Community-led conservation strategies can be instrumental for the successful conservation of migratory species, according to two major reports released by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), a global wildlife treaty of the United Nations.
The report, titled “Community Participation and Livelihoods”, focuses on 10 key guiding principles for community-led conservation strategies, while the study, “Potential for Community-Based Wildlife Management in Central Asia”, presents real-world insights into how community-led initiatives can achieve biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods.
Indigenous peoples and local communities are custodians of over a third of the world’s most important places for biodiversity and play a vital role in the conservation of migratory species and their habitats. Integrating their traditional knowledge and practices with modern wildlife management approaches can lead to successful management, conservation, and sustainable use of wildlife and their habitats.
“For many migratory species of wild animals, having the engagement and expertise of local communities and traditional knowledge is vital for effective conservation. We are very pleased to issue these two reports on the critical role that local communities can play in ensuring that migratory species will continue to thrive for generations to come,” said Amy Fraenkel, CMS Executive Secretary.
CMS is the only global UN convention that focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of migratory species of wild animals and their habitats. Sustainable use is allowed for species listed on the treaty’s Appendix II, and can include both extractive and non-extractive uses, such as tourism, use of fur, and others. Appendix I-listed species are considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range and their use is prohibited.
Seasonal migrations and aggregations of wild animals affect local communities differently across regions and require international coordination, often beyond the immediate scope of local interactions.
Community-based wildlife management (CBWM) has gained significant attention in international policy from both human rights and biodiversity conservation perspectives. For example, several targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMFBG) are particularly relevant to CBWM, including Target 5 on ensuring sustainable, safe and legal use, harvesting and trade of wild species, and Target 9, which focuses on linking benefits from sustainable use to indigenous peoples and local communities.
To strengthen local engagement and maximise successful community participation in conservation, governments gathered at the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP14) to CMS adopted 10 key guiding principles on the involvement of communities in the conservation of migratory species. The Community Participation and Livelihoods study demonstrates how these principles are at play in real-world examples of CBWM experiences from around the world.
For instance, exemplifying land and user rights, local communities in Bolivia and Peru were granted sustainable use rights to shear live wild vicuña for high-value fibre. This has provided significant income ($3.72 million in Bolivia from 2007–2014), improved local tolerance for rising vicuña populations, and empowered communities with legal ownership and custodial rights.
Similarly, Vamizi Island, which harbours Mozambique’s most critical green turtle nesting site, has successfully implemented the Maluane Project since 2003, combining community-based conservation, sustainable development, and luxury tourism. This has resulted in reduced turtle bycatch and poaching, alternative livelihoods, empowered fisheries councils, and the establishment of a marine sanctuary.