I just got back from my first vacation in four years. It was amazing. We went to Mont Sainte-Anne for what was likely the last few nice days of snowboarding to be had this season. But as much as I enjoyed some time away with friends, I decided I would drive back a day earlier than everyone else because I don’t like leaving my three cats home alone for too long (yes, I had a cat-sitter visit twice a day but still…). On this solo 6-hour drive home, I was tired and anxious and really didn’t want to deal with people or traffic. Luckily, there was a service stop just before Montreal (about half-way through the trip) that had everything I needed: a bathroom, vending machines, and a coffee dispenser. It even had a microwave. A 10 min stop there allowed me to stretch, rehydrate, and caffeinate in peace, which meant that I was able to cruise the rest of the way home in comfort, blasting TSwift on repeat.
To me, this was the perfect analogy to use to highlight the issue facing many migrating species around the world. Imagine being on a simple 6 hour road-trip and not being able to stop anywhere to refuel your car, get some food, or rest. You might get a wee bit cranky. Well, according to the first ever report on the State of the World’s Migratory Species, habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation is one of the greatest threats to migratory species. Quite literally, their pit stops are disappearing.
This report, released on February 12, 2024 and prepared for the Convention of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), provides a stark overview of the status of migratory species around the world. Of the species listed by CMS as either endangered or threatened, one in five are in danger of extinction and 44% are experiencing population declines. Bearing in mind that this is only a portion of all threatened migratory species globally, that is a frightening stat!
Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation and overexploitation are identified as the main threats to migratory species and their habitats. Pollution, including pesticides, plastics, heavy metals, and excess nutrients, as well as noise pollution are also making things worse. And let’s not forget about climate change.
The challenge in addressing many of these threats is that it will take international co-operation. Consider the Monarch Butterfly: the Eastern monarch butterfly flies 2,500 miles from the US and Canada where they breed, to the forests in central Mexico where they hibernate. It will take action from all three countries to make a real difference for this species!
Why is this important? Migratory species are important for many ecological reasons including nutrient cycling, pollination, seed dispersal, and ecosystem function. But there are also economic reasons, including resource extraction and tourism, and many cultural and spiritual reasons for saving migratory species.
The good news is that now that we have a solid baseline for the state of the world’s migratory species (remember, this is the first report of it’s kind), we can build on the work already happening. As Canada works to finalize our 2030 National Biodiversity Strategy ahead of COP 16 (set for Oct-Nov 2024), it will be critical that it includes actions for protecting not only the species within our borders, but those who stop in along the way.