One in five of world's migratory species at risk of extinction - UN report

Record ID: 1766130

  • Title: One in five of world's migratory species at risk of extinction - UN report
  • Date: 12th February 2024
  • Summary: SAMARKAND, UZBEKISTAN (FEBRUARY 8, 2024) (REUTERS) SOUNDBITE (English) EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES, AMY FRAENKEL, SAYING: "The same types of threats that raise the risk of extinction for migratory species are the same threats, in fact, that raise the risk of zoonotic disease being transferred. And those are: destruction of hab
  • Embargoed: 26th February 2024 09:11
  • Keywords: environment migratory species nature wildlife
  • Location: VARIOUS
  • City: VARIOUS
  • Country: Various
  • Topics: Environment,Nature/Wildlife
  • Reuters ID: LVA00A925909022024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:More than a fifth of the world's migrating species are at risk of going extinct as a result of climate change and human encroachment, according to the United Nation's first-ever report on migrating animals published on Monday (February 12).
    Billions of animals make journeys across deserts, plains or oceans every year to breed and feed, and "unsustainable" pressures put on migratory species could not only see their populations dwindle, but also disrupt food supplies and threaten livelihoods, the report said.
    Humans pose the biggest threat, with activities including hunting, fishing and other forms of overexploitation impacting 70% of the species on the U.N. list.
    Habitat loss affected up to 75% of the species – underlining the need for more connectivity between isolated ecosystems. The report's authors urged governments to avoid disrupting habitats and migration paths when installing infrastructure such as dams, pipelines or wind turbines.
    Of the 1,189 species covered by a 1979 U.N. convention to protect migratory animals, 44% have seen numbers decline, and as many as 22% could vanish altogether, the report added.
    (Production: Ali Withers)
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