Global Wildlife & Zoos: Other International Agreements
International Agreements and species conservation
The UK is committed to tackling biodiversity loss through active participation in inter-governmental biodiversity conservation agreements like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) as well as through funding mechanisms such as Defra’s Darwin Initiative and the Flagship Species Fund.
Defra provides policy advice on these issues and is the UK Management Authority for CITES (in conjunction with Animal Health who issue CITES permits and certificates). Defra is the UK focal point for the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS or Bonn Convention), and a number of daughter Agreements, including the Albatross and Petrel Agreement (ACAP), the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), and Memoranda of Understanding on certain specific species, such as Aquatic Warblers, and Indian Ocean Sea Turtles.
See the following links for more information on these agreements.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, more commonly known as CITES, aims to protect certain plants and animals by regulating and monitoring international trade in them to prevent it reaching unsustainable levels. [Further informaiton]
The Bonn Convention aims to improve the status of all threatened migratory species through national action and international Agreements between range states of particular groups of species.
The following Agreements can be considered to be the most tangible successes of the Convention to date:
- Albatross and Petrel Agreement (ACAP)
- African –Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA).
- Memorandum of Understanding on Aquatic Warblers
- Memorandum of Understanding on Marine Turtles in the Indian Ocean and South East Asia (IOSEA)
- Eurobats
- Ascobans(Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas)
In addition, the branch is responsible for UK Government membership of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP).
- Great Apes Survival Project (Including UK Government policy on Bushmeat).
- Funding Species Conservation
Defra also provides and manages funding for conservation projects which links to the World Summit on Sustainable Development Implementation Fund, through the Darwin Initiative and Flagship Species Fund (co-ordinated by Fauna and Flora International).
Links and Further Information
Page last modified: 23 November 2007
Date published: 17 July 2000