Das Bonner Übereinkommen zur Erhaltung der wandernden wildlebenden Tierarten

The (Bonn) Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) is an important building block of international nature conservation. This article raises the question of whether the Convention can be perceived as a foundation of national nature conservation law in genereal. Pointing to sustainability and trusteeship as dynamic elements of the CMS. This article identifies fairly conservative regulatory approaches and a lack of flexibility as far as the relationship between science and the law is concerned. The authors conclude that states parties have not fully used the potential of the CMS and that treaty congestion has become a problem that slows down the protection of migratory species at the level of international law. As such the CMS contributes to national nature conservation, but can not be considered to be foundational in the broad sense of the word.