Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (Bonn Convention)
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. Since the Convention's entry into force, its membership has grown steadily to include 116 (as of 1 July 2011) Parties from Africa, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
As the only global convention specializing in the conservation of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes, CMS complements and co-operates with a number of other international organizations, NGOs and partners in the media as well as in the corporate sector.
Migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I of the Convention. CMS Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them. Besides establishing obligations for each State joining the Convention, CMS promotes concerted action among the Range States of many of these species.
Migratory species that need or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention. For this reason, the Convention encourages the Range States to conclude global or regional Agreements.
In this respect, CMS acts as a framework Convention. The Agreements may range from legally binding treaties (called Agreements) to less formal instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding, and can be adapted to the requirements of particular regions. The development of models tailored according to the conservation needs throughout the migratory range is a unique capacity to CMS.
As the first success since the signing of the Hamilton Declaration, the Principality of Monaco submitted a proposal to list the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) to Appendix II. This proposal was recommended by the CMS Scientific Council in July 2014 for consideration by the CMS Conference of the Parties in November 2014. The European eel is already subject to protection measures under European Union Law and CITES, but listing the eel under the CMS Appendix II would indicate that its conservation status would benefit from international cooperation.
On 9 November, at the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in Quito (Ecuador) the Parties adopted a proposal to list the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) under CMS Appendix II, calling for cooperative conservation actions to be developed among Range States. This move follows a proposal for such a listing submitted by the Government of the Principality of Monaco. The science case in support of this proposal, supported by the CMS Science Council in July 2014, was prepared by Dr. Matthew Gollock of the Zoological Society of London and chair of the IUCN Anguillid specialist group, and was financed by the Sargasso Sea Alliance. In March 2014, Monaco was a Signatory to the Hamilton Declaration and we thank Monaco for this outstanding example of leadership towards cooperative international action for marine conservation.
The Sargasso Sea Commission was also featured in a COP side event organized by the CMS Secretariat on Tuesday 4 November as a case study of the importance of Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs) for migratory species such as eels, whales and turtles.
