Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican and Asian Elephant included in Appendix I of CMS

Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican have been classified as “endangered migratory species” by a UN body, paving the way for trans-boundary conservation efforts. India’s proposal for inclusion of the three species in the global list for international protection under the UN’s Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species was accepted unanimously.

The proposal was accepted by 130 countries that are party to the convention at the ongoing 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS COP 13).

Asian Elephant and impact

• The Government of India has declared Indian elephant as National Heritage Animal. Indian elephant is also provided highest degree of legal protection by listing it in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
• Placing Indian elephant in Schedule I of the CMS Convention, will fulfil natural urge of migration of Indian elephant across India’s borders and back safely and thereby promote conservation of this endangered species for our future generations.
• Intermixing of smaller sub populations in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar and widen the gene base of these populations. It will also help to reduce human elephant conflicts in many parts of its migratory routes.

The Great Indian Bustard

• The Great Indian Bustard, an iconic, critically endangered and conservation dependent species, exhibits transboundary movements, and its migration exposes it to threats such as hunting in boundary area of Pakistan-India and power-line collisions in India. Inclusion of the species in Appendix I of CMS will aide in transboundary conservation efforts facilitated by International conservation bodies and existing international laws and agreement.
• The Great Indian Bustard is a Critically Endangered species with a small population of about 100–150 individuals that is largely restricted to Thar desert in Rajasthan, India.
• The species has disappeared from 90% of this range; their population has reduced by 90% within 50 years (six generations); and their threats are expected to increase in future.

Bengal Florican

• The Bengal Florican an iconic, critically endangered species of topmost conservation priority, exhibits transboundary movements, and its migration exposes it to threats such as land use changes, collision with power transmission line at boundary area of India-Nepal and probable power-line collisions.
• Inclusion of the species in Appendix I of CMS will aid in transboundary conservation efforts facilitated by International conservation bodies and existing international laws and agreement.
• Populations have declined as a result of habitat loss, hunting and the species no longer breeds outside Protected Areas in the Indian subcontinent, except in a few areas of Assam.

UN Convention on Migratory Species:

• Adopted in 1979 and entered in to force in 1983, the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) aims to build and strengthen global conservation efforts for migratory species in the air, on land, and in the seas.
• CMS, also known as the Bonn Convention, is an international and intergovernmental treaty backed by the United Nations Environmental Programme.
• Its current membership is 116 nations who work to conserve migratory species throughout their range and across national borders.
• The Convention divides species into two appendices:
• Appendix I: Lists species that are threatened with extinction.
• Appendix II: Species that need or would benefit greatly from international cooperative conservation efforts.
• Parties work to conserve the listed species and their habitats through formal Agreements, and less formal Memorandums of Understanding (MOU).
• The Agreements and MOUs work to incorporate all Range states of the target species, and not just parties to the convention.

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