Fred Burton MBE has worked in conservation in
the Cayman Islands for over 20 years, with the last nine as the
Director of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme – an unsalaried
position. He is deeply committed to creating a viable wild
population of blue iguanas in their own protected area. The Joint
Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) yesterday evening celebrated
Fred’s dedication, at a ceremony held in Peterborough. He was the
inaugural winner of the ‘Blue Turtle’ Award for nature conservation
in the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
JNCC Chair, Peter Bridgewater, one of the
panel of judges for the Award, said: “It is not often that one
person’s efforts are contribute so much to bringing a species back
from the brink of extinction, but in Fred’s case this was
absolutely the case. There are many examples of extraordinary
professional and enthusiastic work being done to conserve and
manage the biodiversity of our Overseas Territories and Crown
Dependencies by the local populations, often with little
fanfare. JNCC wanted to help by, once a year, rewarding the
work of a particular individual or group. For 2009, Fred was the
unanimous choice of the judging panel.”
The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme relies
heavily on its volunteer programme. Dedicated members of the local
community feed and care for the animals in the captive breeding
facility, as well as give talks and provide public education
experiences. Key volunteers from overseas also contribute time and
expertise in areas such as specialist veterinary care and radio
tracking of released animals. The Recovery Plan for the Blue Iguana
is a collaborative effort that is reviewed every five years with
the involvement of representatives from local and international
environmental agencies and groups.
Gina
Ebanks-Petrie, Director, Department of Environment, Cayman Islands
Government said of the Programme: “The Blue Iguana was once
referred to as the most endangered rock iguana on the planet.
Through Fred’s work a very successful captive breeding programme
was established and blue iguanas are being re-introduced to the
wild. Fred has taken the programme from a backyard project to a
fully-fledged captive breeding facility which produces over 100
young iguanas for release into protected areas each year. The
programme has been so successful that it serves as a model for
other regional projects.”
Tara Pelembe, JNCC’s Overseas Territories
Officer, commented: “We hope this is just the beginning of JNCC
being able to shine a light on projects and actions that deserve a
wider audience and acknowledgement. Fred is inspirational in his
care for the blue iguana, and it is a pleasure to celebrate his
success.”
- ENDS -
Notes to editors:
1. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee
(JNCC) is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and
international nature conservation, on behalf of the Council for
Nature Conservation and the Countryside, the Countryside Council
for Wales, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage. Its work
contributes to maintaining and enriching biological diversity,
conserving geological features and sustaining natural systems.
2. One of JNCC’s priorities is to
provide advice on the conservation of biodiversity in the UK’s
Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
3. The award was presented based on the
following criteria: nature conservation benefit/added value;
innovation; community involvement; and links to a specific project,
or demonstrating long-term commitment and dedication.
Any individual, or group of individuals
(including governments) from and working on an Overseas Territory
or Crown Dependency, can be nominated.
The work or project must have been in place
for over a year, demonstrated innovation and have made a real
difference. In addition to a trophy, the Award gives £500 to the
individual or group, and a £1,000 contribution to an Overseas
Territory or Crown Dependency nature conservation project of their
choice.
4. JNCC has adopted a high-level
strategic objective, derived from our vision, to ‘provide, to UK
government departments, the governments of the Overseas Territories
and Crown Dependencies and others, timely and sound advice to
support the achievement of the 2010 biodiversity target, the
progressing of Environment Charters, and the implementation of
multilateral environmental agreements.’
The United Kingdom’s 14 Overseas Territories
are a diverse grouping. They range from the tiny Pacific island of
Pitcairn with 47 inhabitants and a fragile subsistence economy
based on fishing, horticulture, and the sale of handicrafts, to
Bermuda just north of the Caribbean, which has a population of more
than 62,000 and is one of the world's major financial
centres. They also include the Sovereign Base Areas on
Cyprus, which are military bases.
The UKOTs have an amazing wealth of
biodiversity. Of globally threatened species identified in
the 2009 IUCN Red List, 74 critically endangered species occur in
the UK Overseas Territories (compared to 14 in mainland UK) along
with 50 endangered species (7 in mainland UK) and 167 vulnerable
species (41 in the mainland UK). Many of these species are
endemic and so are found nowhere else in the world
The Overseas Territories also hold regionally
or globally important concentrations or assemblages of
species. For example, Ascension Island supports the second
largest green turtle rookery in the Atlantic; Gough Island (Tristan
da Cunha) has been described as, arguably, the most important
seabird island in the world; and the reefs of the Chagos
Archipelago (British Indian Ocean Territory) are some of the most
pristine and best protected in the Indian Ocean (and account for
some 1.3% of the world resource).
The three Crown Dependencies are possessions
of The Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, as opposed to overseas
territories or colonies of the United Kingdom. They comprise the
Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of
Man in the Irish Sea. Being independently administered
jurisdictions, none forms part of the United Kingdom or of the
European Union.
5. For interviews and further information
(including images to support this release) please
or call JNCC’s
Communications Team on 01733 866839.