herm ramsar management plan… the story so far… · 2020-07-10 · plan drafted. jan 2018 –rmg...
TRANSCRIPT
Herm Ramsar Management Plan… the story so far…
Alex Herschel,
Guernsey Electricity
Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.
https://www.guernseystamps.com/Ramsar-Herm
PRESSUREClimate Change Invasive Species
Offshore Infrastructure Development
RecreationPollution:
Terrestrial Run OffPollution
Guernsey/ HermBiological
Resource Use
STRESSOR
Sea Level Rise
Increased Sedements
Increased Storms
Toxicants
Physical Damage
Increased Noise
Recreational Fishing
Rats, Dogs (visiting)
Marine (e.g. Wire
weed)
Rabbits, cows
Plants (e.g. hotentot
fig)
Increased Nutrients
EFFECT
PRIORITY VALUES
Increased Inundation
Species and Habitat Changes
ImpactsVegetation
Health
Increased Erosion
Reduced PopulationsDirect
Habitat Removal
Impacts Fauna Health
FishSeagrassGrassland,
coastal heathland
Sand dunes/ cliff habitat
Intertidal mud/ salt/ sand flats
Coastal rocky shore
Waterbirds
In the case of Ramsar, quite a bit of this….
And a lot of this…
Story so far..
2014 – Ramsardesignation
process started.
April 2015 –Ramsar
Management Plan started.
October 2015 –Herm Ramsar
Site designated.
2017 – Summary Management Plan drafted.
Jan 2018 – RMG formed & the Management
Plan implementation
kicked-off.
Ongoing Consultation with Stakeholders
Designated Ramsar Site
“…wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary,
with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which
at low tide does not exceed six metres.” Ramsar Convention
- Site is 1,802.92 hectares- Two main islands, the islets of the Humps & surrounding sea and sub littoral zone to a depth of 6 metres, plus a ‘direct’ Buffer Zone.
Critical habitats within theHerm Ramsar Site
Continuous bracken (22 ha)
(22 ha)
Sand, shingle or pebble shores, sand dune, grassland, coastal healthland (26.94 ha)
Coastal rocky shore (intertidal)Marine tidal
Woodland (9.7 ha)
Dense scrub (10.2 ha)
Intertidal sand flats (291 ha)
Species/ communities within the Site
Golden Kelp (Laminaria ochroleuca)
Eelgrass (Zostera) beds
Maerl beds
Atlantic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus)
Storm petrel (Hydrobatespelagicus)
Dark-bellied Brent Goose(Branta bernicla)
Puffin
Ecosystem Services … which also represent ‘threats’
• The States, as the Authorised Authority (AA), have committed to take responsibility for ensuring that:
• The site is managed in a way that will 'maintain its ecological character and promote wise use’.
• That there will be ‘procedures in place to detect if any threatening processes are likely to, or have, altered the ‘ecological character’.
• To submit a ‘notification of change to Ramsar if the ‘ecological character’ of a site has changed, is changing, or is likely to change as the result of human activities’.
• To ‘provide an updated Ramsar Information Sheet to Ramsar every six years’.
Obligations
Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC)
• It is important to understand how to recognise that this character is changing in a negative way, so that any change can be managed.
• For this reason, Article 4.2 of Ramsar states that “Limits of Acceptable Change” (LAC) should be identified for each site.
• Data and knowledge is invaluable to be able to define the site’s LAC so that we can disclose any changes in the ‘ecological character’ of the site.
A LAC is defined as follows:
“…the variation that is considered acceptable in a particular measure or feature ofthe ecological character of the wetland.” (Phillips (2006)
And now the hard part starts…
• The objectives of the RMG :
• To inform and steer the development and implementation of the Ramsar Management Plan
• To champion and disseminate information about the Ramsar site
• To identify how to establish consensus amongst stakeholders.
• To support the delivery and funding identification and allocation for projects and actions.
• To monitor the progress of the management plan against the agreed objectives of the Plan and the annual action plan.
The Ramsar Convention also requires that a Ramsar management plan is ‘developed by its stakeholders to ensure a balance of viewpoints and expertise to enable the decision-making process and to ensure future development of the site maintains all the values for which the site is important’.
