Federal Environment Minister Hendricks welcomed the outcomes of the international species conservation conference in Quito stating that "This is a good sign for migratory birds in particular, but also for sharks and rays. Now all that is left is to implement these decisions effectively worldwide." The Eleventh Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP11) came to an end on Sunday evening, with many decisions having been taken.
An important issue up for discussion was the fight against the poisoning of migratory birds. The Parties adopted a resolution in favour of banning the use of lead shot within the next three years. Such a ban is already in force in Denmark and the Netherlands and other countries now wish to follow suit. Lead poisoning is one of the leading causes of death in a number of bird species.
The Action Plan for Migratory African-Eurasian Landbirds was also adopted. This serves to protect the numerous migratory songbird species of these regions during migration and during the summer and winter roosting periods (these include the nightingale, the oriole and many old-world warbler and reed warbler species). Germany expects that the African range states will strengthen efforts for these species, which profit from a good system of protection in Europe. In addition the conference decided to establish an international task force on the illegal killing, taking and trading of migratory birds in the Mediterranean region.
Winners of the conference include the polar bear, which will be better protected in future by the international community, and bird species such as the blue roller, the great bustard, the semipalmated sandpiper and the red knot.
In light of severe declines in their populations due to overfishing and bycatch, a number of shark and ray species have also been listed in the CMS Appendices. Various species such as the sawfish, the silky shark, the hammerhead shark and the mantas have now been listed. Germany strongly advocated the decision. The German Government had already successfully fought to limit the commercial trade of certain shark and ray species.
Germany furthered its conservation efforts with the launch of the Central Asian Mammal Initiative which serves to protect large mammals native to Central Asia such as the Saiga antelope, the Mongolian Gazelle and the Khulan Equus hemionus. The Central Asian Mammal Initiative (CAMI) protects the natural habitats of Central Asia such as steppes, mountains and deserts. Along with this resolution a Programme of Work (POW) was developed for the protection of the migratory paths of large mammals in Central Asia. The goal of this programme is to ensure that the conservation of migratory species is also considered in the construction of large-scale infrastructure such as roads and railways.