December 2025 Conservation Snapshot

The Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) Conference of the Parties (CoP) 20 is taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan (24 November – 5 December 2025).  This international agreement regulates trade in wild animals and plants to ensure their survival, using Appendices I–III to set different levels of protection. Countries enforce these rules through national laws and permits.

EAZA, as an official observer, is attending to provide expertise and represent the interests of our community. Among the many issues on the agenda, the substantial international trade in wild-caught songbirds is a matter of particular importance to EAZA at this CoP, given the legacy of the EAZA Conservation Campaign Silent Forest. Although songbirds make up 60% of all bird species and dominate the global bird trade, only 1.4% are listed under CITES.

Proposals under review include listing the Great-billed seed-finch in Appendix I and several other Sporophila species in Appendix II. EAZA is also co-hosting a side event on 2 December, “The Global Songbird Crisis: Trade, Impacts and Regulation,” to highlight the worldwide scope of this issue and to call for continued and increased engagement.

EAZA Members have shown a strong and growing commitment to songbird conservation, particularly in Asia. Over the past five years, 55 EAZA Members have contributed €2.1 million to conservation efforts benefiting at least 70 songbird species!

Asia
67% of this support was directed toward Asian songbird initiatives, with a strong focus on in range conservation breeding programmes. Many of these efforts were launched or expanded through the Silent Forest Campaign and are carried out in close collaboration with partners such as the Prigen Conservation Breeding Ark and the Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre.

Europe
About 14% of the recorded support went towards songbird conservation efforts in Europe. These efforts target species such as choughs, sparrows, and swallows, and include actions ranging from habitat restoration and nest-box provision to direct support for the Committee Against Bird Slaughter (CABS).

CABS plays a crucial role in tackling illegal poaching and overexploitation of migratory (song)birds across Europe in collaboration with environmental authorities, police, regulators, and customs services. They intervene where hunters, trappers, or traders violate conservation laws, helping to safeguard vulnerable bird populations.