Host of Birds, Fish and Mammals Gain New UN Protection

Polar bears, whales, sharks and gazelles are just some among the 31 species of migratory birds, fish and mammals that have been cast under the protective net of the UN conservation body, according to a new report.

Following six days of "intense" talks in Quito, Ecuador, the UN Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) announced Sunday the list of animals gaining new protections as part of a worldwide environmental conservation effort.

"Migratory animals have become the global flagships for many of the pressing issues of our time," CMS executive secretary Bradnee Chambers said in a press release. "From plastic pollution in our oceans, to the effects of climate change, to poaching and over-exploitation, the threats migratory animals face will eventually affect us all."

The polar bear, the largest apex predator on Earth and the poster child of endangered species threatened by climate change, made the list, along with the widely-distributed Cuvier's beaked whale. Also newly protected are the red-fronted gazelle, common in Africa, and the great bustard, found in Europe and Asia.

But possibly the most important addition is a record 21 species of shark, ray and sawfish. About 100 million sharks are killed annually, mainly for their fins, according to a 2013 study published in Marine Policy, and populations of swordfish and manta rays have dropped drastically.

"For species like silky and thresher sharks, there's still time to save them, but the time for action is now," Luke Warwick, a senior associate at Pew Charitable Trusts' shark conservation initiative, told Bloomberg Businessweek. "The implementation of these listings will be key."

More than 900 experts from 120 countries met for the six-day meeting, approving all but one proposed species to be included on the protected wildlife list.

The African lion did not make the final cut because there was not enough information from the countries where it lives.

But for those lucky species that were approved, these new protections are crucial.

"The responsibility for protecting wildlife is a shared one, and that the threats to wildlife can be tackled most effectively through global cooperation," UN Undersecretary-General Achim Steiner, who heads the UNEP, said in the press release.

The next CMS meeting will be held in the Philippines in 2017.