SUCCESSFUL DARWIN PLUS PROJECTS FOR ST HELENA

St Helena has been successful again this year in securing two Darwin Plus Projects, worth £343,038, under the Darwin Initiative.

The Darwin Initiative is a UK Government Grants Scheme that helps to protect biodiversity and the natural environment in developing countries and UK Overseas Territories (OTs).

The two successful projects for St Helena are:

  • Improve biosecurity in the South Atlantic UKOTs through Pest Risk Assessments

This is a two-year project (2018-2020) that will develop Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) procedures and build capacity to use them for St Helena.

Head of the Agriculture & Natural Resources Division, Darren Duncan, explained:

“We are really pleased to be a partner in this two-year project and to work with the Centre for Agriculture & Bioscience International (CABI), based in Oxfordshire, UK, and other South Atlantic UK Overseas Territory (SAUKOT) project partners to address biosecurity capacity gaps, particularly with regards to prevention of new pests entering and becoming established on St Helena.”

  • Sustainable fishery management for the St Helena lobster population

This project will expand the Island’s knowledge of commercial lobster species ecology. It will review existing data, legislation and current management practices and make recommendations to ensure long-term sustainability of the lobster populations.

Annalea Beard from the Environment Management Division said:

“This project will build on the existing fisheries science research and monitoring programme to help establish an ecologically based assessment of lobster stocks, giving St Helena a fantastic opportunity to develop, establish and promote sustainable fishing practices locally, but also setting a good example globally.”

#StHelena # DarwinPlus #DarwinInitiative

https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt/

https://twitter.com/StHelenaGovt

SHG

13 February 2018

 

St Helena Government Communications Hub

Telephone: 22470
Email: kimberley.peters@sainthelena.gov.sh