BRONX, NY, March 5, 2026—A new episode of the WCS Wild Audio podcast examines the challenges facing migratory wildlife worldwide and previews the upcoming 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS CoP15), to be held March 23–29 in Campo Grande, Brazil. WCS scientists and policy experts will be available to journalists covering the meeting.

In the 12-minute episode, Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary of the CMS Secretariat, describes the state of the world’s migratory species and the urgent conservation issues governments will confront at the global summit.

CMS is the only international treaty focused specifically on animals that regularly cross national borders—from birds and whales to big cats, sharks, and freshwater fish—making international cooperation essential to their survival.

The conversation highlights findings from the first-ever State of the World’s Migratory Species report, which found that nearly half of CMS-listed species are in decline and that overexploitation—including hunting, illegal take, and fisheries bycatch—has become the leading threat to many migratory species globally.

“These species connect ecosystems across continents and oceans,” says Fraenkel. “But the pressures facing them—from overexploitation to habitat fragmentation—are increasing, and addressing them requires coordinated international action.”

The discussion also explores emerging priorities for CMS CoP15, including stronger efforts to address illegal and unsustainable taking of wildlife, protection of ecological connectivity across landscapes and seascapes, and new attention to migratory freshwater fish, which are among the most threatened groups of migratory animals.

The Wildlife Conservation Society will have a strong presence at the meeting (read more here), where its scientists and policy experts will advocate for science-based decisions and stronger international cooperation to conserve migratory species and the ecosystems they depend on.

WCS will focus in particular on proposals to strengthen protections for species such as the striped hyena, giant otter, and several migratory shark species, as well as conservation initiatives addressing freshwater fish in major river basins such as the Amazon.

The organization is also working with partners and governments to advance broader CMS priorities, including tackling illegal and unsustainable wildlife use, reducing fisheries bycatch, and protecting ecological connectivity for species that depend on large, intact landscapes and migratory corridors.

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