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Conservation Projects receive FCO Funding Penguin News, March 2005 Three projects in the Falkland Islands have been successful in the latest round of funding from the Overseas Territories Environment Programme - a programme of funding run by the Foreign and Commonwealth and Department for International Development. The three projects are:
South Georgia also received funding for a South Georgia Giant Petrel and White-chinned Petrel Conservation Programme. Acting Governor, Miss Harriet hall, said the Overseas Territories Programme (OTEP) was established to support the Overseas Territories (OTs) in, "developing and implementing action plans under their respective Environment Charters signed jointly with Her Majesty's Government (HMG) in September 2001. These Charters set out a range of policy objectives and undertakings entered into by OTs and HMG." Miss Hall said the goal of OTEP is "enhanced quality of life and livelihood opportunities for the inhabitants of all UK Overseas Territories through the sustainable use (or protection, where necessary) of environmental and natural resources, whilst securing global environmental benefits within the scope of the core principles of the relevant multilateral environmental agreements." The Falklands Conservation community programme will raise environmental awareness in the Falklands and Ascension Island communities. According to Falklands Conservation, "It will produce environmental resources for schools focusing on island issues and native wildlife and will launch initiatives for hands on involvement in conservation activities. It will provide the means for volunteers to take part in wildlife surveys and monitoring. It will facilitate long-term repeatable voluntary data collection. The outputs will create long-term legacies, and, in particular, be incorporated into the education delivery system in both islands." The Project has three major aims: 1. To provide environmental teaching resources for use in Falkland and Ascension Islands schools. 2. To focus and improve the quantity and quality of environmental monitoring and voluntary opportunities in the Falkland and Ascension Islands. 3. To provide environmental education support and opportunities for hands-on involvement in conservation activities, for all ages and all sectors of the communities. The Falklands Conservation Key Sites project will "progress protection of important bird sites in the Falkland Islands". Falklands Conservation states, "At sites already identified as potentially significant, surveys will collect data on bird populations to enable qualification as Important Bird Areas. Publication of a Director of Important Bird Areas for the Falkland Islands will provide a vital tool for decision makers, landowners and others so that effective conservation measures can be implemented where and when appropriate. By setting up site support groups, wildlife protection at three key areas in the Falklands will be improved, data collection on key species will be increased and the chances of voluntary involvement for the population will be increased." Mr Ian Strange of the New Island South Conservation Trust said the funding award is ".... extremely encouraging. Probably the most significant aspect with the success of this bid, is not so much the funding, but the acknowledgement by the UK Government of our potential as a research group. The importance of the New Island South reserve, its abilities, both in conservation and scientific field research, has been recognised. It supports and highlights our belief in the value of encouraging all initiatives, so that a more balanced and broader set of information is acquired for the benefit of the Falklands." Mr Strange said the funds granted will be used over a period of two years. "Their main function will be to support the completion and implementation of a Management Plan. The New Island South reserve has been working to a management blueprint since it was established some thirty years ago. As a result it now has good infrastructure which supports a number of field scientists. At the height of the present season 2004-2005, we had a total of eight personnel working on the reserve, six of these being field scientists or assistants. This funding, in an indirect way, ensures the future of this infrastructure and the personnel working here." The New Island South research has also worked to a plan for many years, according to Mr Strange, "... however with long-term commitments made by a number of biologists to working here, there is now a need to refine these plans. A detailed Management Plan will take into account many facets of the present work on New Island South. It will also plan for future research work on the reserve, in particular elements which will support any Falkland Islands conservation strategy plan." He continued, "The funds will support new research on some non native species to establish if they are causing a problem or not to other species on the reserve. In keeping with a policy of carrying out work in parallel to use funds efficiently, such research would include, for example, ongoing census work. A small element of funding will also go towards the completion of ongoing restoration work on the old Barnard Building which it is planned will become an interpretative centre and museum." He said the Trust is "indebted" to the FCO and members of the Overseas Territories Environmental Programme who approved the assistance. First
published in the Penguin News on 4 March 2005 and reproduced with the
kind permission of the Editor |
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