health of the planet.
"Animals and plants, from the humblest to the highest, all have their role to play in making the ecosystems and habitats upon which we all depend, tick," he said. "They also have great psychological and cultural importance for humankind, whether it be the romance of the whales or the charming chatter of the birds."