Humans have changed the Earth so much that migratory animals are facing extinction

According to the latest report UN, one fifth of the migratory wildlife species included in the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) are at risk of extinction. These species include whales, sharks, elephants, wild cats, raptors, birds, insects and others, totaling 1,189 in CMS.

The report highlights that about 44% of the listed species are facing population decline. The situation is particularly alarming for migratory fish: almost all, 97% of CMS fish species are on the verge of extinction.

This report is the first step in assessing the status of migratory species and their survival in a human-altered world. The two main threats to such species have been identified as overharvesting and habitat loss due to human disturbance such as deforestation for agriculture and construction of roads and infrastructure. It also results in fragmentation of species’ migratory routes, which can prevent them from completing their journeys.

Almost 58% of areas identified as critical for migratory species are subject to change due to human activity.

Climate change and pollution also pose serious threats. Warmer temperatures force some species to move greater distances or change their migration season, which can result in loss of food or breeding opportunities.

These changes can be seen in the example of narwhals. These amazing creatures, with their famous spiral tusks, spend the summer in open, ice-free areas off the coast before migrating south into deeper Arctic waters.

However, with warming oceans and changes in the annual formation of sea ice, some narwhals are delaying their journey, risking becoming trapped in the ice without access to a surface to breathe if they become stuck in the ice in the fall.