Manx Shearwater off the Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project is a 25-year partnership initiative to provide a safe future for internationally important seabird populations on the Isles of Scilly.
The islands are home to breeding populations of 14 species, accounting for approximately 20,000 birds in total. These includes both storm petrel and Manx shearwater, for which the UK has a global responsibility. Since 1983, however, populations have been in decline.
With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and the EU LIFE programme, the Seabird Recovery Project aims to tackle this problem through the removal of predatory rats from the islands of St Agnes and Gugh. It also seeks to increase the number of people actively involved in seabird conservation – and to enable the islands to make the most of their wildlife assets by providing opportunities for people to enjoy the lives of these spectacular birds.
Strawberry production on St Agnes
The initiative is an idea developed by the islands’ farmers and the Duchy of Cornwall to try and overcome some of the disadvantages of farming in a remote location.
One way is to mitigate some of the costs and problems associated with agricultural life on the islands. These include, for example, the farmers' geographical isolation and the difficulty in accessing opportunities for skills and training offered through mainland Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) projects.
The initiative encourages information sharing and capacity building initiatives – including knowledge transfer, vocational training, collaborative working and purchasing, access to professional advice and help in accessing the wider RDPE programme. This takes place through farm walks, informal information sharing sessions and demonstration events, an email information hub, website and bulk purchasing of commodities.
The initiative is a fully funded project through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the European Union, and will run until December 2013.
Island partnership
The Duchy is a major sponsor of The Islands’ Partnership, which is responsible for marketing the Isles of Scilly to the world as well as representing its business interests in the broader economic environment.
Established in 2012, following the recommendations of a comprehensive report on the future of the tourism industry by tourism consultancy, Blue Sail, the Islands’ Partnership encourages business growth in two key ways; by promoting of the islands externally, and by creating an active and practical forum for local businesses. In this way, it aims to provide the resources, energy and know-how to enable members to develop the local economy to its full potential.
Tourism is the fabric of Scilly, and the islands rely on it heavily. However, the new Partnership also represents wider business interests, recognising that most of the Islands commerce is ultimately reliant on tourism.
By working together and marketing the Isles of Scilly as a cohesive single brand, the Islands’ Partnership believes it can make a positive, lasting and powerful difference.
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