Bonn, 23 July 2007 – The CMS Secretariat is happy to announce another successful effort to increase membership to the Convention, with Antigua & Barbuda as the 104th party, to accede on 1st October 2007. The Small Island Developing State (SIDS) of Antigua & Barbuda is located in the Eastern Caribbean Sea and is the first Caribbean Island state to join CMS
The Caribbean Islands are important sites for the migration corridors through the Neotropical region. It is estimated that between 2 and 5 million individual birds pass along the Caribbean and Central American migration routes. Small islands like Antigua & Barbuda offer vital services to migratory species and are situated along the major swim-ways of turtles and marine mammals. The conservation of these corridors can secure the essential services these species can offer to local ecosystems and populations.
The importance of Antigua & Barbuda for the Convention’s cause arises from numerous migratory species visiting the islands. Antigua & Barbuda’s waters are home to a number of migratory species of marine turtles, birds and marine mammals such as the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) and the Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). Migratory turtle species also constitute an important aspect of the country’s wildlife.
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