Monarch Butterfly © Allen Montgomery

The CMS Family covers a great diversity of migratory species. The Appendices of CMS include many mammals, including land mammals, marine mammals and bats; birds; fish; reptiles and one insect. For instance among the instruments, AEWA covers 255 species of birds that are ecologically dependent on wetlands for at least part of their annual cycle. EUROBATS covers 52 species of bat, the Sharks MOU seven species of shark and the IOSEA Marine Turtle MOU six species of marine turtle.

Under CMS, those species threatened with extinction are listed in Appendix I. Parties that are Range States to Appendix I species are obliged to afford them strict protection.

Further migratory species needing or significantly benefitting from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II. These species, either individually or by taxonomic group, are the basis for establishing instruments – regional or global – under CMS.