[This is a post by Clare Stringer - the RSPB's Head of UK Overseas Territories Unit within the International Directorate]
Last week, two events brought attention to the astounding underwater biodiversity of the UK’s Overseas Territories (OTs). The OTs are mainly small islands, and our work usually focuses on the unique birds and other species that have evolved there in isolation. Looking underwater last week has convinced me that nature needs a voice in the seas around the OTs, as well as on the land.
The first event on Tuesday was the conference “Event: The Chagos Marine Reserve - Building on Success”, organised by the Chagos Conservation Trust (CCT) in partnership with The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Pew Environment Group. It has now been two years since a giant no-take marine reserve was created in the Chagos archipelago, and a diverse programme of talks at the conference highlighted all the brilliant research that has been going on there – from assessments of fish biomass to satellite tagging of turtles and sharks, to remote monitoring of marine species with ZSL’s “BRUVs” and “SISSTAs” (new camera systems). The underwater images were amazing, and there is no doubt that the Chagos coral reefs are a true jewel of the Indian Ocean and worthy of international recognition and protection.
One of the most exciting and inspirational talks was given by Xavier Hamon of ZSL’s Chagossian Community Environment Project. The RSPB is involved in this project which is providing environmental training to members of the Chagossian community in the UK. Xavier showed a brilliant film of the course that has just finished, which features the RSPB’s Ian Robinson providing training to young Chagossians. The course graduates or “Chagos Ambassadors” are now looking for opportunities to put their new skills to work, and a couple will be visiting Chagos as part of upcoming scientific expeditions. The RSPB hopes to be able to continue working with ZSL and others to help create a new generation of Chagossian conservationists.
The second event of the week (on Wednesday) focused on Pitcairn, one of the most remote places in the Pacific. “Pitcairn, the real Bounty” was the screening of a new documentary film made by National Geographic together with the Pew Environment Group’s Global Ocean Legacy programme. The event included a live video-link to Pitcairn, where the RSPB’s Jonathan Hall was visible on screen along with the local community. Jonathan has been on Pitcairn to update the community on the Henderson Island Restoration Project.
The film was full of stunning images, and following the screening, Pew (with National Geographic and the Pitcairn Islands community) launched a call to the British government to name a highly protected marine reserve around the Pitcairn Islands. This reserve would be the biggest in the world, and would protect an almost untouched underwater environment.
The RSPB will keep working with our partners to ensure the most important places in the UK OTs are protected, both on land, and in the oceans. If you want to support this work, you can find a list of ways to help save albatrosses here.