At the 14th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP14), held under the chairmanship of Uzbekistan in February this year in Samarkand, the first study of its kind on reducing the number of insects and its importance for migratory bird species was presented.

According to the document, the reduction in the number of insects contributes to the loss of populations of many migratory birds that feed on insects. Insects are essential for the survival of not only migratory birds around the world, but also bats and fish. Their reduction may also have indirect consequences by changing the functions of the ecosystem and its habitat, for example, by changing vegetation, which in turn may provide less shelter for species breeding on earth, or supply fewer insect-pollinated fruits for frugivorous (fruit-eating) birds.

The main findings of the CMS report include:

• Reducing insect biomass, abundance, and diversity poses a serious threat to migratory bird species, reducing food availability during migration and other stages of their life cycle and endangering many species controlled by CMS.

• Land-use change, climate change, and pollution are the main drivers of insect decline worldwide, and these factors are often interrelated and can act simultaneously.

• Insects and the migratory species that feed on them are important for the functioning of the ecosystem and provide essential ecosystem services such as pollination.

• There are still gaps in understanding the impact of declining insect populations on migratory insectivorous species, and more information is needed on the status and population trends of a number of species, both birds and bats in particular.

The report notes that in order to solve the problem of reducing the insect population, it is recommended:

• Take conservation measures to ensure the availability of food for migratory species.

• Strengthen and support insect monitoring and data exchange efforts.

• Participate in multilateral efforts to improve the diversity and interconnectedness of habitats.

• Develop guidelines for priority actions designed to address the effects of insect population decline.