COP15: Preservation of migratory species under debate
“In the coming days, we will have the opportunity to send a clear message to the world: if we work together, it is possible to reconcile development and conservation; to generate wealth without destroying the natural heritage that sustains us, thereby promoting a new cycle of prosperity,” said Brazilian Environment and Climate Change Minister Marina Silva in her welcoming speech at the 15th United Nations Conference on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (COP15).
The meeting of signatory countries to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) began on Monday (Mar. 23) and will run until the 29. It is being held in Campo Grande, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, which encompasses a large portion of the Pantanal, one of Brazil’s six biomes.
Marina Silva also reaffirmed that cooperation among countries can promote progress in protecting species covered by the Convention’s annexes, as well as strengthen cross-cutting actions on issues such as ecological connectivity and climate change.
The CMS Executive Secretary, Amy Fraenkel, emphasized the need to act on the findings of the latest report on migratory species, released at COP14, which show that the proportion of declining populations has risen to 49 percent of the species protected by the international treaty.
Fraenkel also pointed to progress in the recovery of green turtle populations and other species achieved through measures such as the creation of well-connected and effectively managed protected area systems.
Traditional peoples
Following the official speeches, members of the Terena tribe performed the Emu Dance, a sacred cultural expression and act of resistance for this traditional indigenous community of Mato Grosso do Sul.
Representing the Quilombola community, Adriana da Silva Soares highlighted that the Pantanal embodies life and ancestry for traditional peoples, who continue to fight for the demarcation and recognition of their territories, despite being the main protectors of the environment.
“Without this recognition, our communities remain vulnerable, threatened, and invisible. With our traditional territories under threat, it is not only the people who suffer, but the entire biome that is at risk,” declared Soares.
Biologist Tatiana Neves, founder and general coordinator of the Albatross Project, reminded everyone that, just as these birds cross oceans and unite continents, collective efforts can connect knowledge in support of the conservation of migratory species.
“If the albatrosses were to ask me today what I see when I look at this room, I would answer without hesitation: hope! Hope in the strength of the people gathered here and in our capacity to act, in the life that crosses oceans and reminds us every day that nature has no borders,” concluded Neves.
Agenda
Following the opening ceremony, João Paulo Capobianco, executive secretary of the Ministry of Environment, was unanimously elected president of COP15, and the proposed conference agenda - comprising more than 100 items to be discussed and agreed upon throughout the week - was subsequently approved.
“All items were approved as necessary, all countries expressed their support, and therefore we have started COP15 in a very positive way,” said Capobianco.
*The team traveled at the invitation of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
