Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Territories - WIDECAST

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76 GIBRALTAR Implementation World Heritage Convention: there are moves to declare parts of Gibraltar a World Heritage Site. CITES: the Convention is implemented through the Endangered Species Ordinance 1990 which was amended in 1993. Gibraltar has also implemented the relevant EU Regulation, and has further legislated to ensure inclusion of locally important species in the Control of Trade in Endangered Species Ordinance 1998. Birds Directive: Article 4 of the Directive requires member states to designate important areas as special protection areas. Habitats Directive: a report on the implementation of this Directive was recently prepared by the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS 1994a). This identifies which species and which habitats listed under the Directive occur within Gibraltar. Proposals to designate areas under both Directives, as part of the Natura 2000 series, is in hand. In addition Gibraltar may become a biosphere reserve in combination with other areas in the Straits of Gibraltar, as an international effort. Protected areas • The Nature Protection Ordinance 1991: provides for the designation and preservation of protected areas. The Gibraltar Nature Conservancy Council was created by this Ordinance. It is charged with overall responsibility for nature protection (Part IV Section 20) and is empowered to enforce the Ordinance. This body has the authority to appoint wildlife wardens and honorary voluntary wardens. An area may be designated: • Nature conservation area: a) by reason of any of its flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features; b) by reason of being the habitat of any wild bird, wild animal or plant specified by the Ordinance; c) for the purpose of securing the survival in Gibraltar of species specified by the Ordinance; d) for the purpose of complying with any international obligation; e) for the provision of suitable research opportunities relating to the natural environment. • Marine nature area: a) for the purpose of conserving marine flora or fauna or geological or physiographical features of special interest in the area; b) for the provision of suitable research opportunities relating to the natural environment; c) for the purpose of complying with any international obligation. Consultation on site designation is with the Gibraltar Nature Conservancy Council. No site designation can be made on Crown land without the consent of the Secretary of State. There are restrictions on activities within designated sites and species occurring there are fully protected. Since the first designation of a part of the Upper Rock of Gibraltar as a nature reserve, the entire area of the Upper Rock is now a nature reserve. The area is managed by Sights Management Ltd. on behalf of the Government of Gibraltar; its responsibilities include control of the Barbary macacque Macaca sylvanus population. Visitors to the reserve are charged an entrance fee which also includes access to tourist sites of historical interest. Much of the Upper Rock has been managed sympathetically with the interests of nature conservation in mind, prohibiting actions harmful to wildlife. As such, the Upper Rock was a de facto protected area, even before the Nature Protection Ordinance, not having been farmed, grazed, hunted, farmed, managed for forestry or built upon in any way for the last 30–50 years. A plant community of
GIBRALTAR 77 unique characteristics has thus developed. This is now under threat as ‘firebreaks’ are no longer managed annually, and so the open areas important for the foraging of certain species, such as the Barbary partridge Alectoris barbara, are vegetating over. Other important natural sites are on Ministry of Defence land, nine of which have been singled out as being of particular conservation value (GONHS 1990). In 1987 proposals were presented to the MOD for the fencing of Jacob’s Ladder as a nature reserve, and it was subsequently incorporated into a conservation area (Cortes 1978). As of October 1991 discussions were underway between Government departments and the GONHS leading to the protection of a series of sites of importance. Proposed areas for nature conservation include: the Upper Rock–southern terraces and Windmill Hill Flats, Upper Rock–east slopes; Governor’s Beach and Sea Caves, and also southern coastal areas of Europa Point Foreshore (GONHS 1990; Cortes in litt.). The Government of Gibraltar is undertaking a study with a view to implementing a management plan for the caves of Gibraltar. A marine reserve was declared with effect from 1 January 1996, covering all of Gibraltar’s territorial waters. Capture of wildlife is prohibited, including fishing with nets and raking of the seabed, under the principle Ordinance (Nature Protection Ordinance 1991). Due to technical difficulties the full effect of the designating Regulation has not yet been brought to bear. Crown Estate property and Ministry of Defence land continues to be under the jurisdiction of the British Army and the Royal Navy, although a proportion of Ministry of Defence (MOD) land is gradually being handed over to the care of the Government of Gibraltar. Expenditure in 1990 for nature and landscape conservation (including public gardens) amounted to approximately £0.3 million (Cortes in litt.). In the 1980s the Windmill Hill area on MOD land had been set up as the Windmill Hill Conservation Area, followed by the addition of Jacob’s Ladder in 1987. It is managed by the MOD Conservation Group, and has representatives from the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS), the British Army and the Royal Navy. The aims of this body are to co-ordinate improvements to the natural environment of the above-mentioned areas (GONHS 1990). Habitats of major significance It is likely that the original vegetation of Gibraltar was woodland that has been destroyed over the centuries by tree felling and extensive goat grazing. Since the removal of goats early this century, maquis (mattoral) has become the dominant vegetation type. Cliff communities are also important. There are nearly 500 species of flowering plant, and the existing semi-natural vegetation is dominated by a maquis scrub of olive Olea europea, pistachio Pistacia lentiscus, Osyris quadripartita (Santalaceae) and the buckthorn Rhamnus alaternus. There are also areas of pseudosteppe and garigue. A rich flora is found particularly on the inaccessible cliffs and ledges of the eastern slopes (for species lists and details see Gibraltar Environmental Group 1980). Europa Point foreshore is the only limestone shoreline on the northern shore of the Strait of Gibraltar. Its characteristic plants therefore form a unique community totally different from the Spanish shore across the bay. It is an important site for the endemic Gibraltar sea lavender Limonium emarginatum, and other rare plants and land snails. The shoreline and its offshore reef are important for marine life. The southern shoreline of Gibraltar, from the South Mole to Europa Point, forms an exposed rocky shore which is rich in littoral and sublittoral species. The south-western shore, along with the southern coast to the southern end of Sandy Bay (which includes Governor's Beach) is proposed as a marine nature reserve. Governor's Beach is a nesting site for the threatened western Mediterranean shag Phalocrocorax aristotelis desmarestii.
