Dorado catfish travel thousands of kms through the Amazon Basin each year, undertaking the longest freshwater migration of any fish on Earth.

But human-caused disruptions risk ending that journey.

At #CMSCOP15, nations have the chance to change that: https://ow.ly/vbic50YzzqT

BREAKING: CMS Parties agree on new or upgraded protections for 40 migratory species and populations at the close of #CMSCOP15 in Brazil, a major step for global wildlife conservation.

-English: www.cms.int/news/40-migr...
-Español: www.cms.int/es/news/40-e...
-Français: www.cms.int/fr/news/liss...

As #CMSCOP15 closes, thank you to all delegates, partners and participants for your commitment & collaboration.

Warm thanks to the staff and the people of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and its Ministry of Environment & Climate Change for the support.

Safe travels home to delegates. 🙏

Opening press conference of COP15 of the Convention on Migratory Species. Speakers hold a copy if the State of the World’s Migratory Species report

#CMSCOP15 kicked off today in Campo Grande, Brazil

The world’s most biodiverse country sets the best context to drive conservation forward for migratory wild animals that provide our food security, support our health, our economies, our agriculture, our fight against climate change and so much more

From presidential decrees establishing new protected areas in Brazil 🇧🇷 to passionate talk on the importance of wetlands, connectivity-sensitive infrastructure, and multilateralism, the High-Level Segment set the tone for #CMSCOP15 to open

Read ➡️ enb.iisd.org/conference-p...

#migratoryspecies

At #CMSCOP15 the message is clear: safeguarding migratory species depends on international cooperation and strong multilateral action.

Conservation works best when countries work together.

Through collaboration and with determination, we can connect nature to sustain life.

More: www.cms.int/cop15

From snowy owls and hammerhead sharks to bats and sea turtles 🦉🦈🐋

Countries have proposed adding 42 migratory species to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) highlighting need for stronger intl cooperation to protect wildlife on the move.

Decisions expected in 03/26: https://ow.ly/shgy50XMar0

Thank you for your support, your partnership, and your commitment to safeguarding migratory species and the habitats they depend on.

Wishing you peace, joy, and a bright New Year filled with shared progress for migratory wildlife and all the places they call home. 🕊️✨

#BreakingNews: Snowy owl, striped hyena & great hammerhead shark among 42 species that 16 Parties have proposed for strengthened international conservation measures by listing them under CMS.

Proposals will be fully considered by 132 countries plus the EU at #CMSCOP15: www.cms.int/news/42-amen...

Earth’s freshwater fish face harsh new climate challenges, researchers warn Southeast Asia’s Mekong River is one of the world’s most diverse and productive freshwater ecosystems, home to more than 1,000 fish species, including both the critically endangered Mekong giant catfi...

Millions of people depend on freshwater fish for food security, while climate change is rapidly altering how fish grow, migrate and survive.

Norway has proposed Snowy Owl be added to Convention on Migratory Species Appendix II, at #CMSCOP15 (Brazil, March 2026), as a species of unfavourable conservation status requiring international agreement for its conservation. @cms.int Scientific Council will evaluate the proposal this week in Bonn.

The illegal taking of migratory birds is a serious wildlife crime that threatens already vulnerable species across South-West Asia.

Our upcoming open online workshop is designed to help turn concern into concrete action at the national level. Join us next Wednesday: www.cms.int/meeting/onli...

The Caspian Seal is the Caspian Sea’s only marine mammal. Each year adults head north to gather on ice and pup, molt on northern islands, then disperse to central & southern basins.

Slow-reproducing and commercially exploited, they are listed under CMS Appendices I & II: www.cms.int/sites/defaul...

Elephant dung DNA reveals hidden forest populations, study shows There are thousands more endangered African forest elephants than previously thought, thanks to a new counting method using the DNA extracted from their dung, a study showed on Thursday.

Critically endangered African forest elephant population revised up 16%

www.reuters.com/business/env...

The CMS Secretariat is pleased to announce the launch of its newly redesigned and upgraded website! 💻

It's part of a broader upgrade of the 25 websites of the CMS Family, including those of regional Agreements, CMS MoUs, and Initiatives.

Check it out! Visit our new online home at www.cms.int

🚨 JUST LAUNCHED: findings from major expert workshop on how climate change is affecting migratory species.

Elephant habitat gridlock, whales taking risky detours, Himalayan species pushed upslope, seagrass sinks under siege, shorebirds nesting later & more.

