In the run up to COP15 of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), being held next week, in our latest blog post we look at the work JNCC has been undertaking to prepare for the COP and the value of the CMS in protecting migratory species.
Next week, three members of JNCC will travel to Campo Grande, Brazil, to represent the UK at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), running from 23 to 29 March 2026.
CMS is the global UN treaty dedicated to the conservation of migratory animals and their habitats. The COP brings together governments, scientists and conservationists from around the world to agree on actions to protect species that cross international borders, from birds and bats to sharks and whales. For many of these species, the news is not good. A new interim State of the World's Migratory Species report published ahead of COP15 reveals that the proportion of migratory species in decline has worsened from 44% to 49% in just two years – a reminder of why this work matters.
A well-travelled delegation
For James, this will be his seventh CMS COP, a remarkable run of continuity over 17 years that reflects how deeply JNCC is embedded in this international process. Sarah is attending her second COP, and Ian his first. Between the three of them, they will cover the Aquatic, Avian, Terrestrial and Cross-cutting working groups, as well as European Regional Co-ordination meetings and engagement with other Parties and non-governmental organisations. James also serves as the UK Party Appointed Scientific Councillor and has been an Alternate for Europe on the Sessional Committee since 2017.
JNCC sits within the UK delegation of ten, alongside colleagues from Defra International Biodiversity, Defra Marine, and legal advisers. In the run-up to COP15, James and Sarah attended the Sessional Committee of the Scientific Council in Bonn in December, where all papers with a scientific content (including species listing proposals) were reviewed. Since then, all three have been actively involved in preparing UK delegation positions.
Our scientific contributions
Over the intersessional period since COP14 in Samarkand in February 2024, JNCC staff have contributed to a wide range of Scientific Council working groups covering the strategic plan for migratory species, taxonomy and nomenclature, database management, climate change, and wildlife health.
One of our most significant contributions to COP15 is the paper on climate change and migratory species, which JNCC staff helped write, supported by several information documents, which JNCC staff led the development of. This builds on a global expert workshop hosted by the UK government in Edinburgh in February 2025 and continues work that began before COP14. The paper addresses how climate change is disrupting animal migrations and what the international community can do about it.
We are also proud that work by two JNCC interns under the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Policy Internship Scheme has resulted in formal information papers for COP15. Case studies on One Health (the links between animal, human and ecosystem health) and a report on the impacts of climate change on cetacean welfare and conservation were submitted. A third intern previously developed ten principles related to considering communities and livelihoods in the conservation of migratory species, which are now being followed up in another COP15 paper.
Species that matter to the UK
The CMS contains lists of species in its appendices that are targeted for protection. At COP15 there are a number of proposals to either add species to these lists or to increase the level of protection for species already listed. Species that occur in the UK and the UK Overseas Territories include the Snowy Owl for the UK, the Hudsonian Godwit and Lesser Yellowlegs for Caribbean Overseas Territories and the Falkland Islands, a number of gadfly petrels including the Phoenix Petrel which breeds in the Pitcairn Islands, and the Atlantic Petrel which breeds on Tristan da Cunha. There are also proposals to increase protection or 'uplist' three species of thresher sharks and two species of hammerhead sharks which is relevant to some UK Overseas Territories.
We will share updates from Campo Grande as the meeting progresses.
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