Daniel Pullan, the RSPB’s Senior International Casework Officer has returned from the Turks and Caicos Islands with colleagues Sacha Cleminson and James Millett.
I recently had the chance to visit a UK biodiversity hot spot - the Turks and Caicos Islands, a string of limestone islands to the north east of Cuba. The UK retains responsibility for a number of territories in the Caribbean which together make up the British West Indies. As with other UK overseas territories elsewhere, these island gems hold plants and animals that occur no where else on earth and the RSPB is working through partner organisations on the islands to ensure their conservation. Part of this includes ensuring that the right environmental and planning legislation is in place to protect special species and sites, whilst also ensuring that the law is implemented properly.
Our mission was to run a workshop for our partner on the island, the Turks & Caicos National Trust, together with staff and board members from the National Trusts of Anguilla and the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Government. Over three days we provided training and had some lively discussions with the participants about how to protect sites from damage and how to lobby effectively to get the right legislation and tools in place to protect the Caribbean Overseas Territories’ fantastic natural environment. Star speakers included Stan Hartling, a prominent hotel developer on the islands, Peter Beckingham the UK Governor, and Akierra Missick the Deputy-Premier of the island government.
One of the highlights was field trip out to see Salt Water Cay – an uninhabited island near to one of the main tourist marinas. This is one of the last remaining bastions of the Rock Iguana, a species that only lives on the Turks and Caicos, and no where else. The National Trust has been doing a sterling job in recent years protecting the island whilst providing a destination for tourists to see the iguanas along with natural mangrove and scrub forest habitats – a great example of conservation and eco-tourism working hand in hand.
However, in stark contrast just offshore is the remains of an artificial island that developers illegally created within a designated marine park a few years ago. Luckily the scheme was stopped before it was too late, and now the sand is gradually eroding back into the ocean, but this is a just one example of why we need strong environmental legislation in our Overseas Territories, proper enforcement by the island governments, and strong conservation partners on the islands to provide nature with a voice.
I hope that our workshop and continued co-operation with our partners will mean these fantastic species and habitats continue to wow tourists for years to come!