Promoting a strategic approach for conservation of migratory and their habitats globally

Dr. Taej Mundkur Programme Manager –Flyways International Chair, CMS Flyways Working Group [email protected] Contents

• Introduction • CMS Flyways Working Group • Outcome of reviews 1‐3 • Resolution 10.10

International frameworks Working Group Representation (2009‐2011) • CMS Appointed Councilors –Birds, Asiatic Fauna & Neotropics • CMS Scientific Councilors – Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa) – Asia (, Philippines) – America (Costa Rica, Paraguay) – Europe (Italy, Switzerland, UK) CMS – Oceania/ Pacific (Australia) Secretariat • Americas Support – Waterbird Conservation Council – Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network – Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative – North ‐ US FWS • AEWA Technical Committee • Ramsar Secretariat • • BirdLife International • East Asian –Australasian Flyway Partnership • Independent experts • Migratory Hunter groups ‐ FACE

Flyway Working Group tasks

Produce reviews 2010‐2011

• Review 1 Existing CMS & Non CMS Agreements

• Review 2 Knowledge of Flyways, threats & gaps

• Review 3 Policy options and future action

www.cms.int/bodies/ScC/16th_scientific_council/16th_ScC_documents.htm Present coverage: Geographic

• Africa ‐ reasonable coverage

• Americas ‐ a few MoUs and non‐CMS action

• ‐ historic progress, to be completed

• East Asia and Australasia‐ lacks formal approach

• Pacific‐ needs to be decided

Present coverage: Species

• Reasonable for waterbirds and raptors in Africa‐ Eurasia only

• Major gaps for these species in other Regions

• Passerines almost no effective coverage

• Many lacking coverage

• Urgent need for comprehensive review of Appendices to CMS Issues to consider

• Maintain the work of existing agreements / action plans • Respond to wider budget constraints and need to maximise outcomes • Need for large countries to become Parties to CMS • Develop an agreement for E Asia and Australasian flyway • Clarify needs in Central Asian flyway • Consolidate arrangements in Americas flyway‐South to North • Clarify the needs for raptors, passerines and non‐ACAP seabirds Global coordination and streamlining

• Proactive development of flyway frameworks/agreements for migratory birds

• Clear structure ‐ administratively simpler and cost‐effective for Parties

• Fills gaps for many regions ‐ relatively rapidly • Develop focussed Action Plans to tackle key issues or particular species

• Open up better options of partnerships with others ‐ flexible and adaptable approach • Flexible and adaptable system to implement and manage Proposed framework for Global Coordination and Streamlining

East Asian Africa Central and Americas Pacific? Oceanic Eurasia Asia Australasian Framework Framework Framework Framework Framework Framework

Action Plan Action Action Action Action Action issue‐ Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan based

Action Plan Action Action species‐ Plan Plan

based

Developing a new global approach

Moving ahead

• Resolution for flyway conservation for CMS CoP10 in Norway (Nov 2011) • Outline role of FWG to guide / support to CMS to roll out of plans over the next triennium Draft Resolution 10.10

1. Actively to seek closer cooperation among those instruments, initiatives and partnerships within and outside the UN 2. Focus and address specific flyway specific threats –natural and manmade 3. Through formal designations and voluntary measures, to afford the highest priority to the protection of those sites and habitats identified as vitally important 4. Promote working with Governments, MEAs, UN institutions and NGOs and organizations whose prime objectives are not , to ensure that migratory bird habitat requirements are integrated into land‐use policies, including protected areas but also especially outside protected areas; 5. To continue taking action to mitigate the impacts of climate change on migratory bird species, – monitoring the status of migratory birds and their habitats, – developing indicators to identify the effects of climate change, – promoting adaptive management , – seeking new partnerships with other international bodies and considering how to assist species to adapt to climate change (e.g. through securing critical site networks); 6. Review the coverage and protection status of current site networks noting the need to make due allowance for any exploitation and degradation of sites, and to consider the resilience of sites to climate change 7. Ensure that key migratory stop‐over sites are identified to form part of coherent site networks for migratory species and to continue to support the development of flyway‐scale site networks 7. Foster trans‐boundary collaboration within flyway networks and to implement existing site management plans and develop new ones where needed at key sites, supporting the development of a Global Critical Site Network Tool modeled on the AEWA Critical Site Network Tool 8. Strengthen cooperation with the Arctic Council and other bodies focused on the Arctic in order to improve understanding of the ongoing and predicted changes to the environment and impacts on breeding and moulting distributions of species, and to ensure designation and management of all critically important areas 9. Strengthen cooperation with the corporate sector (including the extractive industries) to promote development and inclusion of flyway considerations into their operational guidance, to take up stewardship of areas directly linked to or associated with their footprint and beyond, to consider compensation of residual impacts along flyways, to strive for Net Positive Impact, and to be pro‐active in using international best practice as the minimum standard. 11. Continue to support and strengthen monitoring of migratory bird populations , and to increase the capacity of monitoring organizations, in order to present to all key stakeholders up‐ to‐ date information on the distribution, status and trends of migratory birds and the routes that they follow.

