Ramsar strategy calls for new conservation laws

ALDERNEY Wildlife Trust wants to introduce new conservation laws by 2014.

The proposal is a central plank of AWT's new five-year plan to manage the island's Ramsar Site – a wetland considered to be of international importance, including Burhou and the west coast of the island.

The AWT plan is to systematically map Ramsar habitats and survey animal populations with a view to eventually developing legislation to protect it. The Alderney Environmental Conservation Act 2014 will be used 'to help ensure the sustainable use of the Ramsar Site and surrounding waters and protect the site for current and future generations'.

The legislation will be designed to cover sites across the island as a whole. Conservation currently depends on planning law – specifically greenbelt designation – and the bird ordinance, which protects breeding birds.

AWT Ramsar officer Aurelie Bohan explained that they might not be sufficient in the future.

She said: 'At the moment we have our bird ordinance, which supports the closed season at Burhou, and planning legislation, but there's no real protection for species or habitats.

'Marine mammals, for example, like the seal population – there's nothing specific to protect that, or the seagrass beds at Longis.'

She said there were no activities currently that the AWT wanted to ban or restrict.

'Here, we don't have people who are a danger to the environment – for example people respect the closed season on Burhou. But we don't know what will happen in the future and we have to plan for that.'

The Ramsar strategy will 'manage and where appropriate enhance species and marine habitats of the west coast and Burhou islands, with special attention to breeding seabird colonies'.

Activities will include surveying habitats on Burhou, the seal population at Les Rocquets, mapping and surveying habitats at Burhou, and attempting to control invasive species such as the Hottentot fig, as well as monitoring the slipper limpet and japweed.

Next year a gannet census will be carried out. The management plan will be submitted to the General Services Committee for States members to vote on.