The UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF), also known as Overseas Territories Conservation, is a UK-based non-governmental organisation which promotes coordinated conservation in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies (UKOTs and CDs). It is a not-for-profit organisation supported by grants, donations and subscriptions, and a registered charity and company.
Governance
UKOTCF is a non-profit organisation, constituted as a Charitable Company under the laws of England & Wales. The governing document is the Memorandum and Articles of Association. Under the Memorandum and Articles and subsidiary documents, UKOTCF is run by a Council of up to 12 persons elected by the member organisations. Council members are elected for 3-year, renewable terms, each year four places come up for election on rotation.
Aims
The UKOTs (also known as the British Overseas Territories) are internationally recognised for their exceptionally rich and varied natural environments. They contain an estimated 90% of the biodiversity found within the UK and the territories combined. The UK and territory governments bear joint responsibility for conserving and protecting the rich natural heritage of the UKOTs, and work together to meet obligations under international environmental agreements. UKOTCF is the only organisation working solely on cross-territory UKOT environmental issues, providing assistance in the form of expertise, information and liaison between non-governmental organisations and governments, both in the UK and in the territories themselves.
Member organisations UKOTCF has over 30 member and associate organisations.
These are: Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust, Bermuda National Trust, National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands, Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society, Alderney Wildlife Trust, Anguilla Archaeological & History Society, Anguilla National Trust, Ascension Conservation Centre, Ascension Heritage Society, BirdLife Cyprus, Bermuda Audubon Society, Bermuda Zoological Society, United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust, National Trust for the Cayman Islands, Central Caribbean Marine Institute, Chagos Conservation Trust, Akrotiri Environmental Education & Information Centre (Cyprus SBA), Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society, La Société Guernesiaise, Isle of Man Department of Environment, Food & Agriculture, National Trust for Jersey, Société Jersiaise, Jost Van Dykes Preservation Society, Montserrat National Trust, Pitcairn Natural Resources Department, La Société Sercquiais, Saint Helena National Trust, Turks and Caicos National Museum, National Trust of the Turks & Caicos Islands, Turks & Caicos Reef Fund, Army Ornithological Society, Royal Air Force Ornithological Society, Royal Naval Birdwatching Society.
In addition to the member and associate organisations, UKOTCF has links with a number of other organisations including 1% for the Planet and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Projects A selection of UKOTCF's projects are detailed in the table below:
Date Project Territory Main Partner(s) 1993 Core Development of the Forum and Support for NGOs in UK Dependent Territories All Funded by the Darwin Initiative 1999 Developing biodiversity management capacity around the Ramsar site in Turks and Caicos Islands Turks & Caicos Islands CABI Bioscience, Turks & Caicos organisations, funded by the Darwin Initiative 1999 A Breath of Fresh Air: an international conference on environmental conservation in small territories Cross Territory Foreign & Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Environment, Science & Energy Department 2000 Calpe 2000: Linking the Fragments of Paradise: an international conference on environmental conservation in small territories Cross Territory Government of Gibraltar, Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society, UK Government 2003 A Sense of Direction: a conference on conservation in UK Overseas Territories and other small island communities Cross Territory Bermuda Ministry of Environment, Bermuda National Trust, Bermuda Zoological Society, Bermuda Audubon Society, UK Government 2006 Biodiversity that Matters: a conference on conservation in UK Overseas Territories and other small island communities Cross Territory Société Jersiaise, National Trust for Jersey, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, UK Government 2007 Net-Biome Cross Territory Regional Council of La Réunion, Regional Council of la Guadeloupe, Regional Council of Guyane, Regional Council of Martinique, Regional Government of Canary Islands, Regional Government of Madeira, Regional Government of Azores, Government of New Caledonia, Ministry of Public Health and Social Development, Netherlands Antilles Government and Government of French Polynesia, European Union 2009 Making the Right Connections: a conference on conservation in UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island communities Cross Territory National Trust for the Cayman Islands, Government of the Cayman Islands Department for the Environment, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Department for International Development, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2010 Management of Protected Areas to Support Sustainable Economies (MPASSE) Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos Islands National Trust for the Cayman Islands, Blue Iguana Recovery Program, the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos National Trust, European Union 2011 'Wonderful Water' Curriculum Turks & Caicos Islands Turks & Caicos Islands Government Education Department 2014 Wise Water Use for Gardens Turks & Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos National Museum, RBC Foundation 2015 Sustaining Partnerships: a conference on conservation and sustainability in UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island communities Cross Territory Government of Gibraltar's Department of the Environment and Climate Change, Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society 2016 Review on Progress in implementing the Environment Charters or their equivalents and towards Aichi Targets Cross Territory Consultees across all Territories 2016 Maximising long-term survival prospects of Montserrat's endemic species and ecosystem-services Montserrat Montserrat National Trust, Montserrat Department of Environment, Montana State University, Treweek Consulting Ltd, funded by the Darwin Plus Fund
Website The UKOTCF website and database contain extensive information on conservation priorities for the UKOTs, as well as funding sources, environmental education resources and specific information on projects carried out in the UKOTs. The database was incorporated in response to requests from the territories, designed so that information can be added and updated by partner organisations. The database modules help to track critical sites (and common issues across sites), conservation priorities, projects within the UKOTs/CDs, environmental education resources and other information on a wide variety of subjects. The database has been described as ' a valuable resource for conservation practitioners in the Overseas Territories ' by the Institute of Zoology.
