 I S L E O F M A N F R I E N D S O F T H E E A R T H C A A R J Y N Y T H E I L L E L L A N V A N N I N |
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Campaigns - Biodiversity: See also: Palm oil - Click here 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity - & this year we want the Isle of Man to sign up to the Convention of Biological Diversity (The Rio Convention). Rio is the most important wildlife convention that exists in the world today. (Lots more info below.) On the Isle of
Man - DAFF is
consulting on the Rio Convention now
Please help us ensure biological diversity on the Isle of Man is protected, by reading the consultation document and writing to DAFF Minister, Phil Gawne & to Liz Charter, DAFF Biodiversity Officer.  To
read the pdf consultation documents:* Click here for summary document * Click here for full document  To listen to info
about why we should sign up * Click here - (Manx Radio clip, 4 minutes, mp3)  To
e-mail DAFF and your MHKs: * Click here to e-mail the Minister * Click to here e-mail Liz Charter * Click here for our list of MHKs  Sample
letters:* Not sure what to write? * Just paste the text below into an e-mail. E-mail to DAFF: Dear Minister/Mrs Charter, The Convention of Biological Diversity is the most important wildlife convention that exists in the world today. I fully support DAFF's efforts to join 191 other nations in becoming a signatory to the 'Rio Convention'. I believe this will help ensure Manx flora and fauna are properly protected, and demonstrate our commitment to wildlife to the rest of the world. Best wishes, [your name] E-mail to your MHK: Dear [insert name of MHK], The Convention of Biological Diversity is the most important wildlife convention that exists in the world today. I'm writing to let you know that I fully support DAFF's efforts to join 191 other nations in becoming a signatory to the 'Rio Convention' - and hope you will too. I believe this will help ensure Manx flora and fauna are properly protected, and demonstrate our commitment to wildlife to the rest of the world. Best wishes, [your name] |
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| Biodiversity
explained We are losing the range and variety of life on Earth - biodiversity. We depend on biodiversity for food, clean water and air. But the natural world is disappearing at an alarming rate. Biodiversity is all around us - in our gardens, glens, rivers, seas and fields - playing a big part in our quality of life. Biodiversity is under threat from new houses, roads, airports, and pollution. Fishing and farming can damage biodiversity - but they can also help to enhance and protect biodiversity on the Isle of Man. * The most
important convention that exists in the world is the
Convention of
Biological Diversity – often called the Rio
Convention. 191 countries
have signed this convention. We’re haven't - but we
should! (See above)
* At the moment the key piece of legislation protecting biodiversity on the Isle of Man is the Wildlife Act 1990. (More info below) Apart from Rio - what else is IoM FoE doing? * ASSIs:
FoE is supporting
efforts to designate at least 10% of the Isle of Man
as ASSI status
land.
* Members are working with other groups, such as the Manx Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust (see Links page), to help maintain biodiversity through practical action. |
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| The
Convention on Biodiversity (Often called the Rio Convention, or CBD) The most important convention that exists in the world today is the Convention of Biological Diversity – often called the Rio Convention. 191 countries around the world have signed this convention. We’re one of the few that hasn’t. Tynwald has considered it, but we haven’t yet signed on the dotted line. We should. The Convention of Biological Diversity (the CBD) will provide a framework: * Around which we can build strategies to improve our wildlife and conservation work * Around which we can build support for biodiversity, throughout government and across the Isle of Man, involving local people and local groups * Around and within which to write new legislation to support the work of the Department to enable stronger, more effective, biodiversity conservation It will also help us when trying to compare our commitment, achievements and funding levels with other signatory nations. St Helena and Ascension islands, the Cayman Islands and Jersey have all signed the CBD. Many other islands have signed up too: the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands and Haiti to name a few. It's time the Isle of Man got its pen out! |
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| Biodiversity conventions
the IoM has
signed already: * The Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals * Under this convention there are the following agreements: * Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds * Agreement on Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels * Agreement on the Conservation of Bats in Europe * Agreement on the conservation of small cetaceans * Bern Convention on European Wildlife and Natural Habitats * Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) * OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment * The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands |
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| Areas of Special
Scientific Interest: The Island has 5,251 acres of land designated as ASSIs. This list includes land owned and managed by Manx Wildlife Trust, Manx National Heritage, Department of Transport, Departemt of Tourism and Leisure, and DAFF as well as private landowners. But these 14 ASSIs cover just 3.17% of the Island. In the UK, on average, more than 10% of land is protected. In Scotland 12.9% of land is protected as SSSI (as of March 2008). IoM Friends of the Earth believes at least 10% of the Isle of Man should be designated as ASSI status land. |
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| The Wildlife Act, 1990: The 1990 Wildlife Act provides the legislative backbone for the work undertaken by the DAFF Wildlife and Conservation Division. It's basically a sound piece of legislation, but as with everything, it could be improved. It does protect wildlife - but it could do it better. * For example: one of the key areas covered in the Act is the designation of Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs). The Wildlife Act currently says ‘the department may designate’ ASSIs, but it would be better if it said ‘the department shall designate’ ASSIs. This may seem like semantics, but legislation is about semantics: a misplaced comma can keep advocates entertained for weeks. In this instance the change of the key phrase here from ‘may’ to ‘shall’ would make a big difference when a new site designation is challenged. * We'd also like to see the language focussing on the duties of other government departments strengthened. Under the Wildlife Act all departments, statutory boards or local authorities have a duty to have regard to wildlife, conservation and biodiversity “so far as may be consistent with the proper discharge of those functions”. This needs to be stronger. In Scotland all public bodies and office holders have a “general duty to further the conservation of biodiversity”. The pre-amble to relevant Scottish legislation says, “requires, and empowers, them at a general level to take appropriate positive action, within the context of their core functions, to further the conservation of the overall diversity, richness and extent of the natural world.” Every government department on the Isle of Man can potentially have an impact (positive or negative) on our biodiversity. * DLGE handles the planning of developments, strategic and local plans which often have an impact on biodiversity * The DoT maintains and widens roads, manages Main Rivers and lays sewage pipes and controls sea outfalls * The DoE and DHSS are both responsible for large estates that have the opportunity to create environmental benefits for the patients and pupils in their care * DHA, through the police, detects and handles wildlife crime, * DTL promotes tourism, including motor sport, encourages greater use of the countryside and the sea and can promote sustainable tourism * To reinforce government’s shared responsibilities for conserving and actively enhancing biodiversity, * To ensure it can be effectively enforced - and offences penalised * And to prioritise action to protect the most highly endangered species |
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Biodiversity links:
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| Other campaigns: |
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