Lions, chimps, sharks get added protection

MANILA - Lions, chimpanzees, giraffes, leopards and a wide variety of sharks received added protection at a UN wildlife conference in the Philippines, organizers said.

Some 34 endangered species were selected to receive heightened conservation efforts at the Conservation of Migratory Species conference that just concluded in Manila.

Protecting migratory species poses particular difficulties since they cross borders, including possibly moving to countries with less stringent wildlife protection systems said Bradnee Chambers, CMS executive secretary.

"If the species is moving around all of these countries, everybody has to pitch in," he said at the end of the weeklong conference.

"An intensive week of negotiations have resulted in a stronger commitment by countries to stepping up their efforts to conserve the planet's migratory wildlife," said Chambers.

The week-long CMS conference ended on Saturday with decisions on 34 species in submissions made by 24 parties from Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe and Oceania, according to Chambers.

These include actions on Africa's great carnivores, 10 species of vulture, and the endangered Whale Shark, known as the "butanding" in the Philippines, he said.

Over 1,000 delegates representing every region of the world attended this year's meeting. It marked the first time the summit had been held in Asia.

Moreover, he said the governments also agreed to cooperate on reducing the negative impacts of marine debris, noise pollution, renewable energy and climate change on migratory species.

The conference took place in the Philippine capital from Monday to Saturday under the theme "Their Future is Our Future - Sustainable Development for Wildlife & People."

Lions, leopards and chimpanzees were singled out as needing more conservation work. The chimpanzee in particular is at risk as their numbers have dropped in recent years due to habitat loss, the organizers said.

The giraffe, which is in decline throughout Africa with fewer than 90,000 animals left in the wild, was also listed.

All four of these African mammals were approved by a "wide majority" for additional protection measures, a CMS statement noted.

Other animals that were listed were three species of shark including the whale shark, the largest fish in the world. Host country the Philippines had lobbied for this creature, which has become a major tourist attraction.

AFP - Xinhua