In addition to an annual report, UKOTCF also publishes the Forum News newsletter several times a year. These can also be found on the UKOTCF website and provide the latest news relevant to the UKOTs.
In 2018, a new website was launched at www.ukotcf.org.uk
Virtual tours The UKOTs are important parts of the UK, not foreign countries. Although small in size, they support far more endemic taxa and other globally important biodiversity than does Britain and Ireland. They are also important for their historical and cultural heritage, both in their own right, and their historical links for UK. However, there is little public awareness, either within UKOTs or in mainland UK, of the biodiversity and cultural importance of the UKOTs, and the challenges they face. UKOTCF raises awareness of the territories and the UK's responsibility to them through its 'Virtual Tours' of the territories. The virtual tours draw attention to the biodiversity and cultural value, and highlight the challenges they face and the opportunities to protect and conserve their important features.
Conferences
UKOTCF has organised six international environment conferences since 1999, the most recent being held in Gibraltar in 2015, with support from HM Government of Gibraltar and the Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society. UKOTCF conferences bring together conservation professionals from across the UKOTs, CDs and beyond, providing a forum in which to share information and best practice, and forge stronger environmental links between UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island nations. The latest conference included involvement of environment ministers from several territories. Proceedings of all UKOTCF-organised conferences are publicly available on the UKOTCF website.
2015 - Gibraltar: Sustaining Partnerships: a conference on conservation and sustainability in UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island communities.
Gibraltar hosted an international environmental conference "Sustaining Partnerships" from 11 to 15 July 2015, with a focus on UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small islands.
The conference provided a forum for government environmental bodies, NGOs and commercial organisations to discuss key conservation issues, to highlight success stories, exchange ideas, and to forge partnerships. It is hoped that Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island communities that share similar environmental problems benefit from learning about one another's history and experience of planning and conservation initiatives. The overall aim was to draw on similarities and differences in experience across the territories, to provide insights into common challenges, and leave participants better equipped to address local needs.
2009 - Grand Cayman: Making the Right Connections: a conference on conservation in UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island communities
The Cayman Islands hosted an international environmental conference from 30 May to 5 June 2009, with a focus on UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small islands.
The conference provided a forum for government environmental bodies and NGOs to discuss key conservation issues, to highlight success stories, exchange ideas, and to forge partnerships, so that UK Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies and other small island communities that share similar environmental problems benefit from learning about one another's history and experience of planning and conservation initiatives.
2006 - Jersey: Biodiversity that Matters: a conference on conservation in UK Overseas Territories and other small island communities
Organised by: UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum, with the support of the Overseas Territories Environment Programme, and hosted by the Jersey conservation bodies.
This conference was designed to be of help in some of the priority issues identified by workers in small territories. Main sessions were: Environmental education and the UKOTs Environment Charters and strategic planning Integration of conservation and sustainable livelihoods: terrestrial and marine, including fisheries Obtaining and Using Resources (not just money) Species conservation issues: dealing with alien invasive species and species recovery including captive breeding
2003 - Bermuda: A Sense of Direction: a conference on conservation in UK Overseas Territories and other small island communities
Organised by Bermuda Ministry of Environment, Bermuda National Trust, Bermuda Zoological Society, Bermuda Audubon Society and UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum.