UK Government Must do More to Prevent Extinction of Threatened Wildlife in UK Overseas Territories

The 14 UK’s Overseas Territories harbour more than 30 species of nesting bird that are facing global extinction, 20 of which are endemic. Due to the worldwide importance of these territories for unique wildlife – and the fact that the fate of these species is undeniably a UK responsibility - the RSPB is challenging the UK government and the governors of the territories to do more to protect the territories’ threatened species. Sarah Sanders, the RSPB’s Overseas Territories’ officer, said: ‘Although put together, the UK Overseas Territories occupy an area of land far smaller than the UK mainland, their wildlife value is immeasurably more important. A main driver of the economies of the islands is tourism and wildlife and the natural environment are major attractions.

Fishing, Invasive Species, Habitat Degradation & Climate Change
‘The territories wildlife face several threats, but non-native species, fisheries, habitat degradation and climate change are the most significant, affecting the greatest number of species, but in many cases the problems are entirely fixable. Unfortunately, insufficient funding for conservation means that action cannot be taken and over the past 20 years, the situation for threatened wildlife has become worse. We need an urgent commitment from the UK government that it will provide funding to secure the future of threatened species.’

The latest analysis of the globally-threatened birds from the UK’s Overseas Territories shows: 20 species are facing threats from non-native species; nine are threatened by interaction with commercial fisheries, especially long-lining vessels; and seven are threatened by habitat degradation.
£16.1 Million Per Annum Needed
An RSPB-commissioned report, published earlier this year, highlighted the need to spend £16.1 million per year on wildlife protection for five years, principally on removing non-native species and improving habitat. The report stated that the current funding, administered through the Overseas Territories Environment Programme, is woefully insufficient.

Sarah Sanders added: ‘Currently, the UK Overseas Territories receive about £1million per year, but if the UK government is serious about its commitments to protect globally-threatened wildlife, then this figure will have to be increased substantially. As many species on our overseas territories occur nowhere else in the world, any extinction would represent a major failure of one of the world’s richest countries to protect its own wildlife treasures.’

Tristan Da Cunha
The UK Overseas Territories with the highest number of threatened bird species is Tristan da Cunha. This territory – located in the South Atlantic – is a dependency of St Helena, itself a UK Overseas Territory. Tristan da Cunha has 11 species of bird that are facing global extinction, nine of which only occur on the territory.