Senior representatives from the UK Government’s Blue Belt Programme
are visiting Tristan da Cunha and St Helena in January 2018.
The Blue Belt Programme is a 4 year initiative delivered in
partnership with the UK Overseas Territories, the UK Government
and stakeholders to provide long term protection for over four
million square kilometres of marine environment across the UK
Overseas Territories.
The purpose of the visit is to discuss how the local communities
of Tristan and St Helena will benefit from the implementation of
the Blue Belt Programme. The Programme aims to ensure that, as
well as providing greater environmental protection to globally
important ecosystems, these benefits are delivered in tandem with
social and economic opportunities for the local communities.
For example, by reviewing options for a Traffic Separation Scheme
around Tristan da Cunha, identifying areas to be avoided around
the islands/seamounts and introducing a compulsory reporting
system for certain hazardous cargo, we can look at how best to
mitigate the very real risks to the environment and to local
fisheries that were brought into sharp focus with the 2011 MS
Oliva grounding on Nightingale Island.
The Blue Belt Programme has also recently undertaken a survey of
bluenose fishing stocks to ensure the long-term sustainable
management of the fisheries business.
We are working with the St Helena Government on a range of
projects to fulfill the objectives of their Marine Management
Plan, including projects to determine the movements and growth of
the local tuna populations, to establish the sustainability of
grouper and lobster. We are also looking at other human impacts
on the marine environment and how we can manage them.
The Blue Belt Programme are working closely with the Tristan da
Cunha and St Helena Governments on a number of separate projects,
but are also keen to hear direct from local communities whilst
they are on the island, to answer their enquiries regarding the
Programme.
Craig McGarvey, Programme Director will be joined by Dr Martin
Collins, Lead Scientist for the Blue Belt Programme and Oliver
Yates, Senior Marine Science Advisor.
Speaking today, Mr McGarvey said: “My colleagues and I are very
much looking forward to meeting with the local communities of
Tristan da Cunha and St Helena as well as meeting local officials
and representatives of the Governments, to discuss how specific
parts of the Blue Belt programme will be implemented in practice,
to ensure that the social, environmental and economic benefits
are realised.”
