South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands: Five year strategy published
The UK has just published a 5-year strategy for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, in the South Atlantic, is one of UK’s most remote and environmentally pristine Overseas Territories. The five year strategy will help ensure the long term security and good governance of the islands and help protect their rich natural environment and unique biodiversity.
The strategy will underpin the sustainable management of the islands’ fishery and also help conserve its heritage as a previous staging post for whaling and Antarctic discovery. The islands are an important base for scientific research, including by the British Antarctic Survey, as well as an increasingly popular destination for ship-borne tourism.
Minister for the Overseas Territories, Henry Bellingham, said:
“The publication of this strategy is an important step in ensuring the future security of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and illustrates the importance the Government attaches to our Overseas Territories. It sets out our priorities for action over the next five years and in particular highlights the environmental value of the islands which are internationally recognised for their biological importance.”
The strategy has been developed with input from a wide range of stakeholders, including scientists, environmental organisations and tourism and fishing companies.
Read the UK’s five year strategy for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
The strategy has also been developed in conjunction with the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, who will also publish, on their website, their own complementary 5-year strategy for the Territory.