Falklands fear who will p-p-pick up tab for penguins
Islanders worried at losing millions of euros in EU funding to protect seabirds despite UK pledge to help
EACH year, more than a million penguins waddle along the shorelines of the Falklands, to the delight of tourists and islanders alike.
But Brexit has left the UK overseas territory worried, after it emerged that the island stands to lose millions of euros in funding from EU conservation projects that help keep the island’s penguins well-fed and secure.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Teslyn Barkman, the Falklands trade minister, said she wanted to ensure “no penguin is left behind”, as she urged the Government to offer more clarity on how seabirds would be protected after Brexit.
After Brexit, far-flung British outposts risk losing access to funding from the EU project BEST, which provides €1million (£900,000) grants to member states’ overseas territories for conservation schemes. The referendum result also rules them out of LIFE funding, the EU environment programme that issues grants of up to €5million.
Though the sums seem relatively small, they are a crucial resource for an island whose 3,390 inhabitants are vastly outnumbered by penguins, and which only produces £146 million in GDP. The Falklands spends the money on preserving food stocks, monitoring population levels and running a recovery centre for the rare cases in which penguins are smothered in oil left by passing ships.
“Independent NGOS undertaking critical research and conservation work in the Falklands are concerned that losing the more long-term grant awards through BEST would affect their work,” Ms Barkman said.
Though Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, has promised to ensure conservationists are not left out of pocket by Brexit, Ms Barkman said there were “genuine concerns” that the UK’S replacement funding programme would be insufficient. “Critically, we are yet to see any firm proposals from the UK on their replacement for BEST,” she added.
The dilemma reveals how Britain’s overseas territories feel forgotten by both sides in the Brexit talks, even though they account for more than 90 per cent of UK biodiversity and are a source of great national pride.
The Falklands is home to five species of penguin – the king, the rockhopper, the Magellanic, the gentoo and the macaroni.
There are more than a million penguins on the islands, which means the UK is ultimately responsible for more penguins than any other country.
However, the Falklands suffers from a Catch-22 situation over its conservation projects, as the islands are part of UK territory they are ineligible for international funds. But they are also ineligible for many British funding projects as they are thousands of miles from the UK mainland.
“Despite being part of the British family, overseas territories are in a constant struggle to find funds for environmental management and projects, and the loss of BEST due to Brexit will be sorely felt,” said Dr Esther Bertram, chief executive at Falklands Conservation.
“As this funding gap exists, it’s very disappointing that the Government has not yet proposed how it will replace BEST funding,” added Jonathan Hall, a spokesman for the RSPB.
Ms Barkman added that Falkland islanders were deeply concerned about the economic consequences of a nodeal Brexit, which would hit them harder than mainland Britons.
Falkland officials estimate that the meat industry could lose up to 30 per cent of its revenue if the EU imposes tariffs on their products, while fishing revenues could fall by up to 16 per cent.
A no-deal Brexit has also raised concern about its long-term security.
Once Britain leaves the EU, it will no longer be part of the Lisbon Treaty, the legal document that obliges member states to accept Britain’s claim of ownership over the Falklands.
A Government spokesman said: “We recognise the great importance of these unique environments, and are considering how funding for them can best be provided after we leave the EU.”