Policy paper

United Kingdom overseas territories biodiversity strategy

This paper sets out the UK Government strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Overseas Territories.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Documents

United Kingdom overseas territories biodiversity strategy

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Details

UK Overseas Territories (UK OTs) are part of the United Kingdom. However, they have their own identity and governing structure and are not represented in the UK Parliament. Biodiversity in the UK OTs is globally significant; the OTs support unique ecosystems and a large number of rare and threatened species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Effective conservation of biodiversity in the OTs is essential if the UK is to meet the 2020 Biodiversity Targets, as well as commitments under other relevant Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs).

Together with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Defra has agreed a Strategy for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories. The Strategy aims to address the needs of the Overseas Territories, and has been built upon an assessment of priorities for biodiversity conservation action carried out by the JNCC.

The UK OTs consists of: Turks and the Caicos Islands, Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, The Pitcairn Islands, Montserrat, Gibraltar, Falkland Islands, Cayman Islands, The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), British Virgin Islands, The British Antarctic Territory, Bermuda, Anguilla.

Updates to this page

Published 26 May 2011

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