Overview
- Delegates at the UN Convention on Migratory Species closed COP15 on Sunday in Brazil by adding 40 animals to its protection lists.
- The update covers cheetahs, snowy owls, giant otters, striped hyenas and great hammerhead sharks, lifting the CMS tally to more than 1,200 species.
- Appendix I requires strict protection that bars killing and demands habitat recovery, while Appendix II triggers joint work by range countries.
- Countries also backed regional programs, including for the Amazon, to cut overfishing, habitat loss, illegal hunting, bycatch, plastic waste and underwater noise, after UN data showed migratory freshwater fish have fallen by over 80 percent since 1970.
- Officials warned that results hinge on funding and follow-through, with CMS chief Amy Fraenkel urging rapid rollout and with the United States and China still outside the treaty.