Migrating species need protection
Wildebeest migrating through Kenya.
A report has found that one in five of the world’s migrating species are at risk of becoming extinct. Migrating species are ones that regularly travel to another location in order to survive. They might be looking for food, better weather or a mate. This includes mammals, such as whales and gorillas; amphibians, like toads; reptiles, including turtles; and insects, fish and birds.
The report was by the United Nations (UN), an organisation of 193 countries that work together on the challenges facing humanity. In 1979, members of the UN signed an agreement to protect 1,189 migrating species. The recent report looked at the health of these protected species and found that nearly half of the populations are getting smaller, and more than one fifth are at risk of extinction.
Migrating species face many threats, because they often move through varied habitats. For example, more than 1.5 million wildebeest migrate through Tanzania and Kenya to follow seasonal rains each year, crossing rivers where hungry Nile crocodiles live. However, the biggest threat to migrating wildlife is human activities, such as hunting, fishing and building projects that destroy habitats.
It’s difficult to protect migrating species because of how far they travel. Monarch butterflies travel 3,000 miles every autumn from north-eastern North America to Mexico. However, the report recommends that countries create areas of protected land to give animals a safe route. It also recommends that governments do more to tackle climate change, as well as noise, light and plastic pollution.
The report highlighted projects that have helped migrating species. In the South Atlantic ocean, rules that stopped the hunting of humpback whales helped boost their numbers from 450 in the 1950s to more than 25,000 today. Inger Andersen from the UN Environment Programme said, “There is hope.”
The Week Junior 24 February 2024
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