Wildlife in the UK Overseas Territories faces an uncertain future as core funding threatened.
The UK Overseas Territories are some of the world’s most magical and diverse places for wildlife. They range from the tropical Cayman Islands, where endangered Blue Iguanas stalk the forests, to the windswept isles of Tristan da Cunha where albatrosses, storm-petrels and shearwaters wheel in the skies above.
They are biodiversity hotspots, home to many rare species and some found nowhere else on earth. So far, 32,216 native species have been recorded across the territories. This represents about 90% of all British biodiversity. However, the true figure is likely to exceed 100,000!
Three of these territories are home to internationally important colonies of penguins, making the UK responsible for more of the planet's penguins than any other nation! The Falkland Islands, for example, are home to around a million penguins, with five species including King, Southern Rockhopper and Gentoo.
Meanwhile, Tristan da Cunha, arguably the UK’s most remote overseas territory, is home to the endangered Northern Rockhopper Penguin.
We work across these special places in partnership with Overseas Territory Governments, local communities and other partners, supporting them to turn around declines in wildlife, and to safeguard and restore sustainable ecosystems.
For example, on Tristan da Cunha’s Nightingale Island, we are working for the Wilkins’ Bunting – one of the world’s rarest birds – and we are hopeful that our intervention will have prevented the first global bird extinction on British soil for 60 years. Meanwhile on St Helena, we’re continuing to work to improve the region’s grasslands to support the productivity of local farms and in doing so help the island’s only land bird – the critically endangered St Helena Plover.
These conservation projects – and many more – have only been possible due to grant funding from the UK government through a scheme for the UK Overseas Territories called Darwin Plus. But we are very worried for its future.
The UK government had committed £10 million to the Darwin Plus fund each year until March this year. We are expecting the UK Government to make a decision about the fund’s future as part of the Spending Review this summer.
Any cuts in this funding would be catastrophic: without any other major source of income, conservation in the territories could grind to a halt.
RSPB Director of Global Conservation Katie-Jo Luxton said:
As an unintended consequence of the budgetary pressures on the UK Government, it’s critical that our Overseas Territories do not suffer with the loss of this small but vital funding pot. There is no global investment in nature that delivers more to save species from extinction than Darwin Plus.”
RSPB Head of UK Overseas Territories Programmes Jake Zarins added:
“The Darwin Fund is vital to protecting the rich biodiversity of the UK Overseas Territories. Without it, the future of the wildlife and special habitats would be very much in doubt. Although Darwin funding is relatively small, it provides amazing value and has achieved incredible results.
“Preventing the extinction of the Wilkins’ Bunting is just one example of many initiatives that would have not been possible without Darwin Plus funding. These success stories are instrumental to helping the UK achieve its targets to increase biodiversity, and we strongly urge the UK Government to maintain this fund.”
Darwin Plus funding supports a host of critical conservation projects on the UK Overseas Territories. Any cuts or changes to the fund would put these in jeopardy.
Current Darwin Plus funded projects include:
Inaccessible Island together with Gough Island in the South Atlantic is a World Heritage Site, recognised for its pristine natural environment and internationally important seabird colonies. However, the island is at risk from non-native invasive New Zealand Flax. The spread of this plant is undermining the island’s fragile ecosystem, home to endemic species such as the Island Tree and the Inaccessible Bunting which relies upon it. We are currently working with partners to clear New Zealand Flax.
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The St Helena Plover or Wirebird depends on the island’s native grasslands. However, drought exacerbated by climate change, changing agriculture, and the spread of non-native invasive plants has impacted on these grasslands, both to the disadvantage of Wirebirds and the local people who rely on the habitat for their livestock. We’re working to restore the grasslands, helping provide habitat for Wirebirds and other native wildlife and to improve pasture for livestock.
Southern Right Whales were devastated by centuries of whaling. Although recovering, they face ongoing threats from entanglement in commercial fishing gear and being hit by ships. Thanks to Darwin Plus funding, our BirdLife Partner, Falklands Conservation, has used satellite tracking to better under the whales’ behaviour and travel patterns.
See where whales Sandy, Walter and others travelled:
White-chinned Petrels are a globally threatened seabird. On New Island, part of the Falkland Islands, our partner is trying to save a colony by installing artificial burrows. There are only four known colonies of these birds on the Falklands. To better support the island’s native wildlife, they are also restoring the peatlands by planting native Tussac grass. This provides vital habitat, while also preventing further erosion.