12. Support the development and use of new tools and techniques, including geo‐locators, radio and satellite tracking, remote sensing, and genetic and connectivity analyses, in order to help identify migration strategies, covering the entire life cycle of species, and including the routes taken via sites ranging from those used most regularly to those of occasional importance 13. Organize regional workshops aimed at sharing best practice and lessons learnt, and to promote flyway conservation and policy options, including for American Flyways, the East‐Asian‐Australasian Flyway, the Central Asian Flyway, flyways and birds of prey of the Americas and land birds in the African‐Eurasian region.

14. Requests Parties, the GEF, UN and other international organizations, bilateral and multilateral donors, the corporate sector and others to provide financial assistance to developing and the least developed countries, countries with economies in transition, the Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and NGO partners for the implementation of this Resolution.

15. Proposes the continuation of the open‐ended Flyways Working Group to provide guidance and input to the conservation and management of flyways at global and flyway level during the intersessional period until COP11

16. Support implementation of the following priorities:

1. African‐Eurasian Flyway: • Explore the possibilities for AEWA to play the role of a framework CMS instrument for the African ‐ Eurasian Region and stress the need to strengthen the implementation of AEWA on the ground, building on the set of guidelines, Action Plans and other tools developed within the Agreement; • Progress the MOU on Birds of Prey in Africa and Eurasia as a priority; • Ensure the continued activity of the single species MoUs in the region; • Develop provisions for long‐distance migrant land birds, especially those that spend the non‐breeding season in Sub‐Saharan Africa, starting with the development of an Action Plan; 2. American Flyways: • Work in close partnership with existing flyway organizations and initiatives in the Americas, and in particular the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative (WHMSI), to develop an overarching conservation Action Plan for migratory birds in the Americas, recognizing especially the established programmes of work and taking into account existing instruments;

• Organize a workshop (resources permitting) to consider specific needs and possible mechanisms, involving all the appropriate CMS Parties and other interested countries and organisations in the region;

• Consider the potential for an instrument covering migrants within the Neo‐tropics, in particular Austral Migrants; and

• Consider the potential for an instrument covering western hemisphere birds of prey;

3. Central Asian Flyway: • Build on existing achievements, in particular the Central Asian Flyway Action Plan for waterbirds, and consider the potential to align with existing agreements, building on earlier discussions and considering synergies with AEWA in particular • Consider the potential for new Action Plans, including to address the key conservation priorities for passerines, and the organization of a regional‐ level workshop (resources permitting);

4. East Asian ‐ Australasian Flyway: • Acknowledge work done by Partners of the EAAFP; and further suggest the development of an overarching framework agreement as an essential step in the coordination of conservation action for all migratory birds; • Develop Action Plans to address particular conservation issues in the region, in relation to species using coastal and other threatened habitats such as forest areas and build on the effective groundwork already established by others • Organize a workshop (resources permitting) to consider specific needs and possible mechanisms to prioritize conservation efforts, involving all the appropriate CMS Parties and other interested countries and organizations in the region;

5. Seabird Flyways: • Ask the Secretariat (subject to funding availability and in consultation with ACAP) to organize an initial workshop to scope out options and to define the conservation needs of seabirds

6. Pacific Flyways: • Organize a workshop (resources permitting) to consider specific needs and possible mechanisms to prioritize conservation efforts, involving all the appropriate CMS Parties and other interested countries and organizations in the region;