MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands welcomes publication of the UK Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy

Home to more than 90% of the UK’s unique species, many found nowhere else on Earth

The Falkland Islands Government (FIG) welcomes the launch of the new UK Overseas Territories (UKOT) Biodiversity Strategy, developed jointly by the UK and Overseas Territories to protect some of the world’s most precious wildlife and ecosystems.

Home to more than 90% of the UK’s unique species, many found nowhere else on Earth, the Strategy represents the most collaborative approach to biodiversity conservation across the UKOTs to date.

The Strategy was formally endorsed earlier this year by Executive Council and will see shared goals and priorities for biodiversity being promoted across all the UKOTs.
The strategy outlines six key goals:

1. Reconnect people with nature – Fostering deeper community engagement with our natural environment;
2. Develop skills and talent – Building local conservation expertise and career pathways;
3. Maximize funding opportunities – Securing sustainable investment through partnerships and collaboration;
4. Strengthen regulatory frameworks – Enhancing policies and legislation to protect biodiversity;
5. Enhance environmental resilience – Building ecosystem health to withstand climate change;
6. Champion the benefits of nature – Celebrating and promoting our unique biodiversity globally.

Many of the priorities found in the Strategy align with the commitments that have already been made by FIG in the Environment Strategy 2021-2040 and the environmental commitments of the Islands Plan 2022-2026, while others reflect work that that has been led by other stakeholders within the Falkland Islands. Endorsing the Strategy also supports FIG’s contributions to international environmental commitments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity.

The natural environment of our Islands is a vital part of our way of life and our national identity, and it is hoped that the endorsement of the Strategy will encourage external funders, including the UK Government, to invest funding and resource in important environmental projects here in the Islands that will help preserve our unique environment.
FIG welcomes the opportunity to be a part of the shared goals for biodiversity across the British family and to work together to achieve the aims of the Strategy.

The published UKOT Biodiversity Strategy can be viewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/.../uk-overseas-territories...