Reflecting on AEWAs Unique Place in International Environmental Law - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Reflecting on AEWA’s Unique Place in International Environmental Law

Melissa Lewis, AEWA Technical Committee/Tilburg University

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Pfeilstorch (‘arrow stork’), University of Rostock, Germany.

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

1902 Convention for the Protection of Birds Useful for Agriculture

• S. Yeliseev
• S. Yeliseev
• D. Curtis
• J. Coelho
• S. Yeliseev
• J. Coelho
• M. Watson

www.flickr.com/creativecommons

• M. Lewis

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Examples of ‘noxious’ species under the 1902 Convention:

• C. Wilson
• J. Coelho
• S. de Munck
• B. Gracey
• M. Loizou
• L. Blumin
• G. Smith
• S. Yeliseev
• S. Yeliseev

J.B. Silverio

• D. Curtis

www.flickr.com/creativecommons

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Other shortcomings:

• Geographic coverage.
• Heavily qualified provisions, with no provision for

amendment.

• No institutional framework (‘sleeping treaty‘).

In what ways has international law progressed and how does AEWA compare to other contemporary legal instruments?

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

The geographic scope of subsequent bird-protection treaties

Bilateral migratory bird treaties 1916: USA & Canada 1936: USA & Mexico 1972: USA & Japan 1973: Japan & Russia 1973: Brazil & Colombia 1974: Japan & Australia 1975: Brazil & Peru 1976: Argentina & Bolivia 1976: USA & Russia 1981: Japan & China 1984: India & Russia 1986: Australia & China 1994: Russia & Republic of Korea International Convention for the Protection of Birds (1950)

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Flyway conservation and global instruments: Why isn’t the Ramsar Convention enough?

Ndumo Game Reserve, South Africa

• J. Lewis
• J. Lewis

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Flyway conservation under AEWA

First treaty to be explicitly based on the flyway approach. E.g.:

Maintenance/restoration of networks of suitable habitat. Hunting legislation to take into account populations’ full geographic range.

Leading role in promoting this approach both through its own mechanisms & those developed under other treaties.

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Other distinguishing features of AEWA’s substantive provisions:

• Role of the precautionary principle.
• Level of detail and legal rigour.
• Flexibility to evolve over time.

Limits of drawing inspiration from other regional instruments?

Fundamental principles General conservation measures for Annex II species. Legally-binding Action Plan for Table 1 populations.

AEWA’s tiers of conservation norms:

• L. Zwarts

Wetlands International, State of the World’s Waterbirds 2010

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Platforms for the continued cooperation needed to make flyway conservation a reality.

ENB ENB

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany AEWA IRP: illegal hunting of the critically endangered sociable lapwing in Syria

Implementation mechanisms which fill gaps left by other treaty regimes.

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Possibilities to work through

• thers?

Unique contributions which should be prioritised?

From ‘sleeping treaties’ to insomniacs: the need to avoid spreading AEWA’s efforts too thin.

www.flickr.com/creativecommons

• R. Towell

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

http://www.gizmag.com/arctic-tern-migration-project/13956/pictures#11

20th Anniversary of AEWA

Making Flyway Conservation Happen

9 November 2015 Bonn, Germany

Thank you! Congratulations! Good luck! Thank you! Good Luck! Congratulations!