WWF Wins Protection for 40 Species, Arctic Clean Fuel Rules

Forty migratory species just got a lifeline, and it's exactly the kind of global cooperation our planet needs right now.

At the latest UN meeting on migratory species, governments agreed to protect 40 creatures facing decline, including striped hyenas, thresher sharks, and snowy owls. These animals cross borders to survive, making them especially vulnerable to habitat loss and human barriers.

The big breakthrough? A strong new resolution tackling bycatch, where fishers accidentally catch untargeted marine species. This single threat kills countless dolphins, turtles, and seabirds every year.

The meeting also greenlit "blue corridors" for marine turtles, creating safer migration routes through our oceans. Conservationists are now mapping critical areas where turtle populations travel, giving these ancient mariners a fighting chance.

Meanwhile, the Arctic just got cleaner. New Emission Control Areas in Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea waters now require ships to use low-sulphur fuel or cleaning systems. Heavy fuel oil is the world's most polluting ship fuel, spewing black carbon that ranks as the second-largest contributor to global warming after CO2.

In Vietnam, forest communities are thriving thanks to a smarter approach to tung oil. WWF helped connect ethnic minority seed collectors directly with exporters, eliminating middlemen who kept prices low and unpredictable. Now collectors, 90% of them women, earn above-market prices with stable demand from India.

The impact goes beyond paychecks. When forest communities earn reliable income from sustainable harvesting, they become the forest's best protectors.

H&M Group just became the first retailer to set science-based targets for reducing its impact on land-based nature. Working with WWF since 2011, the company committed to avoiding deforestation and supporting local conservation projects in its supply chain.

The Ripple Effect

These wins share something powerful: they prove that protecting nature works best when we connect the dots between species, communities, and economies. Turtle corridors protect entire ocean ecosystems. Clean Arctic fuel reduces global warming for everyone. Forest communities with stable incomes become conservation champions.

A new investment fund is scaling this approach across Africa, channeling money into businesses that deliver real climate adaptation and biodiversity wins. The WWF Nectar Fund provides grants and expertise to strengthen companies ready to make a measurable difference for people and nature.

These aren't small steps—they're the building blocks of global recovery, one species and one community at a time.