It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the start of the 6th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Bonn Convention. The meeting today is particularly auspicious as we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Bonn Convention. South Africa, at one end of the migratory route for a number of birds and marine mammals, and thus plays an important role in their conservation, is an idea venue to celebrate these two milestones in the history of the Convention.
Animal migration is one of the many wonders of the world.
It is a universal and natural phenomenon encompassing a wide variety of species from antelopes, to dolphins, whales and marine turtles, to bats and many bird species. Migratory species usually choose one area in which to breed and another in which to spend the non-breeding season. These include species such as the White Stork and European Swallow. In both cases, the migrant birds enjoy the benefits of living in a perpetual summer, never experiencing extreme cold and always enjoying an abundance of food. To these highly mobile animals, among which birds are the most numerous example, the non-breeding areas are just as important as the breeding grounds.