Download: www.cms.int/news/global-...

Protecting animal cultures as World Heritage - Nature Sustainability It is becoming increasingly clear that animal cultures have intrinsic, irreplaceable value, and yet they are not adequately protected by preserving habitat. The time has come for UNESCO to explicitly protect non-human cultural heritage alongside human heritage.

Here we propose adding an 11th criterion to UNESCO’s framework to protect animal cultures—habitat protection alone isn’t enough. Excited to collaborate with philosophers @merikatariina.bsky.social & @birchlse.bsky.social on this!

Message me for access ;-)
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Why we should all mourn the slender-billed curlew A bird that hasn’t been photographed since 1995 has now been declared extinct. Its fate is cause for wider alarm

Great piece today by Simon Barnes, one of last to see a Slender-billed Curlew observer.co.uk/news/science... following research confirming extinction @rspb.bsky.social @rspbscience.bsky.social @birdlifeglobal.bsky.social @naturalis.bsky.social @nhm-london.bsky.social @ucllifesciences.bsky.social

The antidote to the Jaws effect: These photos show a softer side of great white sharks Fifty years since the release of Jaws, these photographers are showing a different, less frightening view of great white sharks.

On the importance of visual communication for conservation.

Sharks, bats, vultures—misunderstood and maligned—should be portrayed from a better angle.

1 in 3 shark and ray species facing extinction is a far greater threat to humans than sharks themselves.

Three birds and the text "join our team"

Come work with the excellent @unep.org comms colleagues! We are looking for a social media specialist (consultancy) - based in Nairobi. All info here: careers.un.org/jobSearchDes...

Why Superintelligent AI Isn’t Taking Over Anytime Soon Despite claims from top names in AI, researchers argue that fundamental flaws in reasoning models mean bots aren’t on the verge of exceeding human smarts.

"A primary requirement for being a leader in AI... is to be a herald of the impending arrival of our digital messiah: superintelligent AI... Before you get nervous about all the times you were rude to Alexa, know this: A growing cohort of researchers...aren’t buying [it]" www.wsj.com/tech/ai/arti...

Hey Bluesky community!

Please note the change of our handle

from @migratoryspecies.bsky.social

to @cms.int

Dehorning reduces rhino poaching Across 11 southern African reserves protecting the world’s largest rhino population, we documented the poaching of 1985 rhinos (2017–2023, ~6.5% of the population annually) despite approximately USD 7...

Reactive law enforcement vs removing the main poaching incentive.

@science.org study concludes which one is more effective

New Science paper: 15,845 tracked individuals across 121 species to identify spatial conservation targets www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

led by @anammsequeira.bsky.social

🌊 Today is #WorldOceansDay.

Healthy #oceans are essential for migratory species—from whales and sharks to turtles and seabirds.

But climate change, pollution, noise, and overexploitation threaten the ecosystems they rely on.

Sustain the vast blue heart that sustains us!

Looking for a nice sticker for #WorldEnvironmentDay? Check out our @unep.org Giphy options: giphy.com/UNEP/world-e...

Inside Western's Centre for Animals on the Move - Western News Western's Centre for Animals on the Move is safeguarding ecosystems with leading research into migratory animals and how to protect Canada's biodiversity.

🇨🇦’s Western University hosts the Centre for Animals on the Move—a hub for cutting-edge research on #birdmigration.

Using real-time data on weather, ecosystems, and biodiversity loss, they’re uncovering vital clues about the impacts of #ClimateChange on #Migratoryspecies

Killer Robots: Can We Stop Autonomous Weapons? | United Nations YouTube video by United Nations

Lethal autonomous weapon systems — AI-powered machines that can select and kill targets without human oversight — are no longer science fiction. This eye-opening explainer breaks down the risks of killer robots and why the United Nations is calling for a global ban. youtu.be/VqCMkXftDx8?...

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences: Vol 380, No 1925

We’re far from being the only species with culture.

Science shows whales or bumblebees pass on knowledge of migration routes, tool use, social customs.

The Convention on
@migratoryspecies.bsky.social has a pioneering role is factoring #animalCulture into conservation strategies.

These are 5 autumn migration routes travelled by the same common tern. He’s not the only one showing such flexibility, and it pays, because in our new paper, published by @royalsocietypublishing.org, we show that route flexibility is associated with minimized headwind exposure: tinyurl.com/4dawhwzj