Written evidence submitted by the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) (arts 226)
SUMMARY
— The policy guidelines for National Lottery
funding need to be reviewed to allow applications relating to
the heritage of UK Overseas Territories.
— The small islands of the UK Overseas
Territories (UKOTs) are home to some of the UK's most precious
natural heritage: over 500 unique species found nowhere else on
earth. This heritage is under severe pressure: over 87% of the
UK's threatened species are located in the UKOTs.
— There are two vulnerable World Heritage
Sites in the UKOTs: Gough & Inaccessible Islands (Tristan
da Cunha, South Atlantic), and Henderson Island (Pitcairn, South
Pacific). The Outstanding Universal Values for which these Sites
have been listed are under threat from introduced species. UNESCO
has urged the UK Government to rapidly secure the funding for
the eradication of invasive species from these Sites.
— The current funding for the natural heritage
of the UKOTs is grossly inadequate. The Heritage Lottery Fund
is one of the major sources of funding for projects in UK World
Heritage Sites, yet projects in the World Heritage Sites in the
UKOTs are deemed ineligible due to their location. The RSPB is
therefore calling for a change to the policy guidelines for National
Lottery funding to support the overlooked natural heritage of
the Overseas Territories.
Thank you for the opportunity to make a submission
to this consultation. We have focussed on the question of whether
the policy guidelines for National Lottery funding need to be
reviewed, and our written evidence is set out below.
1. The RSPB is the UK partner of BirdLife
International, a network of over 100 grass-roots conservation
organisations around the world. As part of our commitment to the
conservation of our planet's natural heritage, we have for over
10 years provided financial, technical and advisory support to
emerging NGO partners and local governments in the UK Overseas
Territories.
2. RSPB works on the Overseas Territories
because of their outstanding importance for natural heritage,
which includes more threatened breeding bird species than on the
entire European continent. These remote islands are home to well
over 500 species found nowhere else on earth, including over a
third of the world's breeding pairs of albatross. Their unique
habitats are equally significant, internationally recognised for
containing the world's largest and most pristine coral atoll (the
Great Chagos Bank) and, arguably, the most important seabird island
on the planet (Gough Island). This remarkable richness places
a very high level of responsibility on the UK to protect the natural
heritage of these territories.
3. Whilst rich in natural heritage and unique
species, the human populations of the Overseas Territories are
small. For example, Pitcairn supports more globally threatened
species than the total human population of the island. The Territories
are particularly reliant on their natural heritage for their livelihoods
and quality of life. The economies of many of the islands depend
heavily on the revenue raised from fisheries and tourism, and
mangroves, forests and coral reefs provide protection from severe
weather events, which under current climate change projections
are likely to increase in the future.
4. This natural heritage is under severe
pressure. 96 UKOT species are now classified as critically endangered
(compared to just 14 critically endangered species in the UK).
Moreover, the last UKOT extinction occurred as recently as 2003
(the St Helena Olive). As of 2009, over 87% of the UK's threatened
species were located in the Overseas Territories.
5. The Territories' capacity to conserve
their natural heritage is strongly constrained by limited human
and financial resources. Environment departments and local conservation
organizations, if they exist, only have small numbers of staff
that are stretched very thinly. The scale of the conservation
department is often matched to the size of human and financial
resources available on the Territory, not to the scale of the
biodiversity, which is of great global significance. In some Territories,
for example Tristan da Cunha or Pitcairn, the population is so
small that no significant capacity or finance is available to
deal with pressing natural heritage issues. On yet other Territories,
for example South Georgia or BIOT, there is no local population.
Many local conservation organisations rely to a significant extent
on funding from Territory governments so are not able to respond
objectively when consulted on development proposals because they
may be threatened with budget cuts if they raise objections. Staff
may not have the skills and/or sufficient time to engage effectively
in planning processes.
6. In some Territories, tourist and/or environmental
taxes are charged but all of the revenue raised returns to Central
Government. Only a small proportion of the central budget goes
back into an environmental fund and/or projects. Several Territories
meanwhile are almost entirely dependent on direct grants from
the Department for International Development. Funding for heritage
conservation is minimal.
7. Overall, the current lack of capacity
and finance in many Territories coupled by the lack of interest
or support from the UK Government in these issues means that the
deterioration of natural heritage continues largely unabated.
It is essential that if this is to be avoided, sufficient resources
need to be provided to Territories so that they can implement
conservation actions proportionate to the scale of the challenges
they face.
8. At present, the National Lottery is a
crucial source of funds for many natural heritage projects in
the UK. According to the website of the Heritage Lottery Fund,
"HLF has invested more than £860 million in projects
that safeguard the UK's precious countryside, wildlife and parks,
helping to protect some of our most threatened wildlife."
Projects working to conserve the natural heritage of the UKOTs
(where 87% of the UK's threatened species are to be found) are
ineligible for this funding due to their location. Since the UKOTs
are also unable to access many international sources of finance
due to their status as UK territory, they are left in the position
where very little funding is available.
9. Some of the most urgent conservation
actions in the UKOTs are required on two threatened World Heritage
Sites- Gough and Inaccessible Islands (Tristan da Cunha), and
Henderson Island (Pitcairn). The UK Government has been urged
by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to rapidly secure adequate
funding to implement invasive species eradication schemes on these
two Sites. The World Heritage Committee in August 2010 described
an invasive rat eradication scheme for Henderson Island World
Heritage Site as being of "critical importance to maintaining
the Outstanding Universal Value and integrity of the property"
(Decision 34COM 7B.27). In 2009, the Committee requested the UK
Government to eradicate invasive mice from Gough Island World
Heritage Site "within five years", ie by 2014 (Decision
33COM 7B.32).
10. DCMS is the lead Government department
on World Heritage, yet neither the department nor it's arms-length
funding bodies have made any funds available for these critical
restoration projects. The Henderson Island Restoration Project
will cost an estimated £1.7 million, the Gough Island Restoration
Project in the order of £3 million. Given the tiny human
populations and limited financial resources of these Territories,
it is unrealistic to expect them to be able to fund such conservation
action. The UK Government is legally responsible for these UK
World Heritage Sites and has a duty to contribute towards the
funding of this urgent restoration work. The RSPB has already
raised more than £1 million towards the cost of the Henderson
Island Restoration Project, but needs further UK Government financial
support if it is to proceed with the rat eradication operation
next year.
11. The RSPB is therefore calling for the
National Lottery funding policy guidelines to be reviewed and
for applications relating to heritage in the UK Overseas Territories
to be allowed. This change could enable vital conservation actions
in the most far flung portions of UK territory, which would contribute
to conserving some of Britain's most threatened and most overlooked
natural heritage.
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