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MOU, COW, Whale of a Party at CMS COP-8
On Wednesday, 23 November, CMS COP-8 plenary convened briefly in the
morning, followed by meetings of the COW for the rest of the day. A
special session to conclude the agreement on the Asian Houbara bustard
was held in the morning, the budget working group met in the morning and
afternoon, and a working group on avian influenza met in the evening.
Above: CMS Executive Secretary Robert Hepworth shakes hands with
Minister Makhtumkuli Akmuradov of Turkmenistan, following the signing
of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Saiga antelope. Behind
them are delegates of Uzbekistan, which will sign the MOU at a ceremony
in Berlin, and Mongolia, the Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation,
IUCN and WWF International, which also signed the MOU this morning.
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Wednesday, 23 November
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Plenary
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The Plenary convened in the morning for the signing ceremony of the MOU
on the Saiga antelope and reports by the Credentials Committee and the
Working Groups on Budget, Strategic Plan and Sustainable Use.
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Committee of the Whole
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Robert Crawford, South Africa, noted lack of progress in the development
of an agreement on the Sand Grouse.
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Anmol Kumar, India, expressed hope that a legal and institutional
framework for the Central Asian Flyway would be finalized within the
next two years, noting the range states favored taking advantage of
AEWA's existing framework.
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Afzaal Mahmood, Pakistan, proposed language encouraging range states to
ensure the uninterrupted flow of water to low altitude states to
guarantee habitat conducive for migratory species.
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Taej Arun Mundkur, Wetlands International, reported on the incorporation
of outstanding information on waterbird populations in Russia into the
annexes.
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Peter Boye, Germany, expressed support for the identification of
sturgeons as a species group for collaboration.
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CITES proposed text calling on CITES parties to fully implement CITES
resolution Conf.12.7 on sturgeons as a matter of urgency.
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Barry Baker, Australia, called for a commitment of the Secretariat to
work closely with the range states and the Secretariat of the Pacific
Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) to revise the SPREP Whale and
Doplhin Action Plan (2003-2007).
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Norway noted a formal reservation on listing the Basking Shark,
explaining that the listing did not fulfil CMS listing criteria and
using the precautionary principle to conform with public opinion would
set an unfavorable precedent.
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On the cross-cutting issue of by-catch, Argentina cautioned against
preconditioning other fora with different mandates.
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Asian Houbara Bustard Special Session
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The Plenary elected Hany Tatwany, Saudi Arabia, as chair of the special
session.
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The International Association of Falconry and Birds of Prey urged
parties not to delay signature.
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Libya noted its intention to submit amendments to the draft action plan.
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Side Events
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UNEP's Great Apes Survival Project partnership held a side event on
GRASP, Great Apes and CMS.
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UNEP/DEC held a side event on cross-cutting issues for implementation.
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UNEP/Regional Seas and the CMS Secretariat continued their side event
on the launch of the Review of Small Cetaceans.
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Around COP-8
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On the move to 2010... but first, on the move to morning tea!
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Zeneemyadar Batbayar, Mongolia, recorded video and took photos
simultaneously during the MOU signing.
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Delegates from Australia and the UK conferred in the corridor.
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In the evening, delegates enjoyed drinks and live music at a party held
by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society adjacent to its whale mascot.
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