On March 29, the United Nations (U.N.) met in Brazil to discuss protections for 40 different species of migratory animals, ranging from the hammerhead shark to the snowy owl, which resulted in cross-border protections and a reopening of the global conversation surrounding species conservation.
The protections span over multiple borders. With some of the migratory species moving as far as continents apart, over 130 countries have agreed to the new measures.
“Protecting [migratory species] is extra challenging because they need all those habitats,” said Bruce Snyder, a professor of biology. “They are migrating for a reason, and you need to be able to protect every component for them to survive.”
There is also a level of ecological importance in the animals being migratory. Migratory species travel for a variety of reasons, such as looking for food, mating or escaping harsh weather, and those things are often interrupted by some form of human interaction, such as urbanization or deforestation.
Giant river otters, for example, migrate to follow food and find quieter habitats. Due to human interaction, the otters have had to travel further and for longer because they try to avoid human disturbance.
This meeting also serves to set a precedent for implementing new regulations in the future. Representatives in attendance discussed trying to provide a warning for what will happen if nothing is done to help the environment and expressed what else needs to be changed.
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, a treaty backed by the U.N., created a way to categorize the animals. Either they are appendix I, which requires multi-continental protection for species that are threatened by extinction, or appendix II, which fit under appendix I, but require assistance in actively moving across borders.
“These listings send a clear signal that the global community recognizes the urgent need to act for species,” said Susan Lieberman, the Vice President for International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Snyder noted that just the existence of the UN meeting adds to the discussion about environmental conservation on its own by signaling to the public that the issue is immediate enough to cause an assembly on a large-scale.
“One really great thing about things like this is it tells people that there is a problem,” Snyder said. “Without someone to look at the data and communicate that to the public, we don’t get that signal.”
Continuing open discussions about environmental conservation on more local lenses is an important way to spread awareness. Students, like Haley Hart, a sophomore special education major, believe that by talking about these issues on campus, students can become more informed about topics they may not have known about previously.
“Discussion brings more voices and interaction,” Hart said. “Voices lead to advocacy, which is always good.”
Snyder believes participating in and learning about conservation is a way for people to reach those with more political or economic power. He said when citizens come together, they can make their voices heard and have a chance of reaching the government.
“One important aspect of policy making is stakeholders’ needs to be heard,” Snyder said.
Following the U.N.’s discussion about global-scale conservation, the topic of what the United States is doing to protect the environment is on the minds of some students. Some people on campus believe that the United States isn’t doing enough to accommodate the environment under the current administration.
“We have a really good framework for conservation, especially for endangered and threatened species,” Syder said. “I’m not sure how well it is being implemented though, it is a very challenging time for science in the US.”
There are many ways for citizens to learn about what’s happening in the world of conservation. From social media to educated members of the community, such as Snyder, there are many opportunities for GCSU students to learn about these issues.
“There are plenty of resources online,” Weinmeister said. “Also, talk to people. There is someone in your town, no matter what town you are in in America, who cares about this stuff, and they are probably happy to talk about it.”
The protection of these animals is a potential starting point for further conservation on a global scale. The new protections come from the observation of what is lacking in many countries’ policies.
“If all these regulations didn’t exist tomorrow, people would be opportunistic,” Weinmeister said. “From a business perspective, it’s not cost-effective to look out for the conservation of animals.”
Students looking for more information on environmental conservation, on any scale, can go to Conservation International’s new page for any recent breakthroughs regarding modern conservation.