The Role of Biodiversity-Related Conventions in Developing Regulation of Assisted Species Migration

One of the most significant effects of anthropogenic climate change is the unprecedented and increasing rate of loss of the world’s biological diversity. One result of that increase is the urgent need to consider the translocation of animals and plants to more suitable habitats to enable them to survive under changing climatic conditions, a process referred to as assisted species migration ( ASM ). This article seeks to demonstrate how biodiversity-related treaties can enhance the implementation of ASM . It argues that the provisions of the relevant conventions should be applied flexibly to explicitly promote ASM and provide some guidance in respect of its regulation. Further articulation of ASM in documents adopted by the conferences of the parties, the conventions’ secretariats, and the documents produced by the individual parties to the treaties would also be useful as it would raise awareness and contribute to the sharing of information on best practices and related problems.