RP gets int’l support to protect migratory birds

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has gained international support to protect migratory birds, following a recently concluded convention on conservation of wild animals in Rome last week. Environment Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. said the 9th meeting of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) was held at Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters last Dec. 1 to 5. "The Philippines takes pride not only in having a great number of endemic species but also in being the favorite transit stops of many free ranging migratory wild animals. It is our duty and obligation to give them equal protection, and cooperate with other range countries to ensure the perpetuation of these species," Atienza said in an article on the DENR website (www.denr.gov.ph) Tuesday. He said that with international cooperation, the protection and sustainable management of shared migratory species especially in the Coral marine triangle and along the East Asian Australasian Flyway will be achieved. Migratory species are shared by so-called range states, or countries that support the species at various stages of their life, or that move across their political borders. Countries that are parties to the Convention collaborate to conserve these endangered migratory species and their habitats. The Philippines, represented in the meeting by Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) Director Theresa Mundita Lim, was also elected as member of the CMS standing committee. The CMS standing committee is the main body that provides the main policy, operational, and financial directions for the Convention. During the Convention, delegates approved the Philippine proposal to include the Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) and the Streaked-reed warbler (Acrocephalus sorghophilus) in the Appendix 1 list of the CMS. In the Philippines, a small population of Irrawaddy dolphin can be found only in Malampaya Sound in the northern part of the island province of Palawan. Streaked-reed warbler is a migratory bird that regularly flocks to the Candaba Swamp in Pampanga. This year, however, no sightings of the bird have been recorded. Appendix I currently includes over 80 endangered migratory species, including the Siberian crane, white-tailed eagle, Hawksbill turtle and Mediterranean monk seal. Other migratory species frequenting the Philippines that are listed in Appendix 1 include the Chinese egret and the Black-faced spoonbill. CMS is an international environmental convention dedicated to the protection of avian, aquatic and terrestrial animals, which migrate across political borders. Countries that have become parties to the agreement commit themselves to implementing measures to conserve migratory animals and the habitats on which they depend. At present, 110 parties in Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Oceania have joined the convention. The Philippines has been a member of the convention since 1994. - GMANews.TV