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Biodiversity: the UK Overseas Terri
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Contents Acknowledgements Chapter 1
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BIODIVERSITY: THE UK OVERSEAS TERRI
Page 7 and 8:
Page 9 and 10:
Page 11 and 12:
11 2: Anguilla Cuba Turks & Caicos
Page 13 and 14:
ANGUILLA 13 extremely complex lando
Page 15 and 16:
ANGUILLA 15 little information abou
Page 17 and 18:
ANGUILLA 17 Howard, R.A., & Kellogg
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ASCENSION 19 Boatswainbird Island w
Page 21 and 22:
ASCENSION 21 Table 3.2 Some endemic
Page 23 and 24:
23 4: Bermuda United States of Amer
Page 25 and 26: BERMUDA 25 • Fisheries Act 1972.
Page 27 and 28: BERMUDA 27 and conservationists to
Page 29 and 30: BERMUDA 29 Bermuda. Despite repeate
Page 31 and 32: BERMUDA 31 • Protected Species Or
Page 33 and 34: BERMUDA 33 475: 1-88. Lever, C. 198
Page 35 and 36: BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY 35 Anta
Page 37 and 38: 37 6: British Indian Ocean Territor
Page 39 and 40: BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 39 e
Page 41 and 42: BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 41 c
Page 43 and 44: BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY 43 I
Page 45 and 46: 45 7: British Virgin Islands Cuba T
Page 47 and 48: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 47 marine pa
Page 49 and 50: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 49 dunes, ma
Page 51 and 52: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 51 (British)
Page 53 and 54: BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS 53 Bibliogra
Page 55 and 56: 55 8: The Cayman Islands Cuba Turks
Page 57 and 58: THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 57 status of two
Page 59 and 60: THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 59 are included
Page 61 and 62: THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 61 endemic to Gr
Page 63 and 64: THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 63 Mammals The b
Page 65 and 66: THE CAYMAN ISLANDS 65 Islands natur
Page 67 and 68: THE FALKLAND ISLANDS 67 Internation
Page 69 and 70: THE FALKLAND ISLANDS 69 the followi
Page 71 and 72: THE FALKLAND ISLANDS 71 humpback wh
Page 73 and 74: THE FALKLAND ISLANDS 73 Unpublished
Page 75: 75 10: Gibraltar Portugal Spain Gib
Page 79 and 80: GIBRALTAR 79 species may pass over
Page 81 and 82: GIBRALTAR 81 conservation in Gibral
Page 83 and 84: MONTSERRAT 83 Implementation Ramsar
Page 85 and 86: MONTSERRAT 85 The slippery back ski
Page 87 and 88: MONTSERRAT 87 Survey of conservatio
Page 89 and 90: THE PITCAIRN ISLANDS 89 • Interna
Page 91 and 92: THE PITCAIRN ISLANDS 91 tree or shr
Page 93 and 94: THE PITCAIRN ISLANDS 93 The land sn
Page 95 and 96: THE PITCAIRN ISLANDS 95 Collar, N.J
Page 97 and 98: SOUTH GEORGIA 97 International obli
Page 99 and 100: 99 14: South Sandwich Islands Argen
Page 101 and 102: 101 15: St Helena Atlantic Ocean AS
Page 103 and 104: ST HELENA 103 Peak Forest Reserve (
Page 105 and 106: ST HELENA 105 St Helena gumwood Com
Page 107 and 108: ST HELENA 107 species. The recorded
Page 109 and 110: ST HELENA 109 • The Endangered En
Page 111 and 112: ST HELENA 111 Oldfield, S., Lusty,
Page 113 and 114: THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA ISLANDS 113 Im
Page 115 and 116: THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA ISLANDS 115 su
Page 117 and 118: THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA ISLANDS 117 co
Page 119 and 120: THE TRISTAN DA CUNHA ISLANDS 119 Fr
Page 121 and 122: TURKS AND CAICOS 121 of the Marine
Page 123 and 124: TURKS AND CAICOS 123 by Mumby et al
Page 125 and 126: TURKS AND CAICOS 125 Argythamnia ar
Page 127 and 128:
TURKS AND CAICOS 127 Acknowledgemen
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TURKS AND CAICOS 129 Sanderson, J.
Page 131:
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