20 April 2010
People in Jersey are being asked for their views on how the Island’s Ramsar sites should be managed.
4 areas of Jersey’s coastal waters were designated under the Ramsar Convention after approval from the States of Jersey. The south-east coast was designated in 2000 and the offshore reefs of Les Minquiers, Les Ecréhous, Les Dirouilles and Les Pierres de Lecq were designated in 2005. It is a requirement of the convention that management plans be developed for each site.
A public consultation has been launched to ask people what they think about the Ramsar sites and the issues that should be considered by the Ramsar Management Authority when creating management plans for the sites. Questions cover issues like activities which take place in the Ramsar sites and the impact these may have.
The Ramsar Management Authority was recently established by the Minister for Planning and Environment. It is made up of stakeholders who include government and parish representatives, Receiver General and various non-governmental organisations. It met in March 2010 and agreed the need to consult on this issue.
Assistant Environment Minister, Deputy Rob Duhamel, said “This is a very important issue and it’s vital that the public, as well as stakeholders, contribute to this consultation. Public engagement and involvement are central to the Ramsar ethos.”
Hard copies of the consultation are available on request from the Fisheries and Marine Resources Section at Howard Davis Farm.
The deadline for responses is Friday 18 June 2010.
Ramsar management plans
gov.je