Ramsar Management Group (RMG)
We have the plan…!Ramsar
Information Sheet
Ecological Character Description
Annual Action plans(Draft) Herm Ramsar Site
Management Plan
Monitoring
Reporting
Communication
Research
Natural Resource Management planning
Other land use planning (e.g States Island Plan)
JNCC Guidelines for Wetlands
Guernsey Biodivesity Strategy
Site & Ecological Character Description
Planning
Manage and Monitor
Evaluate and Review
- Complete and regularly update the RIS- Assess the wetland value/ importance of the site- Assess the threats to the site
- Carry out regular reviews of the management plan and action plan.
- AA to establish a cross-sector RMG- Draft a site management plan- Establish a project, financing and resourcing plan for the site (annual action plan)- Establish a CEPA programme
- Implementation of the management and action plan - Monitor effectiveness
RamsarManagement
Group
Next steps: Management Plan to Action Plan
Theme 4: CEPA
Theme 3: Insufficient Knowledge
Theme 5: Climate Change
Theme 2: Conflict of
Interest
(Draft) Management Plan Actions can be broken down into 7 key sub-groups:
Q1 18 Q2 18 Q3 18 Q4 18 Q1 19 Q2 19 Q3 19 Q4 19
1. Intertidal (6 sub projects from RMP) Survey & mapping
Student analysis
2. Nearshore (6 sub projects from RMP) Survey & mapping
Student analysis
3. Comm. Education Participation Awareness (CEPA) Ongoing
4. Invasive species (2 subprojects in RMP) Ongoing
5. Marine mammals (2 subprojects in RMP)
6. Ecosystem Services (8 sub projects from RMP)
7. Water Quality (1 key project in RMP)
8. Seabirds (1 key project in RMP)
Priority Actions for 2018/19
Project 1: Intertidal mapping study (Activities for Q2 2018/19)
Scope • Plan for and carry out an intertidal survey of Herm, Jethou &the Humps using standard Phase 1 Habitat methodology, JNCCbiotype classifications and photo quadrant data sets.
• Development of key indicator spp. & invasive spp. list &distribution to inform the LAC development for the site.
• Input data into a spatial map for the Ramsar site in ArcGIS.Deliverables • A spatial map of the Ramsar site in ArcGIS.
• Photo library of quadrants, to inform subsequent biodiversityanalysis for the site – BSc project (ongoing)
Information & Data Needs
• Access arrangements for Jethou & Humps• Access to any existing intertidal data that includes the site.
Resourcing & Logistics
• Vessel to access the Humps & Jethou• Undergrad student to assist in field and for mapping study –
ideally local, to be coordinated by Biodiversity EducationOfficer (BEO)
• Survey team – LSG, ACLMS, Dr M Broadhurst-Allen• Survey equipment - e.g. camera, quadrats• Access to ArcGIS – including licence etc.
RMG Contributions • Vessel operators – donation of vessel time.• Volunteers to take part in surveys• Potential fund raising for any travel/ student/ fuel costs.
Project 5: Marine mammals (2018/19)
Scope • Set up a sightings study to establish a resident population map formarine mammals & individual ID register for seals.
• Collate available sightings data to inform management.• Promote existing Seabird & Marine Mammal Sightings Packs• Operators to test SJ Dolphin Watch App and sightings packs.• Prepare a sightings log for Trident (effort based study).
Deliverables • Spatial map of marine mammal and seabird distribution.• Iindividual seal ID register (as part of wider Bailiwick photo ID
work)• Data to inform development of LAC for marine mammal species.
Information & Data Needs
• Reported sightings – either from app or to the GBRC/ LSG etc.• Sightings questionnaires – to be given out in visitor leaflets
Resourcing & Logistics
• Printing costs for sightings packs.• Design time for leaflets/ questionnaires• Collation and analysis of data
RMG Contributions
• Operators – testing of app.• All - promotion within organisations.• Herm Island Ltd & Trident – distribution of leaflets & go ahead for
skipper log.• LSG - Collation of data, Intern – analysis of data.• ALL – ideas on/ offers of funding for printing costs.
